I haven't listened to any audiobooks that made me cringe, but I have a
funny story to share from "the other side." I used to volunteer to
make recordings for the blind for our local colleges (Marist and
Vassar). The colleges would send me textbooks they needed for blind
students who were enrolled in their programs, and I would read them into
a tape recorder and send the tapes back to the college for the students
to listen to before assigned deadlines. Usually the books were dry
public administration texts and other boring tomes, but one year Vassar
had a blind student enrolled in its sociology program. I remember
having to read aloud a book titled _The Cocaine Kids_ that was written
by an author who had gone "undercover" to infiltrate the world of
homeless drug-addicted youth in an inner city. OMG! It was filled with
dialogue that was shocking to say the least, words that don't even come
out of my mouth when I hit my finger with a hammer. I had to read aloud
long streams of obscenities I didn't even know existed, let alone had
ever heard. It wasn't an occasional cuss word, it was long passages of
dialogue rife with what who was going to do to whom's mother, and all
kinds of violent and scatological vulgarity.
I remember having to practice passages aloud to myself first in order to
be able to read the words without stopping and starting in shock while
the recorder was running. I recall actually reading one
profanity-riddled paragraph and having to stop the recorder to exclaim
to myself, "I can't believe I just SAID that!!!" Then I started it up
again and continued spouting the most awful, vulgar profanities, just as
they were written.
It was so awful it was actually funny, and now I chuckle to myself
remembering it. But I'm glad I was not there to hear the student play
the tapes, and hear MY voice saying words that I can't bear to hear even
from others.
I got an education! :}
Bonnie
_________________ _________________
|| \/ ||
|| Bonnie Fulmer, | Librarian ||
|| Spackenkill | High School ||
|| 112 Spack- | enkill Road ||
|| Poughkeepsie | NY 12603 ||
|| voice: (845) | 463-7810 ||
|| fax: (845) | 463-7817 ||
|Bonnie.Fulmer@spackenkillschools.org||
||_________________/\________________||
-----Original Message-----
From: School Library Media & Network Communications
[mailto:LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of Robin Chandler
Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 10:30 PM
To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: HIT:Adult Language/Audiobooks
After less than 24 hours, I have results I am posting about language in
audiobooks. Basically, people agreed with me. Language we would read
silently takes on a different connotation when being heard over the tape
or CD player. Some were like me, looking for books of higher quality or
less "shock value" or felt ill at ease when a family member were
present. Many were uncomfortable when younger children or older parents
were listening as well. Most responses fell into two categories:
Reflections on how it affected them or Recommendations for future
listening. I have put the responses into paragraphs so each paragraph
belongs to one person.
Recommendations/Reflections:
I have been listening for years, so I have tons of favorites. Anyway,
for a wonderful adult listen, try Alexander McCall Smith's series, for
No.1 Ladies Detective Agency. I believe they are all available from
NetLibrary for downloading. They are read by someone from South Africa
and the names and words just roll off her tongue. Another great series
is by Jennifer Chiaverini with her Elm Creek Quilters series. Currently
I am listening to Water for Elephants and can't wait to have my inlaws
take a trip so they too will listen to it. Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy
Gilman is a wonderful series that we all listened to in the car, even
when the children were young. They also loved the Lillian Braun, Cat
Who.... series. Yes, there are a few clinkers with sex and language,
but there are oh so many more absolutely delightful listens.
We listen to books quite often with our kids on trips... books they'd be
interested in though... my youngest just became a teenager (yikes!) my
daughter is 14... anyhow, we've listened to several Gary Paulsen
books...the Hatchet series and the Tucket series... and we've listened
to the Lemony Snicket series. I must say that the biggest thing with us
is the narrator... if they are good we love it, if they are bad, we have
a real hard time listening! I have also found myself listening to
whatever the kids are reading, just so I can discuss the book with them!
I personally enjoyed the Joey Pigza (Gantos) series...
The entire Lord of the Rings was one winner. ( I discovered I had not
ever read all of it.), and, believe it or not, Moby Dick. I had been
forced to read it in college, and did not enjoy it, but this time was
different.
Maybe maturity helps? Mostly, I tend to listen to murder mysteries,
which I also read extensively (junk food for the mind).
I listened to Feed as an audio book and I really liked it. I would not
have gotten the same feeling from the book. It is about the future when
everyone has an implant that tracks there preferences and markets to
them based on the input. Some people do not have implants and try to
test the system. I thought the audio book was wonderful. It is a YA
pick.
Hiaasen's adult books are going to be full of violence and foul
language.
They are good, full of bizarre plot twists and quirky character but very
different from Hoot and Flush.
When I had the same type of long commute, I would often listen to "the
classics" that I hadn't for whatever reason not read in high school or
college. I also started to really like to listen to long books. The
longest was Gone with the Wind which took over a month to listen to.
Angela's Ashes was also great because Frank McCourt the author reads it
and he sounds so wonderful. I would also listen to books I had already
read and didn't have time to reread like the Tolkien books, and Jane
Austen. At the moment I don't have any commute but I do miss listening
to books. I find that I can only listen while I drive. If I'm doing
anything else I zone out and don't hear the book.
My husband, 13 and 6 year old sons, and I really enjoyed Flush by Carl
Hiaasen. We listened to it straight through on a long car trip.
I don't know if you would be interested in dramatized books...and I'm
not a media specialist...but I just had to mention the audios that my
husband and I just love for long commutes or trips. Focus on the Family
produces Radio Theatre programs: Les Miserables, Billy Budd, Little
Women (get out the Kleenex), Silas Marner, the Secret Garden, and so on.
They are professional dramatizations of the books, not strictly
"readings." They are of the highest quality and VERY engaging. We rent
them at the library or order them right from www.family.org. They have
also done the entire Narnia series. Because Focus on the Family is a
Christian organization, you won't find unpleasant language and such.
But you also won't find preachiness, so don't worry about that either.
Many of them do have Christian themes, as do many of the books. However
they are not necessarily appropriate for children so preview before
sharing.
Reflections:
Hi! I can relate to your posting... I myself have found myself wincing
at the stereo... and yet I guess I skip over it in the book if I'm
reading it... I know I've read books with the language, but hearing it
makes a difference!
I also have to say that I listened to a book once with my mother-in-law
on a trip and all I could think was 'wow, what's she thinking of this
language?!?"... kind of ruined the experience of listening to the story!
I too have an hour commute. In the morning, I listen to NPR, but going
home, I try always to have an audio book. Through the years I listened
to a lot of books.
I've had a similar experience. Listening to a Patricia Cornwall novel
one day, I nearly had to pull my car over to get out and vomit. I think
that normally I just skim those sections and so it doesn't have that
effect. I also find that audiobooks don't hold my attention as well as
regular books, IOW sometimes I stop listening to an audiobook because it
doesn't hold my interest, but I probably would have read the whole book
and enjoyed it.
Listening to audiobooks is really quite different from reading, although
both are great!
Yes, I have. To the point that I am now re-reading some of my favorite
authors to see what I glossed over when I read them the first time. I
am very careful when I get audiobooks as sometimes I have my grandson
with me.
I usually try to have books on his level with me, but if I forget to
take mine out and it starts before I can hit the button I don't want him
hearing anything he shouldn't.
We use NetLibrary to download audiobooks; they offer approx. 28,000
audio and e-books. They have some great titles. You can choose to
download CD quality or radio quality, which produces a much smaller
file. I think Gale has a reference service that uses audiobooks, as
well.
Happy listening! And no one can sound too much like a "prude" to me
because I think I'm probably pretty close to being one! :-) It's just
that I don't consider that a "bad" thing like some folks do! When you
get down to it, we all have choices and are perfectly justified to turn
off the radio or book or whatever when something just doesn't feel right
to us. By the way, if you like mysteries you might check your church
library for Father Gilbert audio theatre produced by Focus. Our church
library has several. They are truly gripping stories that have
thought-provoking Christian themes. I'll leave you alone now! Enjoy
your commute. Maybe it's time to re-discover public radio. I got
pretty NPR-addicted when I was commuting that distance years ago!
I agree with you completely. Having words in print is so private. I
love that privacy. And having them thrown out into my hearing, my
existing world, is almost always too much. Maybe it is generational
with me as well, but I don't think so. I just think foul language is
too much the norm anymore in everything on the airways, TV, etc. and
sometimes I just cut things off rather than be invaded. Bless you, my
friend! I commiserate with you!
I hope this had provided some food for thought.
Robin Chandler
Media Specialist
Cleveland Elementary
Spartanburg, SC
rrchandler@spart7.org
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