Review: Audible.com

Earlier this month, I decided to give audiobooks another try. Until recently, my experience with audiobooks had been limited to those horrendous "read along" books some especially sadistic teachers had made us listen to in junior high and high school. If you never had particular nightmare, then consider yourself blessed.

Another reason I'd never given audiobooks much consideration was that I hate--no, loathe--having a story read to me. It doesn't even have to be fiction, now that I think about it. I don't even like having nonfiction things like news articles or recipes read to me. Ever since I begged my mother to teach me to read and write at the age of three, I've been an independent reader. Yes, my mother read to me as a child, and I loved hearing her voice paint images in my mind as I drifted to sleep at night. But, she also had to deal with my brother at bedtime so there were times when I was left holding a book while she was in my brother's room. (He was a couple years older than me and could read but still wanted Mom to read to him at bedtime...mostly to antagonize me.) I understood the pictures but the scrawling black insect-like words escaped me. So, out of frustration and thanks to an incredibly broad independent streak, I asked Mom to teach me to read and write. Once I had those skills under my belt, I didn't wait for Mom to read to me at night. At least not as much. She would still tuck me in and give me a goodnight kiss, but I definitely came to love reading on my own and devoured as many books as I could. When reading the same books over and over between library visits grew old, I began writing my own stories....but that's a story for another time, and I digress.

So out of a desire to actually accomplish things around my house--such as organizing my office at last--and wanting to devour books, I decided to try Audible.com since they offered a 30-day free trial. My first download was a book I've read many times and have always loved: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. One of the main reasons I chose this book was that it's been on my mind a lot lately. (Yes, I'm aware of the upcoming TV adaptation of it, and that's why I've been thinking about it.) Another reason was it was narrated by one of my favorite actors: Tim Robbins (Jacob's Ladder, Shawshank Redemption, Mission to Mars). Plus, it was free. I figured if I could enjoy actually listening to a book I already knew read in the voice of an actor I like, then I could possibly overcome my dislike of audiobooks.

Well, that was my thought anyway...

As I listened to the recording of Fahrenheit 451, my old hatred of passively listening to someone read sentences to me arose. There was nothing wrong with Robbins' performance. He was brilliant as Montag and rendered great voices for Clarisse, Beatty, Mildred, and others. The dysfunction didn't lie with Robbins, certainly not with Bradbury, or even the format of the audiobook itself. No, it was entirely my own shortcomings that made listening to it less enjoyable than actively reading it. I had a complete failure to launch the images that normally flood my brain when I read a book. My private movie theater was closed, doors locked, and ticket window shuttered. While I love Bradbury's work, I didn't love my experience with Audible.com. I was determined to cancel my membership and save the $14.95 monthly fee since I wasn't going to use it.

Then, I talked to my husband about "my problem."

He suggested, since I still had an entire month to decide, that I should try downloading a book I hadn't read yet but that I'd been wanting to read. Even though he refuses to read anything that isn't a computer programming manual, he was giving me advice on how to approach audiobooks. (Actually, he has read a few books other thank programming manuals. He's voluntarily read Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series and involuntarily read the multitude of crappy things I've written and shoved in his face.) Skeptical, I agreed to try a book that had been sitting on my to-be-read pile for months and downloaded Holly Black's The Cruel Prince.

Damn my husband. I loved the book. I loved the narrator. I loved the writing. Most of all, I loved the images that danced in my brain as I listened to the words and organized shelves of books in my office. When I finished The Cruel Prince, I downloaded Sarah J. Maas's A Court of Thorns and Roses, and loved it as well. I'm now listening to the sequel, A Court of Mist and Fury, and yes, I'm loving it as well. (Look for reviews of TCP and ACOTAR soon.)

So, am I truly over my hatred of audiobooks and having things read to me? No. But, I am willing to give the medium a fair shake if it allows me to multitask while still enjoying great books from great authors.

Review at a Glance:

Experience: B+ to A-
Likely to Recommend to a Friend: Yes
Will I Buy Again: Highly Likely