This is not a topic of huge importance, but one that’s been buzzing around the back of my mind.
About a year ago, I got into audio books.I mean,I REALLY got into audio books. I work at a law library and part of my job is “filing,” or updating the pages of legal info binders for two hours a day during the school year and three a day in the summer. I used to listen to music while I filed, but soon learned audio books worked better for me. I’d have a chance to listen to and familiarize myself with books I’ve been meaning to read for ages while I worked. With this in mind, I’ve ordered so many audiobooks in the past year that the last two times my hubby went to the public library to pick up ones I’d ordered from other branches, the librarian would look at my record and say, “Oh, HER!"
Anyhow, I’m wondering if this is somehow “cheating,” like to have a book read to me somehow isn’t as legitimate as reading it myself, which I don’t always have time to do. I should add that in addition to working 40 hours a week that I’m also taking History classes towards a degree (hey, tuition is waived for all campus employees and half the credits I’d need have transferred nicely from my alma mater). Once, I had to do a paper on Ralph Ellison’s “The Invisible Man.” I got about a third of the way through the book and found it painfully difficult to read – as in “Holy crap, what ELSE could happen to this poor slob?” So I got the audio book from the public library and wrote my paper based on what I had heard and got an “A.” Was THAT cheating?
And for what its worth to the debate, I prefer to get the unabridged editions.
Patty