Below is the content of a post from November 2020, now made permanent as a page. Stay tuned for a list of narrators coming soon – some great and some you might want to avoid.
In many of my book reviews and recommendations I suggest that you try the audio version. Many audiobook are read by screen actors: The Member of the Wedding is narrated by Susan Sarandon, and George Saunders’ masterpiece Lincoln in the Bardo is read and performed by an entire cast of well-known and accomplished stars, including Rainn Wilson.
Audiobooks allow us to move through our reading lists more quickly; the rate of narration can usually be sped up and we can “read’ while performing tedious tasks. Stories have been passed down orally for millennia. We have mouths and ears. We are supposed to tell and we are built to listen. And audiobooks don’t have to cost a dime. Most libraries have a well-rounded selection, and Librivox offers many titles free.
Where to start? Once Upon a River is probably the most beatifully narrated audiobook I’ve ever heard. Give it a try. Here is a list of some other titles that are a pleasure to hear:
Consider listening! At the least it’s something to occupy your mind while you’re folding laundry or getting your steps in, and you’re giving your eyes a welcom break.