As someone who very much enjoys a good audiobook, sometimes it can get frustrating. Since actual reading is part of my work-life (as in the non-fiction-part-of-my-job-responsibilities-tech side) and time for the fun, escapist reading conflicts with your family schedule (once you have kids in your life), delighting in audiobooks gets me back to that enjoyment that I started way back when... I'll get it on to my iPod and listen to them when and wherever I can. However, the pursuit of it can be vexing, see below...
There is the special exasperation an audiobook listener feels toward a poor narrator of a great book. Nothing screws up the experience quite so thoroughly as when one winces due to someone's vocal reading. It just breaks the spell, and grates on your nerves... That's even more so when it's the author--I'm talking to you, Thomas Harris and Mark Bowden--conducting the butchery. Though an author's genius is plainly on view on the written page of the published hard-/softcover, it is a rare quality that they also have the vocal/delivery/acting skills to actually narrate their own works to audiobook form. Believe me, I've heard enough of them for my ears to bleed...
It's no more of a disappointment than when you find out that no audiobook exists for the book you seek, as well. The simple truth is, the audiobook format exists for only a small portion of the books that get published each year. Not all authors have the opportunity to have their work produced in the audio space. By way of Corey's Drowning Machine blog, I'd love to listen to Declan Burke's work, but I'll have to wait till he sells enough to become better known to attract the publishers to produce such a work :-| (I know this because Mr. Burke kindly responded to my email query awhile back).
Plus, if you find the audiobook, then there is the concern about whether it's in unabridged or abridged form. For some, unabridged vs. abridged audiobook can lead to a few arguments. I very much prefer unabridged because that is what I'd want to read (if I had the time). But, here's the thing that drove me to post this. Sometimes, it'll be some stupid thing like the cost of an audiobook that'll drive one crazy. Corey's latest review, Beat the Reaper, got me on such a tangent. Bazell's debut book is available on Audible--so, on it goes to my download list. Easy...I have a subscription. Next, when you search on Amazon for other reviews, you find that it has folk associating his work with the likes of author Charlie Huston. Okay, I'm ready to give him a whirl, too. He's got a couple of series...fine. The Hank Thompson one looks good (no, not the singer), and it is in audiobook. Great. Let's start at the beginning of that series...
Oops, 'Caught Stealing' is not available at Audible. No worries, it's on audio CD. What's that going for? Maybe I can pick it up used... Sound Library publishes it and Amazon has for...$74.95!?! Settle...down... Used is okay. $59.05...is the cheapest! From a newly just launched seller!?! Must...sit...down. Surely, this is an aberration. Right? Let's head over to Alibris and search out other used sellers. Let's put in the ISBN and...arghhh, that's worse!!! Perhaps, Corey has some leftover Scotch...
