[h3nG]

Just curious, are the audio version of books enjoyable?

Anyone here who prefer listening over reading?

Thinking about giving them a try, but interested in hearing from you all first.

Thanks!

[Dystran Hart]

Yay! you won't regret it in my opinion.

I am an avid reader - the usual type of reader - not liking movies as much as books. Liking the depth of books over the shallowness of movies.

But ... unabridged audio books are totally mindblowing in my opinion. Firstly, they HAVE to be unabridged (which means they are word for word). There are more abridged books out there, which are no good as they are cut down to about 20 percent of the original book!

The positives is that you can listen while you walk. I walk to work over an hour each day listening to my audio books. I woudl say a 350 page book woulf work out to 15 hours of audio.

Also, libraries in teh UK rent audio books for yoru information - hard to find sci fi / fantasy ones though.

Some audio book are amazing and are really brought to life. I remember a story in the listening format more than when i read the book. Also when an author gets involved in the audio book you are hearing it as it 'should be' rather than how you perceive it in yoru own mind.

Thats my bit done hehe - but go for it. Listen at the gym too!

[h3nG]

Hey thanks! Good idea about listening to it while working out. i guess i can use that as an incentive to go to the gym.:D

[Richardb]

Audio is such a different method of information inflow, that listening to an audiobook that you have read before is still a completely new experience. I buy everything I can in audiobook (unabridged only) and really enjoy the chance to experience the story in a new media using a different part of my brain. WoT unabridged is amazing (great readers make all the difference and really give the characters life and depth). Each WoT book is between 16-26 90 minute cassettes, so it takes a while to work through them. I generally try to listen to the entire series about once per year (as a build up to a new book release).
Other good ones available: all the Pern Books, some Brooks stuff, LoTR unabridged, and the Goodkind stuff (though I am not into these, so cant attest to their quality).
Well worth buying, renting, or checking out from a library.