The Case for Audiobooks

As a book-lover who logs every book I read, it is with great dismay to report that apparently, audiobooks don’t count. This is what I’ve been told. By means of audible words, ironically. I’ve yet to read this argument in, say, a tangible book for instance. Now, they do have valid points, these naysayers, who shall remain nameless. I agree that paper books should be a priority. They are necessary and provide visual-learning aspects, highlighting and underlining opportunities, lending capabilities, bookcase beauty, and sweet bookstore and library aromas. However, the audible reading experience is one not to be dismissed.

But don’t take my word for it. 

1. C.S. Lewis said so.

The great author and scholar C.S. Lewis said, “Always write (and read) with the ear, not the eye.”

Lewis was a fan of writings read aloud. He and his friend J.R.R. Tolkien were even part of the literary group, The Inklings, at the University of Oxford during the 1930s and 40s. Group members would read and discuss the writings they were working on, and a little novel called The Lord of the Rings was among those read in this setting. I’d be willing to bet listeners “counted” that book.

2. They provide an authentic experience.

Furthermore, listening to one of these British authors’ audiobooks narrated in a British accent provides a truly authentic book experience. I know my internal fake British voice just does not compare. This experience is enhanced even more so when an author reads their own audiobook. The words are spoken exactly how they wrote them and with the emotion and emphasis they intended. I’m convinced that reading the paperback version of “Sean of the South” Dietrich’s memoir, Will the Circle Be Unbroken, simply cannot hold the same rich experience as listening to him read his tragic and humorous stories in his superb southern speech. Not to mention, singing the parts that are meant to be sung. I will admit, however, that the tongue-in-cheek spellings and puns of his latest book are best enjoyed in ink and paper form. Nonetheless, eyes and ears, sound waves and written words, tongues and cheeks; they all work together. They are all important. Moving on.

3. They allow for more frequent literary opportunities.

Then there is the multi-tasking aspect. I have tried reading words on a page while running on a treadmill and the results were not pretty. However, an audiobook gives me the option of taking that run outdoors. Or enjoying a story while getting ready for the day, on the drive to work, while cleaning the house, and while sleeping. All tasks that lend themselves nicely to book-focused attention. Well, all but that last one. Some books are just soothing melatonin for the soul.

There are those times when I have to rewind a bit, as my mind wanders and wonders if I pulled the meat out of the freezer on my drive home from work. But if I have absorbed the story and information just as I would have while reading the physical book, I certainly count it as a book that I’ve read. 

4. It’s just another form or method of reading a book.

For children learning to read, audio forms of literature should only be one method used in the teaching process. They must learn to read words for themselves. This is very important. But for an adult, such as myself, who has long ago conquered those reading skills, audiobooks are a perfectly acceptable way to experience a book.

Whether someone takes a bath or a shower, we still consider them washed and cleaned. Whether in a tent or a camper, we still count it as camping. Whether someone is fed via feeding tube or by mouth, we still consider them fed. Audiobooks are simply another method of ingesting the written word. 

Oral storytelling has been around for centuries. And quite frankly, you just can’t argue with history. So, I will continue to record audiobooks right alongside the paperback and hardcover books I read. 

And just like I can rest my eyes while enjoying an audiobook, I rest my case.

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