Audiobook? A book? In audio?
The Egyptian went straight over and crashed to the cobbles, 40 feet below, where he gurgled twice and died.
Next week, I'm off to Cardiff to record an audiobook of Where Did It All Go Right? This is a long-held dream, and it's coming true thanks to Go Faster Stripe, who, as you may know, put out comedy DVDs of quality and distinction, including those of Mr Richard Herring, something he is too shy to point out every week on our podcast. So, for research and to improve my mind, I decided to download an audiobook and listen to it, on my iPod, which is quite the new thing, I understand. I guess these two things were made for each other: a book you listen to, and a handy device you can listen to stuff on. Because I would never think to pick up and buy the papery version of a Frederick Forsyth novel - not out of snobbery, just because I don't read many novels and have way too many pending non-fiction books piled by my bedside - I opted for The Afghan (Abridged), read by Robert Powell. It's four hours and 31 minutes long. (The Unabridged is 10 hours and 43 minutes.) I have started listening to it.
I suspect Forsyth's clear, clipped prose suits the medium particularly well, and Powell is a skilled enough actor to drop into accents without them sounding too comedic, such as Irish, Pakistani and American (it's a tale of international terrorism and intrigue that moves seamlessly from Hampshire to Peshawar within the first ten minutes).
Anyway, I know I'm not Frederick Forsyth, or Robert Powell, and nor is my book The Afghan, or an exciting spy novel, but it will be an interesting experiment to have a go at one of my own slim volumes of provincial solipsism. I'm certainly looking forward to trying. Anybody else into audiobooks? (I note from the iTunes audiobook charts that I think all of the Top 10 are something to do with Ricky Gervais - is there any corner of the market he does not dominate?)
posted by Andrew Collins @ 3:18 PM
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For some reason I find listening to fiction audio books really difficult. Like I can't concentrate on them. But I have no problem with biographies, memoirs and the like.
Wil Wheatons "Just A Geek" audio book is really great, and adds little extra bits of information that weren't in the book to make it a slightly separate experience than just hearing something you've read. I don't think it's available from iTunes but via his website wilwheaton.typepad.com One to check out maybe.
Anyhow, I look forward to hearing yours.
AC: I have got into recently as well spoken word stuff like plays etc.
One I know you'll like is Davis Sedaris which i got secondhand for 3 quid (for 5 discs score!) I've been meaning to post abit on my blog I'll do it tonight.
I also like BBC radio plays hitch hikers and sherlock holms, alan bennet
I discovered audiobooks when I started having to drive a lot about 10 years ago, and have gone through much of my local libraries stocks since.
The skill of the reader does make a huge difference, and a good book can be ruined by a poor reader (equally any half decent story is good fun if well read. My absolute favourite is a chap called Nigel Lambert, anything read by him is a treat, but if you can find 'Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life', a series of Roald Dahl short stories, do get it. (Second favourite is probably Michael Frayn's 'Spies' read by Martin Jarvis).
I do find that books read by the author are always good, if that helps. Any possible shortcomings in technical skill are more than made up for by authenticity. I love Stephen King's books, and he usually has great readers. I borrowed 'Bag of Bones', which he read himself, thinking it might be disappointing, and although he has a slightly dull voice, and is no sort of actor, it was terrific - mesmerising.
Looking forward to hearing WDIAGR on audio - hope it makes it to my library soon!
Davec
I'm a bit of a fan, hard to find any that ain't a little on the cheesy side. Usually the best ones are the ones read by the author (well, not always, it depends on how good an orator they are). Check out these :
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Born-Standing-Up-Comics-Life/dp/0743569725/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233249029&sr=8-1
Steve Martin doing his own book, a good book and a good performance from him.
and by the rather good david sedaris :
http://www.amazon.co.uk/When-You-are-Engulfed-Flames/dp/1600241824/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233249168&sr=1-4
and bill brysons stuff is good, especially the bbc radio series he did :
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Journeys-English-Bill-Bryson/dp/0563496266/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233249210&sr=1-5
Make sure you check Audible.co.uk before buying audiobooks from iTunes. The iTunes audiobooks are normally Audible books with a price premium!
@mj - glad someone else has that problem. I find I can't concentrate on fiction on audiobook, maybe non-fiction podcasts etc. is easier to zone in and out of without feeling you've lost the plot, especially while driving?
I've had to stop them, as I got so engrossed in The Corrections on a particularly long car journey I didn't notice I was speeding and got stopped by the police, followed by three points on my license.
It's so easy to lose yourself. So it's printed matter only for me now.
I love listening to Audiobooks when I'm commuting to work. Audible do a pretty good range of unabridged recordings and you can choose the quality level depending on how much space you have free on your iPod.
I think Davec is right, being read by the author makes all the difference. I think that might be why I have trouble with the fiction that I've tried and not the memoirs, which have all been read by the author.
I'd not given them much thought until this week when they were mentioned twice in as many days (Stephen Fry on Jonathon Ross and someone else mentioned a Sedaris book).
My only experience of anything similar was preparing for a long car journey, when we borrowed a Jack Higgins "talking book" on cassette from our local library. Like you, it wasn't a genre we'd normally have gone for, but seeing that the reader was Roger Moore we thought it might be quite entertaining. Which it was, especially when Roger started reading passages in the voice of a Northern Irish docker. Once the hysterics were past it did help make the journey pass more quickly.
Good luck with the audiobook. I enjoyed the WDIAGR (and your other books I might add) and, as others have said above, would expect that hearing it read by the writer will add to its authenticity.
Super - I look forward to hearing it.
As far as I know, Ricky Gervais has not yet even so much as entered the chutney market, but I may be wrong.
A lot of the "audiobooks" on Itunes aren't strictly audiobooks, which seems to push a lot of good novels and biographies to the bottom of the pile in favour of live stand-up comedy and Ricky Gervais' endless stream of payment-podcasts.
Anonymous is right about the quality of the reader being key.
A lot of the US produced audiobooks have a voice actor called Jonathan Davis, who always seems to sound like he's about to cry and is quite unsettling when he voices a female character.
Recommended:
The audiobook of Max Brooks' World War Z (read by a whole cast including Alan Alda, Carl Reiner, Mark Hamill, John Turturro & more)
Re the accents and voices Andrew...I look forward to hearing you dropping in to Nithampton, meduck. Or enchyagunna? You kentaforgot ow, surely.
A good voice can help
Andrew, will the recording be abridged or otherwise?
This is great news, Andrew. I've always enjoyed audiobooks, going as far back as my secondary school days, in the early-80s, when I was a big fan of Douglas Adams' stuff.
These days, I tend to lean more towards autobiographies, which I think is due to the fact that it's somehow better when the author reads the story.
I can't wait to listen to WDIAGR, even having read it twice, and hope you're going to be doing it unabridged.
I also can't wait to hear a certain Mr Herring 'commenting' on it on the podcast, most likely saying it's been read by Mr Bean etc etc. Actually, might this be the perfect way for his 'Talking Cock' to get an airing, if you'll pardon the expression?
Regards
Doug
Audiobooks make public transport more bearable. Especially whilst traveling in South East London around the time the buses are invaded by schoolchildren, who play ugly music through the tinny speakers on their mobile phones.
I find I listen to music less and less, shame on me, I always have some podcast or book to listen to (Adam and Joe are great... don't you think?).
"Ricky Gervais - is there any corner of the market he does not dominate?"
The 'being funny' market? Only joking, his performances in Valient and For Your Consideration always raise a chuckle.
Andrew, are you going to do impressions of all the famous people you meet in That's Me in the Corner? Or will you pretend they'll all from Northampton?
Surely this is another fantastic opportunity to further mix up the collings/collins+herrin/herring personalities and get Mr Herring to read the book rather than yourself... he does Northampton accents remember?
Jim
Andrew and anyone else who's interested I got round to posting a bit of Davis Sedaris reading an appropriate section from one of his books have a listen here.
http://living4pleasurealone.blogspot.com/2009/02/last-snow-storm-of-year.html
I discovered audio books on an otherwise long, tiresome journey in fog, it was Winnie the Pooh read by Alan Bennet and my two small children enjoyed it as much as I did.
When done well, they are a splendid thing. I'd still rather read a book, but as I drive a lot with children in the car and I don't always want to listen to the Cure or the Beatles (their favourite bands), story CDs are brilliant.
Not sure I agree that something read by the author is necessarily better though, Lemony Snickett is not as good as Tim Curry by a long way. Some attempts at accents are so bad they are beyond laughable (Sarah Greene should not be allowed to attempt an American accent ever again).
I think it's great that you're recording it and I'm sure you'll do a great job, best wishes, Beth
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