Audible ~ Official Review by jacnthabox

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Audible ~ Official Review by jacnthabox

Post by Eric Morris »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of Audible.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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Audible, a monthly audiobook subscription service, has been around for a few years. It’s frequently advertised on Amazon (it is an Amazon-owned company), and several of my Facebook friends are fans of the service. So what better way to become acquainted with Audible than to write a review for it? At least, that’s what I was thinking when presented with the option. For this review, I enrolled in a 30-Day trial membership, which gave me access to not one but TWO free audiobooks to download and listen to.

That being said, I chose The Confession, by Robert Whitlow, and Elantris, by Brandon Sanderson. I’ve been wanting to read these both for a while, and this trial run of Audible gave me the perfect opportunity…which leads me to what I believe is the greatest facet of the audiobook service, opportunity and convenience. As a family man with a wife, children, and full-time employ, reading can become somewhat of a luxury. There have been occasions when I’ve had to simply “give up” on a book because I just didn’t have the time to give it my undivided attention and respect. The audiobook format allowed me to eke out a couple of chapters during the commute to work or when performing solo tasks at home, like mowing the lawn. I found myself suddenly able to pace myself through my books of choice without having to compromise the constructs of my lifestyle. It was almost a guilty pleasure.

Another huge positive to members of Audible is the price. Membership is billed in advance monthly at $14.95 for one book, or $22.95 for two books. On a two book plan, that’s $11.50 per audiobook, which is just a slight increase over a mass market paperback and certainly cheaper than a trade paperback or hardcover. The Audible membership also makes the audiobook format more economical, as new release audiobooks on CD range from $35 to $50 on the average. Speaking of CD’s, Audible’s digital downloading is hand-over-fist better than having to keep up with a hard copy of your book. Audible’s cloud storage means you can delete the book from your listening device once you’re finished without losing your purchase; you don’t have to guard your audiobook with your life to keep a disc from getting scratched; and you can download your files to whatever device is convenient for you, so long as you can run the Audible app. I used both my phone and my tablet to listen to my books…did I mention that the Audible app syncs your audiobook between devices? I was able to move fluidly from one device to the other without ever losing my place. Two key aspects of value are price and convenience, and Audible, without a doubt, has delivered on both counts.

A final plus for Audible, and another huge component when assessing value, is its level of customer service. When cancelling my trial membership online, I mistakenly opted to continue the service and was charged. Once I realized I’d done this, I simply called the 800 number on the Audible website and was introduced to a friendly representative who corrected my error without a bit of hassle. The overall customer support experience was a refreshing contrast from the usual drudgery of navigating through a website for interminable amounts of time to find a contact number, selecting 15 different options from the robotic operator, and waiting grudgingly for someone to finally take you off hold and (maybe) resolve your issue. This was the final determinant in deciding that Audible is an insanely good value for those looking for the convenience of an audiobook without having to break the bank. I can’t speak highly enough of the service.

However…

As an audiobook rookie, I did have some concerns about the products I selected. The Confession was a poorly narrated butchery of what otherwise would have been a great read. The narrator could not figure out his emotions, acting completely astonished over a basic turkey sandwich while falling flat and sounding incredibly bored as key plot elements were unfolding. Also, dialogue became a nightmare as the narrator used the same speaking voice for EVERY character. I found myself rewinding on multiple occasions because I could not figure out who was saying what and was left utterly confused by the many conversations that occurred in the book. The way this book was read to me greatly diminished its enjoyability, and I found myself wishing that I had just purchased the paperback. Elantris was better ten times over in terms of delivery, but the reading itself was SLOW. This six hundred page book was transformed into a 27.5 hour behemoth being read at a rate of twenty three pages PER HOUR. The otherwise fast-paced narrative was interminable to the point that I actually grabbed a copy of the book so I could finish before my 11-year-old daughter graduates from high school. I just was not impressed with my selections.

In conclusion, I have realized two things. First, audiobooks are NOT for me. I would greatly prefer to have a book in my hand and operate at my own pace. However, I can also think of numerous circumstances where one might prefer or even need an audio copy of his or her favorite literature. My second realization is that, in those circumstances, the ease and affordability of Audible is second to none. For this reason, I give Audible 3 out of 4 Stars. I can’t give it 4 Stars because I feel that each book purchased is a gamble not only in its content but in its delivery as well, but I do believe that the free trial is too good to pass up for anyone wanting to try out audiobooks (like me) or for the seasoned listener who wants a great method for acquiring more titles.

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Post by 98jazzy98 »

I've been wondering about Audible for awhile now, pondering whether or not to try it out. Your review has helped me greatly! You did a really great job separating your person aversion to audio books from the actual services provided. So, thanks!
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Post by Eric Morris »

Just to follow up, I purchased one of John Grisham's Theodore Boone novels for a trip with the family cross-country. It was OUTSTANDING!! The book is narrated by Richard Thomas (John Boy from The Waltons), and he delivered flawlessly. I will definitely purchase another; my thinking now is that sticking to mainstream titles with bigger narrator budgets may alleviate the problems I encountered with narrative delivery. I recommend you try Audible; you've got nothing to lose!!
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Post by Brianna531 »

Great review! I definitely agree with a lot of your points. I've been using audible for about a year and getting a free audio book a month suits me well. Sometimes I don't listen to anything for a couple months and then I can pick a few I've had on my mind. The person reading makes a huge impact! I always listen to the sample before I purchase and check out the reviews. I think the book that really got me excited about audible was The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. Read by the author. It was a great book and I love how I can read and accomplish more mindless tasks at the same time.
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Post by Topcho »

Nice review! I've been addicted to audio books for more than an year now. I love how I can listen to something while walking ot working around the house. I use audible, but it doesn't always work for me. Many of the books I want to listen to can't be delivered to where I live, which is overwhelmingly annoying. It's like I live in Narnia! So when I put something in the cart, it is always a bit of a gamble - would it let me buy it in the end? I think it is also pity Amazon gift cards can't be redeemed in Audible.

Anyway, I like Audible, and I guess for people in the USA it is the perfect service
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Post by baasil999 »

Hmm , I will try reading audio books too. Thanks for the review
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Post by CzechTigg »

Another solid review of this divisive form of experiencing fiction meant for the written word (apart from original drama).

Sometimes I need a voice to get me through slow passages, e.g. the infamously dull chapters of A Feast For Crows about new characters with little context in the main story.
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Post by Eric Morris »

CzechTigg wrote:Another solid review of this divisive form of experiencing fiction meant for the written word (apart from original drama).

Sometimes I need a voice to get me through slow passages, e.g. the infamously dull chapters of A Feast For Crows about new characters with little context in the main story.

You hit the nail on the head about Martin. I enjoyed a Theodore Boone audio book, but I'm reading Forge of Darkness (Steven Erikson) right now, and I can't imagine being able to enjoy it in audio... It's WAY to intricate for merely listening.
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Post by CzechTigg »

I do want to believe he can emulate the standard of books 1 and 2 (probably not 3) for the winds of Winter. He probably had a hard time thinking he could top the Red Wedding and so took solace in lots and lots of random new characters.

Stephen Fry is the perfect narrator for intricate.. I say so as a fellow brit and fellow eccentric. The man is just never dull.
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Post by Tone1 »

I love audible! It might seem a little pricey but if you find a good book with a great narrator it can really change your opinion on a mediocre book --- For example I read Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia/Margeret Stohl in Hardcover and didn't enjoy it very much. I picked it up on audible during a flash sale and ended up bumping up my rating by one star because the narrator really grabbed my attention.
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Post by ashley4886 »

I tried Audible because my mother-in-law loves it. I love reading and easily get lost in a book not get my house work done. I figured it would be a good solution to listen to the book while I am cleaning or taking the kids on a walk in the stroller. The first book I read was Paper Towns by John Green narrated by Dan John Miller. It was a great narration and I really enjoyed it.
The second book I tried was The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. This was not a good Audible book for me. Between switching narraters and the times going from past to present dates it made it difficult to figure out what was past and present. I was disappointed, the book was on amazon's top seller and my sister loved the book, I found it was hard to keep my interest until the end of the book. I don't feel the narrators of the book showed the emotions of the characters.
The third book I tried was Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. Again I felt the narration of the book did not do the book justice. It was a wonderful story but I thought the narration did not portray the male character the way the author wrote about him, making it difficult to get into the story. Needless to say I will read Me Before You without the audible at a later to time because of the great story. I will probably not use Audible again.
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Post by Veritas1325 »

I never thought I'd be an audiobook guy. I love to read, of course, but I have always preferred turning a page and creating images in my head of what I think a character might look like, sound like, walk like and an audiobook, it seemed to me, would sort of ruin that experience. But, I work at a job that's 44 miles away from where I live. In heavy traffic during rush hour, my commute, which should take about an hour, routinely takes an hour and a half or two hours and sometimes longer. So, several friends recommended audiobooks and, eventually, Audible as a solution to help me fill my time while sitting in traffic. And, so, I tried it. And I've never looked back. I am, officially, an audiobook junkie.

Don't get me wrong, I still love to read physical books (both physical copies and ebooks on my Kindle Fire or phone) but I also do a fair amount of reading using my phone and books that I purchase from Audible. There's no question that a great narrator is key. I've "read" audiobooks with mediocre narrators that have ruined what would have been a wonderful book, I'm confident. In fact, I've re-read a few books as audiobooks after having first read their physical counterpart and a questionable or terrible author definitely can ruin a great book. But, a great narrator can transform the experience in the most amazing ways. Guys like Simon Vance and Scott Brick, for example, just deliver such amazing readings of the books that they narrate that I not only look for authors that I really like but I now also look for narrators that I've previously heard and loved.

Another great thing about being an Audible member is that it's given me the opportunity to listen to some classics that I don't know that I would've read by myself.

No, I never thought I'd embrace audiobooks. But, now, thanks to Audible and some really great narrators, they make my commute something I actually look forward to.
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Post by mhodgman9 »

The person narrating can make or break the book! The first one I purchased I could not stay awake long enough to listen with their voice!
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Post by j p gilbert »

Audio books are not my cup of tea, I fall asleep. I think the narrator has a lot to do with it. Im sure they are big business though and appeal to many readers/listeners.
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Post by zaynab_m »

Great review! Although I prefer reading books over listening to audio-books, I have listened to about a couple. I can't say I enjoyed them more than reading, but they weren't as bad as I thought they would be. Perhaps that was because of the narrators? The good thing about reading books is that you can go at your own pace, and I enjoy using different voices in my head, or stressing on certain words, so that I'm reading with the expressions :)

I've heard about Audible in the past, and will definitely try it when I need audiobooks.
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