audiobooks

[Bubu]

Are audio-books faithful to the book ? Say you want to use
the audiobook at the gym, but would rather just carry on
reading the book elsewhere. IS there an easy way to keep
track of where in the audiofile as compared to the book ?

[diebitter]

[ QUOTE ]
A lot depends on the voice actor and the choice of material.

Audio works very well for horror stuff. I remember hearing Edgar Allen Poe readings that were very good, done very atmospherically. You can really add drama by the good readings on those, maybe the odd sound effect thrown in here and there.

I also got an audiocassette a long time ago of some Lovecraft being read by that blond guy from Man from UNCLE, I forget his name. He always struck me as deadly dull on t.v., but his delivery was perfect, and that can be dicey when you're shouting out gibberish lunatic ravings. It worked exceptionally well, and I listened to the renderings again and again.

[/ QUOTE ]

Listening to Lovecraft is probably pretty awesome, I'd imagine. Re your Poe comment, I've got Christopher Walken doing the Raven (it's an extra on the DVD of 'The Dead Zone' I think) - it is really fantastic.

I actually cried listening to 'Pet Semetary' I remember. (Gay flame on). It was a bit about where a man chases his small son who is stumbling towards the wheels of a big truck. He catches his son, and the son's life it played out for you, getting swimming medals at college, getting married whilst his father looks on proudly, things like that.

Then it switches - it's all in the father's mind, he misses grabbing his little boy, and the boy is killed.

It broke my heart. My own son had just been born, and it just got to me.