I recently had a (friendly) argument where we were trying to discern whether or not listening to an audiobook is considered reading. I had told him that I’d read around 30 books last year, after which I clarified that I had “listened” to them. He proceeded to claim that I hadn’t “read” any of those books because my eyes hadn’t skimmed over the words on the page. I have thoughts about this, but I want to hear yours first! And do you prefer to listen to audiobooks or read physical books? Can’t wait to read your comments below.
Great question! Got me thinking. What if audio books are a blind person's only option? Doesn't feel right for me to say they didn't really read the book. On the other hand, how about a parent reading a bedtime story to their two year old? Also don't feel right to say the two year old read the book. In any case, what's important is that the target person took in the story and the characters and was entertained, or informed (since not all books are "fun") by it. I have no issue with someone listening to an audio book and saying they read it. On the other hand (playing devil's advocate against myself again haha), if someone watched a let's play of a video game on YouTube, my first instinct is to day they didn't play the game. I guess I'm not being very consistent.
I personally prefer to read physical books. I totally understand the convenience of kindles, but I'm not quite there yet. As for audiobooks, I get distracted and tend to reread passages very often, and so it would be much easier for me to shift my eyes a little, compared to rewinding an audio book by a few seconds. It's interesting, there are some things I've adapted to (all my music put into my phone instead of cds, online shopping over in-person) but I still prefer having physical copies of my games and books.
Very good points, Anthony! Thanks for commenting. Your points are very valid and I think it perfectly displays the juxtaposition of the wording, or even the context of the situation, that makes it such a weird concept. It makes me wonder, if people that do things repeatedly get called the thing that they do (reader, gamer, etc.), then what are people who listen to audiobooks or podcasts called? Audiophile? And should we start to make that distinction from the onset? Because I think that is the problem with my stance, I jumble the ideas/terms of "reading" in with "listening" to justify my consumption of the material.
Goodreads should also make this distinction when asking me whether or not I've "read" an audiobook! haha
There's something to be said about physical books, for sure. I had a kindle paperwhite and it quickly became a paperweight. Again, thanks for the insightful examples in your comment!
You make some great points! This more or less describes the way I feel. I definitely prefer physical books, though I’ve tried a few audiobooks during my commute to work or when I’m doing yard work. They’re good so long as they aren’t too complicated or I don’t get distracted, but I did find myself wanting to rewind passages or mark sections to return to. It’s much harder to do on an audiobook than with pages!
This is so true. I've come to realize that listening to audiobooks is a very passive activity, while reading is an active one. I'm sure both take a certain amount of time to master, and I've quickly adapted to listening passively. Which is odd because I'm a terrible multitasker, so I don't know where that skill came from.
What about reading on your phone? I started doing it but I get distracted easily if there are notifications and whatnot. But I did kind of realize I was reading stories faster after I made the movement of the progress bar into a type of mini-game.
That’s a great point about listening being a more passive form of consumption vs reading. I’ve found that to be true for me. I love physical books, but I found I’m beginning to prefer my kindle for nonfiction because I’m a big highlighter and note-taker and it’s so easy to do that with a digital format. Less so with an audiobook, which I almost exclusively reserve for fiction—it feel like a genre I can engage with more passively.
I like reading on my phone when I’m in waiting rooms and otherwise have downtime. There are distractions, but I don’t have any notifications enabled except texts so I’m generally not too bothered. It is super convenient to have a book handy at a moment’s notice! Especially when internet service is sketchy…
Reading some other comments on here also gave me another thought. Someone can technically read all the words in a book but never take it in, you know what I mean? I've been in situations where I read a book word for word, didn't understand it, and someone would tell me I didn't really read the book, and I would agree with them.
Now this is very high concept! I'd have to say this is more akin to watching a movie and not seeing every frame or making certain connections to earlier scenes with later ones that you don't understand until you watch it a second or third time. There's so many words in a book that in most cases another read through would probably be very beneficial to the overall understanding of the story, but since it is so time consuming (for me since I'm a slow reader) I rarely ever get to do this. The only book I've both read and listened to multiple times is The Way of Kings. Which I highly recommend.
Yes it's "reading" at least in the sense of taking in a story. I prefer audiobooks - I'm just a very auditory learner. Plus there's something about listening that makes me slow down and pay attention. When I visually read, I have a tendency to skim and often go too fast - which is perfect for some things of course. But I will skim over the scary parts of the story for instance. Storytelling was auditory before it was written. As I get older - and spend ALL DAY on a computer - reading on a device loses it's appeal as does holding a physical book. I'm tired. I want to stretch, move a little, etc. so listening works better these days.
Thanks, Karen! I'm right there with you. I found out that I was an auditory learner very early on in my life and have always tended to lean into music and audio related content. I think that's partly why reading and writing was an uphill battle for me growing up. I still find myself being pulled into the world of audio lately with the relatively recent emergence (or my recent discovery) of graphic audio, otherwise defined as a fully-immersive audio experience, where the story is narrated with sound effects and music. Have you come across this yet?
I didn't know of this term but I am going to look for it!! Completely sounds like my kind of thing. I always loved the soundtracks of musicals. I have listened to a couple of audiobooks that were basically fully acted plays in audio - reminded me of old-time radio and I LOVED it. "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" on audible is like this.
Oh, sweet! I'll have to check this out. You just reminded me of something hugely impactful on my life. I used to listen to stand-up comedy almost exclusively. I didn't know what Dane Cook looked like for years and I listened to 3 or 4 of his stand up routines repeatedly throughout High School. Also, I listened to Hamilton maybe 15 times all the way through before I ever watched the live version. I think there is something there that is super special with audio, and even reading, where we can fill in the visual gaps of something in our own way without needing to see the event taking place to understand it. Truly fascinating!
To be honest, sometimes it's how I watch movies and even TV. They make everything so dark anymore and my eyes aren't that great, lol, so you know, a lot of times I'm just listening anyway!
Might be off topic, but since you brought up movies and TV, the horror genre used to capitalize on this entire concept of not showing the monster until the end of the movie. Obviously there were financial benefits to this, but I think that leaving the imagery of the creature up to the viewer had a strong pull that engaged the audience with the story rather than the current method of just showing you everything right off the bat.
I’m new to audio and I like it because I don’t have to prop the book up so my neck don’t get kinked ha ha, but when you listen to a book it is translated in their interpretation based on how they emphasize each word or sentence. That’s good 👍🏻 Because sometimes I read it different than it’s meant. I like listening to stories and I love to tell them as well. It’s hard for me to divide my attention while listening to an audio book so I find myself sitting feeling lost and need to be doing something but when I’m reading the book I am in that world and don’t feel torn from my duties the same way. I’m sure if I tried going for a walk while listening I would find that more enjoyable. I do think that the story being told whether it’s read or listened to is the same thing.
Oh my goodness, that is probably my least favorite part about reading physical books; the constant battle of holding the book over my face or turning into the light or my arms getting sore or or or. Sitting still for me is a mostly uncomfortable experience, which is probably my fault since I haven't taken the time to establish a comfortable place to be in while reading. Have you ever paced your house while reading? I have, and it's also uncomfortable.
But I totally agree that listening to an audiobook is just like that scene from Talladega Nights where they are interviewing Will Ferrell after he wins a race and he just keeps lifting his hands up to his face and saying "I don't know what to do with my hands!" That's me. I have to be doing something, otherwise I get too anxious and start pacing. It's great for cleaning dishes, walking, laundry or commuting to work, but the best way to do it at home is to have a physical copy of the book and follow along with the narrator. It's so much fun!!
Not reading. The definition of read specifically notes that its written or visual material being processed. So audiobooks are listening to books, not reading them. That being said, I don't think it's a distinction anyone should mind bring made. People told stories orally and presented scripture orally even for thousands of years before we had a literate society. Reading itself is something we need to be taught, speech is something we learn naturally through observation. Oral/audio storytelling is just as good and valid. But it's not reading.
That's a very good distinction! I agree with you. They are very different and should likely be treated as such. I hadn't thought about the oral tradition of storytelling like that before. It makes so much sense!
I think the semantics between "I read that book" versus "I listened to that book" would need to be boiled down to "I know that book/story". I think that's kind of what I meant by the overall question presented here. Like, I took in the story of 30 books last year, but since I listened to them, no, I didn't READ them. So yeah, I think you're right but it's a word game for sure.
I totally get that. I can't really sit and do nothing while listening to something, I have to keep busy. I usually listen to things while I fold laundry or walk my dog. Reading is much more relaxing.
My wife does that. I prefer music. The main trouble is, I think, I can read faster than I can listen, but the fast playback just makes me super annoyed and jittery. So I'm stuck with books!! 😄 Which is fine cos I love books 😏📚 I'm getting used to screen reading, and if dark mode is available, I can do it. But white screens hurt my eyes 🥺
haha I'm a 1.5x person all the way. I can't do the slow listening anymore, especially if the book is 30 hours long! I'm the opposite, it seems, where I'm a super slow reader. Do you use your phone or do you have an e-reader?
Ikr?! It will continue until someone builds another ad-free disruptive alternative, then we'll be okay for awhile again ... then the horrible cycle will start all over 😫😄
There's science on how the brain processes things that probably matters to, you know, scientists 😄 but as long as folks are enjoying the show, I mean, who cares?
Right. I don't know the statistics but I'm sure there is a memory capture rate difference between internalizing words via sound or sight. Pros and cons to both, I'd assume.
Great question! Got me thinking. What if audio books are a blind person's only option? Doesn't feel right for me to say they didn't really read the book. On the other hand, how about a parent reading a bedtime story to their two year old? Also don't feel right to say the two year old read the book. In any case, what's important is that the target person took in the story and the characters and was entertained, or informed (since not all books are "fun") by it. I have no issue with someone listening to an audio book and saying they read it. On the other hand (playing devil's advocate against myself again haha), if someone watched a let's play of a video game on YouTube, my first instinct is to day they didn't play the game. I guess I'm not being very consistent.
I personally prefer to read physical books. I totally understand the convenience of kindles, but I'm not quite there yet. As for audiobooks, I get distracted and tend to reread passages very often, and so it would be much easier for me to shift my eyes a little, compared to rewinding an audio book by a few seconds. It's interesting, there are some things I've adapted to (all my music put into my phone instead of cds, online shopping over in-person) but I still prefer having physical copies of my games and books.
Very good points, Anthony! Thanks for commenting. Your points are very valid and I think it perfectly displays the juxtaposition of the wording, or even the context of the situation, that makes it such a weird concept. It makes me wonder, if people that do things repeatedly get called the thing that they do (reader, gamer, etc.), then what are people who listen to audiobooks or podcasts called? Audiophile? And should we start to make that distinction from the onset? Because I think that is the problem with my stance, I jumble the ideas/terms of "reading" in with "listening" to justify my consumption of the material.
Goodreads should also make this distinction when asking me whether or not I've "read" an audiobook! haha
There's something to be said about physical books, for sure. I had a kindle paperwhite and it quickly became a paperweight. Again, thanks for the insightful examples in your comment!
You make some great points! This more or less describes the way I feel. I definitely prefer physical books, though I’ve tried a few audiobooks during my commute to work or when I’m doing yard work. They’re good so long as they aren’t too complicated or I don’t get distracted, but I did find myself wanting to rewind passages or mark sections to return to. It’s much harder to do on an audiobook than with pages!
This is so true. I've come to realize that listening to audiobooks is a very passive activity, while reading is an active one. I'm sure both take a certain amount of time to master, and I've quickly adapted to listening passively. Which is odd because I'm a terrible multitasker, so I don't know where that skill came from.
What about reading on your phone? I started doing it but I get distracted easily if there are notifications and whatnot. But I did kind of realize I was reading stories faster after I made the movement of the progress bar into a type of mini-game.
That’s a great point about listening being a more passive form of consumption vs reading. I’ve found that to be true for me. I love physical books, but I found I’m beginning to prefer my kindle for nonfiction because I’m a big highlighter and note-taker and it’s so easy to do that with a digital format. Less so with an audiobook, which I almost exclusively reserve for fiction—it feel like a genre I can engage with more passively.
I like reading on my phone when I’m in waiting rooms and otherwise have downtime. There are distractions, but I don’t have any notifications enabled except texts so I’m generally not too bothered. It is super convenient to have a book handy at a moment’s notice! Especially when internet service is sketchy…
Reading some other comments on here also gave me another thought. Someone can technically read all the words in a book but never take it in, you know what I mean? I've been in situations where I read a book word for word, didn't understand it, and someone would tell me I didn't really read the book, and I would agree with them.
Now this is very high concept! I'd have to say this is more akin to watching a movie and not seeing every frame or making certain connections to earlier scenes with later ones that you don't understand until you watch it a second or third time. There's so many words in a book that in most cases another read through would probably be very beneficial to the overall understanding of the story, but since it is so time consuming (for me since I'm a slow reader) I rarely ever get to do this. The only book I've both read and listened to multiple times is The Way of Kings. Which I highly recommend.
That’s a great idea 💡.. I could read along with the narrator. Thanks I’ll try that.
Yes it's "reading" at least in the sense of taking in a story. I prefer audiobooks - I'm just a very auditory learner. Plus there's something about listening that makes me slow down and pay attention. When I visually read, I have a tendency to skim and often go too fast - which is perfect for some things of course. But I will skim over the scary parts of the story for instance. Storytelling was auditory before it was written. As I get older - and spend ALL DAY on a computer - reading on a device loses it's appeal as does holding a physical book. I'm tired. I want to stretch, move a little, etc. so listening works better these days.
Thanks, Karen! I'm right there with you. I found out that I was an auditory learner very early on in my life and have always tended to lean into music and audio related content. I think that's partly why reading and writing was an uphill battle for me growing up. I still find myself being pulled into the world of audio lately with the relatively recent emergence (or my recent discovery) of graphic audio, otherwise defined as a fully-immersive audio experience, where the story is narrated with sound effects and music. Have you come across this yet?
I didn't know of this term but I am going to look for it!! Completely sounds like my kind of thing. I always loved the soundtracks of musicals. I have listened to a couple of audiobooks that were basically fully acted plays in audio - reminded me of old-time radio and I LOVED it. "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" on audible is like this.
Oh, sweet! I'll have to check this out. You just reminded me of something hugely impactful on my life. I used to listen to stand-up comedy almost exclusively. I didn't know what Dane Cook looked like for years and I listened to 3 or 4 of his stand up routines repeatedly throughout High School. Also, I listened to Hamilton maybe 15 times all the way through before I ever watched the live version. I think there is something there that is super special with audio, and even reading, where we can fill in the visual gaps of something in our own way without needing to see the event taking place to understand it. Truly fascinating!
To be honest, sometimes it's how I watch movies and even TV. They make everything so dark anymore and my eyes aren't that great, lol, so you know, a lot of times I'm just listening anyway!
Might be off topic, but since you brought up movies and TV, the horror genre used to capitalize on this entire concept of not showing the monster until the end of the movie. Obviously there were financial benefits to this, but I think that leaving the imagery of the creature up to the viewer had a strong pull that engaged the audience with the story rather than the current method of just showing you everything right off the bat.
I’m new to audio and I like it because I don’t have to prop the book up so my neck don’t get kinked ha ha, but when you listen to a book it is translated in their interpretation based on how they emphasize each word or sentence. That’s good 👍🏻 Because sometimes I read it different than it’s meant. I like listening to stories and I love to tell them as well. It’s hard for me to divide my attention while listening to an audio book so I find myself sitting feeling lost and need to be doing something but when I’m reading the book I am in that world and don’t feel torn from my duties the same way. I’m sure if I tried going for a walk while listening I would find that more enjoyable. I do think that the story being told whether it’s read or listened to is the same thing.
Oh my goodness, that is probably my least favorite part about reading physical books; the constant battle of holding the book over my face or turning into the light or my arms getting sore or or or. Sitting still for me is a mostly uncomfortable experience, which is probably my fault since I haven't taken the time to establish a comfortable place to be in while reading. Have you ever paced your house while reading? I have, and it's also uncomfortable.
But I totally agree that listening to an audiobook is just like that scene from Talladega Nights where they are interviewing Will Ferrell after he wins a race and he just keeps lifting his hands up to his face and saying "I don't know what to do with my hands!" That's me. I have to be doing something, otherwise I get too anxious and start pacing. It's great for cleaning dishes, walking, laundry or commuting to work, but the best way to do it at home is to have a physical copy of the book and follow along with the narrator. It's so much fun!!
Not reading. The definition of read specifically notes that its written or visual material being processed. So audiobooks are listening to books, not reading them. That being said, I don't think it's a distinction anyone should mind bring made. People told stories orally and presented scripture orally even for thousands of years before we had a literate society. Reading itself is something we need to be taught, speech is something we learn naturally through observation. Oral/audio storytelling is just as good and valid. But it's not reading.
That's a very good distinction! I agree with you. They are very different and should likely be treated as such. I hadn't thought about the oral tradition of storytelling like that before. It makes so much sense!
I think the semantics between "I read that book" versus "I listened to that book" would need to be boiled down to "I know that book/story". I think that's kind of what I meant by the overall question presented here. Like, I took in the story of 30 books last year, but since I listened to them, no, I didn't READ them. So yeah, I think you're right but it's a word game for sure.
As for me personally, I don't like audio books or podcasts. They make me antsy 😖
I totally get that. I can't really sit and do nothing while listening to something, I have to keep busy. I usually listen to things while I fold laundry or walk my dog. Reading is much more relaxing.
My wife does that. I prefer music. The main trouble is, I think, I can read faster than I can listen, but the fast playback just makes me super annoyed and jittery. So I'm stuck with books!! 😄 Which is fine cos I love books 😏📚 I'm getting used to screen reading, and if dark mode is available, I can do it. But white screens hurt my eyes 🥺
haha I'm a 1.5x person all the way. I can't do the slow listening anymore, especially if the book is 30 hours long! I'm the opposite, it seems, where I'm a super slow reader. Do you use your phone or do you have an e-reader?
Phone, though I think we have an e-reader around here somewhere 🤔 😅 It may have ads, tho, which I cannot tolerate
Ads are the worst. I thought we avoided them with subscription based content but looks like we've come full circle. Whyyyy?!
Ikr?! It will continue until someone builds another ad-free disruptive alternative, then we'll be okay for awhile again ... then the horrible cycle will start all over 😫😄
Your friend is being quite literal 😄 If we mean 'read' to be the act of reading, then no. If we mean it as 'to ingest mental material,' then yes.
hahaha very literal! I tried to explain the intake of the material was roughly the same but he wasn't having it.
There's science on how the brain processes things that probably matters to, you know, scientists 😄 but as long as folks are enjoying the show, I mean, who cares?
Right. I don't know the statistics but I'm sure there is a memory capture rate difference between internalizing words via sound or sight. Pros and cons to both, I'd assume.
That sounds right. Probably varies *a lot*, too, based on the person, thr situation, type of content and blah blah blah 😄