I stared at my car's cassette player waiting for an answer that didn't come. I'd just spent hours listening to a book on cassette, the precursor to audiobooks, as I drove home from college in Flagstaff, Arizona.
I wanted an explanation for why a huge chunk of the story was missing. The "who" in this whodunnit came clear out of left field with no buildup whatsoever.
For me and, likewise, countless other readers, part of a mystery's fun is trying to figure out who did it and why, reaching a solution before the author shows their hand. In this case, too, I'd spent all those hours wondering who could be responsible, yet the guilty party never appeared in the story until the end. It was a disappointing and anticlimactic resolution.
I vowed to never listen to another book on tape.
Initially, I decided the story must have been abridged and that whoever shortened it didn't cut out the right pieces — it just didn't make sense!
The offending novel was All That Remains by Patricia Cornwell. After a recent online search, however, I discovered it wasn't abridged and there should've been nine cassettes. I don't remember how many I listened to, but it definitely wasn't nine. I must have picked it up secondhand without realizing the set was incomplete. (Modern audiobooks, thankfully, now avoid this problem by design.)
In the decade to follow, I let myself be persuaded to give audiobooks a few more tries. I did so grudgingly, only to find my choice to shun them reinforced. As a voracious reader, I find myself sliding into a good story often from the first sentence, my surroundings fading as the author's world comes alive. But when listening to audiobooks, I couldn't slip into this world. Instead, my mind wandered and I missed important plot points. Rather than being fully engrossed by the story, I'd find myself thinking about other things: dinner options, work, what to wear.
Most of all, I just wanted the story to end.
Then, one desperate winter night completely changed my perspective on audiobooks for good.
I was sick — the kind where you're too miserable to keep your eyes open — but you can't sleep because of constant coughing and a stuffed-up nose. I shoved aside my misgivings and took the plunge. I downloaded an audiobook hoping for some entertainment and relief from my suffering, choosing The Rook by Daniel O'Malley after a brief glance at the description. The novel centers on a London woman who's lost her memory, but whose pre-amnesiac self left behind letters to guide her as she works in a covert organization devoted to fighting supernatural forces.
I was expecting a serious book. It wasn't — at least not entirely. It was funny, and despite being sick I was laughing out loud. I forgot about my misery for a while, and you know what they say about "laughter is the best medicine."
I began downloading audiobooks regularly after this, realizing that sometimes it's pleasant to let someone else read to you while you relax. In the last few years I've listened to around 30 audiobooks, and abandoned at least 10 more. In the hopes of helping other hesitant listeners like I once was to find an audiobook they'll enjoy, here's some advice.
1. CHOOSE A GENRE/SUBJECT YOU'D NORMALLY READ
If it's not, you probably won't enjoy the story.
2. LISTEN TO A SAMPLE CLIP IF YOU CAN
Some narrators won't work for you simply because you find their voice irritating, too high pitched, or there's something else you don't like. Sometimes a narrator sounds good for most of the story, but their vocal delivery for a specific character is too grating. If that character plays a major part of the story, you might want to switch to a physical book.
The right narrator can undoubtedly improve your enjoyment of an audiobook. For example, Spokane-based narrator Travis Baldree is incredible. His range of voices is impressive, and part of why I became hooked by John Winchester's The Journey Home, which Baldree narrates.
3. SKIP ANY ABRIDGED BOOKS
The best or most important parts may be omitted!
4. SET A TIME LIMIT
If you aren't happy with your choice, move on.
Now sit back, close your eyes, and let someone else read you a story. Do remember, though, that life is too short to read or listen to a book you don't like. (Unless you're a student — then it's mandatory.) ♦
