I completed an audio book yesterday, Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier. As I've mentioned in an earlier post, I hate to waste time so during my 30-40 minute commute to work each day I plug in an audio book. It usually takes me about three weeks to get through a whole novel this way but I get tired of listening to AM radio all the time (my FM button broke about a year ago). And even though I have a new car radio now with a working FM option (and iPod port, etc.) I prefer to listen to books.
There is no real rhyme or reason as to how I pick my audiobooks. I just go to the library and get a new one whenever I finish the old one. It's almost always based on whatever I see on the shelves that looks good. I tend to avoid those that I want to read the actual book someday but the "bad" side effect is that I tend to discover new authors that I really like and then (being the compleatist that I am) I find myself wanting to buy the rest of that author's works. No wonder I have over 300 books in my to-be-read pile.
This time it was a little different though. You see, I tend to come up short in reading enough "classics" every year so I thought I'd begin 2009 with one right off the bat. I have heard a lot about Rebecca but never thought it was one for me. I expected a sort of gothic romance...and that is more or less what it is. I have to say though that I enjoyed this book far more than I thought I would. A large part of that is due to the excellent narrator of the book, one of the best I have ever experienced, Alexandra O'Karma. Her voice really painted the picture for me. The story itself took a little longer to tell than what modern audiences demand. It was a bit like watching an old black and white movie and several times I grew a little impatient with the pace of the plot. The story is told from the first person POV but since the protagonist is such a timid soul, she takes quite a while to work herself up to getting something done. Lots of musing about what people might think if such and such were to happen. But then again, since the story takes place in the 1930s, perceptions and family status was paramount. It did keep my attention though and I'm glad I experienced this novel. Overall, it was a pleasant surprise.
My next pick is called The Chairman by Peter Frey, another author I have never read. I may get myself into more trouble with this one if I like it:)
There is no real rhyme or reason as to how I pick my audiobooks. I just go to the library and get a new one whenever I finish the old one. It's almost always based on whatever I see on the shelves that looks good. I tend to avoid those that I want to read the actual book someday but the "bad" side effect is that I tend to discover new authors that I really like and then (being the compleatist that I am) I find myself wanting to buy the rest of that author's works. No wonder I have over 300 books in my to-be-read pile.
This time it was a little different though. You see, I tend to come up short in reading enough "classics" every year so I thought I'd begin 2009 with one right off the bat. I have heard a lot about Rebecca but never thought it was one for me. I expected a sort of gothic romance...and that is more or less what it is. I have to say though that I enjoyed this book far more than I thought I would. A large part of that is due to the excellent narrator of the book, one of the best I have ever experienced, Alexandra O'Karma. Her voice really painted the picture for me. The story itself took a little longer to tell than what modern audiences demand. It was a bit like watching an old black and white movie and several times I grew a little impatient with the pace of the plot. The story is told from the first person POV but since the protagonist is such a timid soul, she takes quite a while to work herself up to getting something done. Lots of musing about what people might think if such and such were to happen. But then again, since the story takes place in the 1930s, perceptions and family status was paramount. It did keep my attention though and I'm glad I experienced this novel. Overall, it was a pleasant surprise.
My next pick is called The Chairman by Peter Frey, another author I have never read. I may get myself into more trouble with this one if I like it:)
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