First Class
The Joy of an
Audiobook
Books on tape are a thing of the past, and books on CD are rapidly join- ing them in obscurity. But modern audiobooks, the kind you download to your favorite MP3 player or smart phone, are enjoying increasing sales and popularity as they find new audiences eager for mobility and hungry for digital content.
A good audiobook replicates the old-fashioned, joyous childhood
memory of having someone read to you, especially someone who is
good at it. It’s easy to get hooked, as more and more listeners are learning. James Patterson, the prolific and wildly popular writer, is a lover of
audiobooks, preferring to listen to them while on the road.
“You find yourself sitting in your car for an extra 20 minutes to listen
to another chapter,” he says. “I’ve done that dozens of times.”
The audiobook, he says, was made for the road, and he’s even given
up listening to music there in favor of books. He told Arrive that at the
time he was listening to Deception by Jonathan Kellerman.
Audiobooks come in as many flavors and styles as written books,
with the added dimension of a narrator, and although some people sug-
gest that listening to a book is not the same as reading it. “People are
goofy,” Patterson says.
“I don’t think it mat-
ters. An audiobook …
it’s terrific!”
SUGGESTED LISTENING
Most best-sellers these days will have an audio
version released within a short time of publication, and some known authors get simultaneous
release dates in print and audio. Most books are
sold unabridged, but pulp fiction often is sold in
abridged versions. Sellers of audiobooks include
audible.com, Apple (through its i Tunes store)
and amazon.com. Audible o;ers a subscription
plan that reduces the price of a book to as little
as $14.95.
Narrators can be simple and straightforward,
which is often the case with mass-market fiction,
or more theatrical in the case of classics. Few writers narrate their own books, but delightful examples are David Sedaris and Garrison Keillor, who
almost always read their own work. Here are a few
suggestions to get started enjoying audiobooks.
—Zeitoun, the story of one family’s struggle
during and after Hurricane Katrina. By Dave Eggers,
narrated by Firdous Bamji. It is the story rather
than any flourish that grips the listener, and the
narration focuses on that.
—The Big Short by Michael Lewis, narrated by
Jesse Boggs. One of 2010’s nonfiction hits tells
part of the story of the economic collapse.
—The Women’s Murder Club is a series of
mystery thrillers from James Patterson that
follows a group of female sleuths. Most of the
books in the series (nine so far, including the
newest book out last April) are narrated by
Carolyn McCormick, who played Dr. Olivet on
TV’s Law & Order.
—The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald,
narrated by Anthony Heald. One of the greatest
novels of the English language read with great
flourish by a gifted actor. (Gatsby is available
in productions by a number of readers, most
done in recent years, including one narrated by
Tim Robbins.)
—All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren,
narrated by Michael Emerson, better known
as Ben Linus on TV’s Lost. The language of the
South in the 1940s is music in the hands—or
mouth—of Emerson.
The Audio Publishers Association hands out
awards each year, called Audies, for achievement
in audiobooks, from best thriller to best narrator.
audiopub.org
You can read a book or an
e-book, listen to a book and
now even wear a book. A
stylish little company out of
Brooklyn, Out of Print Clothing,
is putting onto T-shirts the art
and typography from classic
and curious book covers and
dust jackets. Look cool while
announcing to the world that
you’re a fan of Brave New
World by Aldous Huxley. The
image and type are from the
original dust jacket. Or maybe
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt
Vonnegut Jr. best depicts your
schizophrenic whimsy, from
the first-edition dust jacket by
cover artist Paul Bacon.
Out of Print Clothing o;ers
cotton (and some poly-
blend) shirts for men
and women in a range of
titles and colors for $28.
And here’s a little extra
feel-good: For every shirt
sold, partner Books for
Africa donates a book
to a community in need.
outofprintclothing.
AFTER A CERTAIN LITERARY FASHION a
l c
-
to a community in need.
