The Audiobook - A Review

I have read one and a third books in the last 5 days. This is definitely a record for me, thanks to the audiobook. However, does this mean I prefer them to a paperback? Here is my summarised review:


Pros of an audiobook

- Faster to 'read'
- Convenience of purchase
- 'Extras' added at the beginning and end n/a to all books
- Takes up less storage space in general


Cons of an audiobook

- Humour was lost through narration n/a to all books
- Can be abridged in parts
- No pictures included with audiobooks n/a to all books
- Not as sexy as having a real book!


I purchased Friends Like These by Danny Wallace and the Memory section of Tricks of the Mind by Derren Brown

Both audiobooks were narrated by the authors which in Derren Brown's case was definitely a bonus for me as I find his voice very engaging. It was also great to hear Danny Wallace narrate his own book, however I think the humour was (surprisingly) lost because of this. Do I make a book seem funnier if I read it to myself? Or maybe it simply wasn't as funny as his other books I have read? Or was it the speed of an audiobook that made me miss some of the funny bits? I did find I was just as easily distracted as I am reading a paperback. The great thing about the written word is that I always make sure I read it thoroughly. It felt like more of a hassle to have to rewind if I missed a bit of the audiobook.

I think for now the written word wins however I am going to keep an open mind.

For those interested in learning some excellent memory tricks I highly recommend Derren's Book Tricks of the Mind.