Playaways – the newest in Audio Books
August 12th 2008 21:42
Close to two years ago I wrote a post on listening to audio books (Listen to This – Oct 2006)expounding the merits of listening to a quality reading of books by professional actors and readers. And without a doubt I have seen the popularity of recorded books increase with library members in that time. We all seem to be adjusting to the idea of machines doing more and more for us … it was only a matter of time before they took over the more leisurely pursuits!
Well, the newest of audio books has arrived, and popular does not describe what we have here. Playaways are a recorded book pre-loaded to an MP3 player no bigger than the old cassette tapes some of us no doubt remember. They are simplicity in itself – operating includes power button, start/pause, FF, back, volume and speed, that’s it. An AAA battery, earbuds and you away you go, you can listen pretty well anywhere other than underwater. They are the ultimate personal listening machine and I was very excited when I heard about them. I go for long walks and although music is great company, there are many times when I want more. And these little gems are perfect … not just for the sight impaired but for commuters, exercisers and all of us who have those brain numbing tasks that just can’t be avoided.
Our library started with just a few hundred, but they are walking out the door, and I’m sure will soon out strip the disc audio books in demand. They can so easily go anywhere you go, the pause button leaves the narration where you stop it, and picks it up again at that point, and you can choose from three speeds of narration. Slow (long pauses), moderate (shorter pauses) and fast (no pauses). Fantastic! you can adjust the reading to your mood! They really have covered those all important bases for audio listeners.
I’m listening to Robert Goddard’s Out of the Sun at the moment, an entertaining British mystery read by Paul Shelley. As with most audio readers today, Shelley has an acting background and knows how to deliver narration. I have listened to audio books where the voice-over has not been to my liking and it then becomes an annoyance. But when you find someone with a real talent for delivery you’ll know it, and listening to a book will be every bit as rewarding as reading it yourself.
So check out your local library. If they don’t already have Playaways, make a suggestion that they purchase a selection. Not only will the library thank you, so will their audio borrowers.
I hope I never see the day MP3s completely replace books, but I’m all for expanding the formats of literature. For in reality, isn’t the printed word simply the written voice?
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