Now that I’ve come out about my listening to the audio book of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, there’s no use hiding my continuing addiction to listening to audio books at work. I’ve decided to take this route for finally getting through The Silmarillion. And wow, Martin Shaw is perfect for reading it. Anybody who read The Silmarillion and desires to go back to it again should really consider listening to the Martin Shaw audio book. Not having to stumble over how Tolkien intended these hundreds of proper nouns to be pronounced is wonderful, and really lets you focus on and enjoy the story itself.
Audiobook still feels like shameful word to me, I have to admit. I’ll gladly discuss the great benefits (and the few, but present disadvantages) any time, but I can’t help but feel like I’m cheating some times. Nevertheless, it’s allowing me to “read” more stories, which makes me very happy.
Become A Robot 
In my humble opinion (or IMHO in ‘web 2.0-ese’), there is absolutely nothing wrong with audiobooks. You are getting the same story; why does it matter whether the words pass through your eyes or your ears? I’ve listened to HP 1-5, and found the experience to be quite enjoyable. Jim Dale is truly outstanding. I also listened to, rather than read, Crime & Punishment, and loved the book. Nathan was right on in his comment on the previous post. I do, however, wonder whether traditional reading is preferable. When one takes different learning styles (or learning disabilities) into account, or even the fact that some might get more out of the story by listening, it might be advantageous to use audiobooks in place of traditional books. Listen away, my friend.
Wahoo! Nothing like a little encouragement to keep doing what’s easiest at the moment and not feel guilty about it. Thanks gentlemen.
I’m addicted to audiobooks. I listen to them in the car as I travel to and from work. Sometimes I listen to fiction, sometimes to religious and spiritual stuff. Right now I’m listening to “The Language of God.”
May I recommend Audible.com? Audiobooks average out to about $9.99 each. Sometimes that is a great savings (like when an audiobook is $40.00). You can listen to them on an mp3 player or burn them to disc. š
Hi kay. I’ve experimented with Audible.com in the past, but right now I’m content to get my audiobooks for free from the library. š