Audiobookery

[smarriveurr]

So, having to spend 3+ hours a day commuting has made audiobooks a more attractive option of late. This is generally good, as it's easier than hunting radio stations, and the local library has an arrangement to get digital audiobooks online in WMA or MP3

Comments

[m_nivalis]

It is my dearest hope that the author sticks to the word "fairy" in the rest of the novel
With one or two exceptions, she does.

[smarriveurr]

Oh, thank goodness. I mean, given that I'd made 46 chapters without it being mangled once, I had high hopes that the Strange excerpt would be the only or the main source... but it's good to know. Because ACK. Pain...

[m_nivalis]

I twitched when he did that. A shame, because otherwise he's a good reader.

[smarriveurr]

Entirely true. Part of the reason it sticks out for me is that the reading is otherwise quite excellent, and nothing has jumped out and choked me. I've mentioned on the DW side of things that aside from The Chapter, it's been smooth sailing. And, really, why a book on English magic has to refer to daoine sídhe in the first place, I'm not sure. Surely we can stay on one island at least and call them tylwyth teg?

[stephiny]

It costs a fortune to record audiobooks. Studios and voice actors are expensive.

Where I work, they have been considering getting some audio recorded for tranining courses and it is upwards of £1000 per 10,000 words. The additional cost for finding someone with experience, or who could deal with specialist language made it completely unaffordable.

Sounds like they didn't want to spend more than the minimum on producing that audiobook.

[smarriveurr]

It's actually a very good reading otherwise, I should hasten to add. The delivery is solid, the voicing of characters is consistent, and it's generally transparent, rather than getting in the way of the story. It's just... those words. Oh, those words. I'm sure if my Irish were worse or non-existent, it wouldn't catch me there either. And, honestly, at that pricing, you're talking £25k or so (I'm guessing) for a book like this. Which sounds exorbitant until you realize it's 36 or so hours of finished professional-grade audio.

Honestly, so far, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell has a far better average than A Brief History of Time for "reader takes me out of the story" percentage. Even though the latter is a great deal shorter, if somewhat more complex in subject matter.

And George III sounds pleasantly Germanic. For which the reader gets points.