Posted December 30th, 2007, in: Uncategorized

Some people are quick to look for problems with the idea of listening to books rather than reading them from paper. Screw those people. Those people are technophobic butt-heads. Audiobooks are awesome and have allowed me, someone who doesn’t particularly enjoy reading for its own sake, to digest some really amazing, life-changing stuff, i wouldn’t have ever been able to complete in book-form (unless I was serving time in the Pen or something).

Someone pointed out to me recently that in hearing something read, you do miss out on part of the interpretive process that goes on in the imagination of a reader as he/she imagines the words being verbalized etc, and to that, I must say I cannot argue, unless we’re talking about an Audiobook read by its author. In that case, the imaginative process seems to me more like an extra layer of interpretation, even if it also serves as some sort of pleasurable intoxicant to some people. Surely confusion, vagueness and the need for the reader to otherwise choose-his-own-adventure in some way can all be important tools in writing, but I must admit, they’re probably lost on me, not because understanding such things is beyond my ability, but because I don’t enjoy reading books, so I will probably never have the pleasure of experiencing them.

I imagine that if we ever develop 3-dimensional Movies, traditionalists will say that something is being lost: the part of the viewing experience that requires you imagine 3 dimensions, and they will be right.

The AudioBooks I’ve read(? Listened To?) absorbed recently and can completely recommend are:

Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut – This is simply amazing. I can’t recommend this enough. One of the best pieces of art I’ve ever experienced. I would be selling it short if I tried to explain it so I’d better not try. I can say that the overall mood of the book is a sort of existential bittersweetness, it’s fun, funny and sad all at the same time. It makes me wish I was a writer.

Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut – This is very entertaining. I don’t want to compare it to Slaughterhouse, but… Let me just say that it is totally worthwhile and I’ve listened to it twice!

Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell – Oh My God. This thing is hideous! It’s a total chore to bare the torture and misery in this story. Really the whole book seems like an excuse for the author to explain his theories about social economics, but dammit, they’re excellent theories! For that reason it’s worth it, but I felt like I was being punished through much of it. Stories about misery due to love, abuse, addiction etc are one thing as they are filled with humanity and passion throughout. This is just violence. If you aren’t familiar with the ideas in this book about Government, war, industry, The Media, personal perception, sanity etc, then you pretty much MUST read this, but eat light. It’s horrible. This book makes me think G.O. was a bit sadistic. Maybe he wanted to punish us for something.

Catching the Big Fish by David Lynch, read by David Lynch This is interesting. David Lynch talking about his creative process is sort of adorable. He also talks a lot about his practice of meditation, although he doesn’t elaborate on it much which was annoying to me because I’m learning about that stuff right now and I’m looking for guidance. Short interesting and funny in a quirky way.

The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, read by Richard Dawkins I was pleasantly surprised by how good this was. It’s not an all out attack on faith as much as an attack on the arguments christians often make to justify their beliefs. After hearing this get plugged on the radio, and hearing Dawkins debate Christian Apologists and what not during the promotional period for this book, I really thought it was going to be a lot of cheap pot-shots at christianity, but it turns out there’s some real fuel in there. This has made me question whether or not to continue describing my beliefs the way that I do. I definitely want to read Listen to his books about Biology and Evolution now. He’s a charming writer.

The Theory of Everything by Steven Hawking, read by Steven Hawking This starts off being very digestible and quickly plummets into being very difficult, at least for me with my pea-sized brain. I will need to do this again, but I don’t know that I’m ready

David Sedaris Box Set, read by David Sedaris with Amy Sedaris, list of individual titles below. I listened to much of this on the way to and from Burningman so I don’t know which stories are in which books. All and all, this stuff is great. Short Stories are great for commuting/traveling.

Barrel Fever and Other Stories

Holidays On Ice

Naked

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris