Are audiobooks the same as regular books or should they be considered “cheating?” Everyone seems to have an opinion, but here are a few things to consider…
Do you remember books on tape? Those clunky packages that contained six or more cassette tapes that you would listen to until it was time to turn to side B or switch to the next tape?
Then there were the books on CD, which were only slightly less cumbersome. And now here we are in the 21st century, enjoying our audiobooks. Streamed or dowloaded to our phones and other devices, they are quick and easy and a life saver for people who want to read, but can’t find the time.
But not everyone is such a fan of audiobooks. I hear the word “cheating” thrown around a lot. If you mention that you just read War and Peace, the “wows” and “reallys” start coming in. But then you add that it was an audiobook, and the appreciation soon turns to something almost akin to disappointment.
As if making it through that classic doorstop is somehow mitigated because you weren’t turning each page with your own fingers.
Are readers being snobby, or do they have a good point? Can we count it as reading if we aren’t actually reading?
Those who are anti-audiobooks have a good point. Reading and listening are fundamentally different. Our brains comprehend things differently as well.
As a homeschooler, I know that the books my kids read on their own are easier than the ones I read to them. That’s because they have a higher listening comprehension than reading comprehension. Plus, adding in things like tone of voice and dramatic elements, their understanding of a story grows with these cues.
When I listen to Jane Austen or Shakespeare, I am much more likely to understand and enjoy them than when I am reading them out of a book. Why? Because the language and speech patterns are foreign to me and so it takes me multiple reads to truly get the tone right in my head. Listening to audiobooks of these classics allows me to hear their speech as it should be.
This isn’t just true of classics. I much prefer Harry Potter books and autobiographies on audiobook. The accents of the different characters in Harry Potter are challenging to hold on to when reading, and audiobooks offer them up as they should sound. And autobiographies read by the author are the best on audiobook because you hear each story, each conversation, each bit of sarcasm or emotion as they remember it, and as they intended for it to be read.
So, those are some things that make audiobooks a great alternative to real books, but do we understand them as well?
Reading comprehension with audiobooks vs. real books
There was an interesting article in Time a while back that talked about this. A study found that there was little difference in our comprehension when we read an ebook and when we listen to an audiobook. But ebooks are not the same as real books.
I didn’t realize this, but the way we read ebooks is different than how we read print books. Things like knowing how many pages in we are and pausing to turn a page, increase how well we comprehend a book. Things we can’t do with an ebook – or an audiobook.
Other studies have shown that comprehension is harder with listening to an audiobook. Although, you can train yourself to be a better listener.
I’ve noticed this, too. There are some books that I can easily listen to and have no trouble understanding. And there are some that I know right away are not meant for anything but reading in a traditional book.
Non-academic books and fiction are great as audiobooks. Anything that requires thoughtful pauses (which are just easier with a real book than hitting pause on an audiobook) or re-reading for comprehension are better as a traditional book.
Should we be counting audiobooks as reading?
In my opinion, absolutely.
If you understand what you are listening to, then what does the method of consumption matter? If I listen to Pride & Prejudice and you read the paperback, but we can both discuss characters and themes equally well, then what really is the difference?
Plus, have you ever noticed the speed of an audiobook? It’s slower than average speech and probably slower than most of us silently read. Audiobooks aren’t cheating because they move slower than if you’d read the print version yourself.
(I didn’t really love audiobooks at first for this very reason. But I was enlightened to the fact that you can change the speed to better match your comfort level and have been a fan ever since.)
Rules of thumb for enjoying and learning from audiobooks
- Avoid too much multitasking. It’s so tempting to listen while you work, but that also makes it easy for your mind to wander or be distracted. I usually run, crochet, or fold laundry when I listen. Anything more intense, like cooking, messes with my comprehension.
- Choose the right audiobook. This goes for both the book and the narrator. Some narrators, especially of classics, can bother your ear, distracting you from the book. And some books just aren’t as well suited to audiobook format as others. This is all personal preference, so get comfortable with yours.
- Don’t listen to others’ opinions. Count your audiobooks as books read. Go ahead. If someone says it’s cheating, that’s only their opinion. There are just as many people who claim to have “read” books while only skimming or not truly understanding what they read. To me, that’s cheating.
Whether you choose to read a print book, an ebook, or listen to an audiobook, the most important thing is that you learn, think, and enjoy what you are reading (or listening to). The method and medium are not nearly as noteworthy as what’s in that book and what made you pick it up in the first place.
So go ahead and enjoy it. Flip the page, click the button, or hit play – all for the purpose of entering into the author’s world.
Happy reading!
Looking for more on reading and books? Check out some of these related posts:
How to Encourage Variety in Your Reading Life
How I Read 80 Books Last Year… and Why I Wouldn’t Do it Again
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