Good afternoon to you and happy Wednesday. We're about to talk audio books and reading, and I want your thoughts this afternoon is listening to an audiobook really reading? Eight double two to three double O double Oh is the number and Pat is in Somerton Park.
Hi Pat, Hello Tracy?
How are you good? How?
Yes, I've got a view on audio books. It's probably a bit biased and in a way because I started leaving my vision seven years ago and had very little left. Now I have provide a new way too for a lifestyle, and audio books was recommended to me. It's one of the one of the greatest things that's happened to be Quite frankly, there is a proviso that if the written narrator for the book needs to be very professional, very good. If you do get a very ordinary narrator, it can detract from the book itself. But I very rarely had a bad narrator. Just as an example, I went back to Charles Dickens over the Christmas eve break. I haven't touched Dickens since I was a child and listened to not Terry Potter, Charles Dickens, Charles Dickens, David Copperfield. Now it's a thirty nine hour listen, but the narrator was brilliant and the book itself Dickens's he crafts his books. You get characters, and the way the narrate brought out these characters just brought the whole book alive for me. And I've quite often after I've listened to a book and enjoyed it, I asked myself a question, would I have enjoyed it as much if I read it? And I have to say, well, I don't really know. I suppose, but I suspect I wouldn't have enjoyed it. Certainly, the Charles Dickens book, I would not have enjoyed it as much as I did. And that's for comparing with the podcast. Let's no comparison a podcast as a chat. So it's a different mindset when you well, certainly is with me if I'm listening to a podcast, but whether the book you're hearing a crafted writing of author has put something together and it's narrateous good enough to bring it out the way the author intended that it is a real listening experience. Oh, just both thoughts.
Yeah, no, that's a really interesting perspective. Thank you so much for sharing. Really appreciate it. Okay, have a good one, Sea. That's Pat in Somerton Park. Happy to take your calls eight double two to three double. Oh and let's talk about it a bit more with doctor Rachel Matthews is an author and creative writing lecturer at r MIT University. Hello Rachel, how are you?
Oh? Hi Stacy, I'm great, and thank you for having me on. I was just loving listening to Pat. Then, yeah, I know, and.
It's a really interesting perspective that Pat's got some vision issues and loves reading books through audio books.
Yes, that's right, and accessibility is something that's just crucial I think if we're going to break down those barriers to storytelling. What's really interesting too, is that Pats, you know, alluded to that important part of audiobooks, and that's the human voice experience that I think really can bring a story to life.
Absolutely. And you know, I was the one who said sometimes when I think of audiobooks, I think of it as more of a podcast because you're listening to something as opposed to reading it. And that's what Andrew on the text Line has said. He's aid reading has done with the eyes. Listening is done with the ears. You use your ears with an audiobook, so it's not reading. And so that's another perspective on it as well. I'm interested in your perspective as an author. How do you see it on this?
Well, I mean, I'm so the only big fan of anything that opens up to literature and stories to everybody. And what's really interesting is that there's a bit of science that proves now that our hearing experience and the reading of words engages our brain equally in terms of meaning. So there was a Berkeley University study that showed that through participants that we were having the same connection to words and language and characters in either mode. So if we can just see this as another way to hear a story or to learn and to open our minds to different subjects, I'm all for it. And especially when we have forty percent of austraining have literacy levels below what's needed for daily tasks. That statistic is alarming to me. And I think audio books, Yeah, yeah, it's a lot, isn't it.
Yeah.
I think audiobooks are another way to perhaps encourage people who might feel that they have no access or confidence with writing and stories. You know, people that perhaps have never been diagnosed that might struggle with something like dyslexia or other types of learning challenges, and also, you know barriers from hearing impairment and you know visual impairment. As Pat was discussing, I've.
Got a text here, and I thought we might get a bit of this from Annette, she said, no, I've tried the audio books, and I can't concentrate enough to understand the storyline. And that's what I worry about. That I'd put an audiobook on and then i'd go and start cooking dinner or doing the eyning or cleaning the house, and then and then I'd get halfway through chapter four and go, what's happened so far?
I've really been listening.
Because you know, we're so busy. There's so much multitasking that happens. Now with a book, you're sort of forced, whether it's on a kindle or an e reader or a physical old school book, you're forced to sit down and read it. And it's very limited distraction.
Yeah, that's right, that's right. I mean it's such a joy to sort of sit with the book. I still love that experience of actually holding that visceral experience of holding a book. But as you point out, Stacey, it's a really important point that for a lot of us, you know, we kind of pulled between work and family and other commitments, and I don't know many people that have sort of hours now to sit with the book. So you know, maybe it's just a different way of thinking about how we might fill in those gaps.
Okay, well let's take some call on this. We're getting some calls in eight double two three double o double. Oh say is in windsor Gardens HYPHAEI.
Yes, good afternoon girls, Thank you for this opportunity. As for audio books, I have to say yes, it is reading for those who like myself and as you had a call it just earlier who said that he's losing his vision, Well, I am my self vision impaired and I have had my vision impairment since birth. And also with audio box it's handy for those I guess who who don't know braille or haven't learned to be able to read and write braille at which I have. And the fact is it's handy for those to do that be able to do that. I can understand the advantages that it takes that you guys have just discussed just now. And sometimes when I've had an audio book on in the evening, if I'm in bed, and I'll go off and go to sleep and wake up the next morning find out where I was. And I couldn't think where it was at all. But Braille is a very complicated system where you realize quite a lot of study. And I learned it when I was five years old and I'm now seventy five, So that gives you an idea. No, but the one thing about audio is with for those who are who know no Braille, I find it you can't get the independent word to be able to get the to spell it. If you want to spell something, I have to read Brail to be able to know how to spell it. But beyond that's my ten Bob's worth for you.
No, I appreciate your perspective.
Faith.
Thank you so much.
That's a pleasure.
Thanks again, see you now, Yeah, that was That was great to hear from Faye, because you know, uh, talking books or audiobooks called now go right back to the nineteen thirty stacy where they were first designed, created four visually impaired people, and they actually began as vinyl records where they could have only fifteen minutes each side, and then they kind of evolved through the thirties into the sixties of cassette tapes. You're probably younger than me, so you might not even remember a cassette tape. But remember I remember the tape.
Yeah, it feels like it.
To be the museum now. I remember showing one to my son and he's like what he did? And I said, oh, and the worst thing was when the tape all came out.
Oh no, need to roll it back in manually with your finger in the little song.
Yeah. Yeah, So I'm sure people that's right. I'm sure people were happy when it's been evolved into into CDs and and of course now it's all very digital and strange. But again, you know, I was just listening to Fay and thinking what an important technology for her?
Yeah, absolutely, yeah, one hundred. We're getting some texts on the matter as well. Paul says, I'm a truck driver and I listen to audio books while.
Violating, and then this one.
I like this text. This person has the right attitude. Hi, Stacey. I do both, but I get some sick over the ear headphones, put on a face mask and imask and play the audio book. Now that sounds like an afternoon to me.
Oh that sounds delicious.
Put on a relaxing face mask with some awesome.
And listen to the audio book.
Yes, total escape. And I also Stacey, I really like when the author actually goes to reading. There's something really special about that because I think they get the intonations and the time just to write in the right places. My first novel, Vinyl Inside, which was set in the eighties in a caravan park and it has stories about reason. It has a bit of fun about the eighties as well. But Jane Clifton, the wonderful actor, she actually created an audio book on behalf of Vision Australia, and as I listened to that, I heard her kind of emphasizing all the wonderful characters and the eighties kind of music and song and in a way that for me, as a writer, I hadn't really thought of. So that's the other thing too, whether it's actually the actual writer or another writer, everybody will bring in something individual into that reading, which I think is special.
Yes, for sure, and I mean maybe easier with some authors rather than others. Perhaps, says he likes to look at listen to Charles Dickens can't come, can't hear from that author?
From that but I think be horrified, wouldn't he.
Maybe maybe Ai? Maybe with Ai now we will be.
Able to hear from Chelsea God, yeah, we'll be able to see him.
So but I think one of the more famous, more recent ones would be Prince Harry reading his autobiography. So many people are preferred to listen to that one because it was his voice as opposed to reading it.
Yeah, And that's what's interesting, which stories, because often readers will say that they want to have an individual experience of a story where you know, they might have their own understanding, for example, of what a character is about. And I don't think audio would take anything away from that because in the end, as we said before, the science shows that the impact of the words in our brains is the same whether we're listening or whether we're reading.
Yeah, sure, Rachel, we've got to take a quick break, but if you have a few minutes to hang around, I'd love to continue the conversation because we're still getting some calls on this love it sounds good. So eight double two to three double o double oh is the number and we'll take some more calls on this in just a moment. What do you think is listening to an audiobook the same as reading? Lining your thoughts, do you think listening to an audiobook is the same as reading. You're hearing from doctor Rachel Matthews. She's an author and a creative writing lecturer at r MIT University. Thank you for hanging around, Rachel.
Oh, I'm loving this chat. It's something I feel quite enthusiastic about because I think again, if we've got almost half, if we've got forty percent of Australians that are struggling with literacy, well then I would say that they're also probably feeling shut out from books and literary culture.
Yeah, and I want to pick up on that point, feeling shut out from literature in just a moment. But first, Amber north Haven has given us a call High Amber.
Oh, hello, hello ladies. And now the good doctor stole my sounder a bit. Because I love audio books read by the author. A classic example of that, it's Jimmy Barnes.
Oh oh yeah, Now.
I've got all of these books. And when they stopped the train for a prom a year and you had to get the bus into town, instead of taking half an hour in the train, it took me an hour or two an hour and a half. And that's when I bought his best audio books and I've listened to that and the time when you can't help but concentrate with his voice and when he reads it and you're right, he emphasizes in different parts and I just said that that was brilliant. And he even said in an interview there were times when he had to stop because he'd be crying because that had take him back to those times because his childhood was you know, no, it was pretty tough. And you can actually hear his voice change a bit when he comes back and he's got himself together. But I reconcile book. I love his books. The other one who I've got is theo Oh Lachlan is a lot. It's where is It? The story of an unber unreliable witness and she she speaks from her early years of living in Alice and her journey and that's just great with their voice, and you can tell the parts that hurt and the parts that are good. And I'm trying to I think Sally Fields where it's good. I love autobiographies, as I said, I think Sally Field reads her own true and I just think hearing mem voice, it's like they're telling me the story.
It's very personal to hear the author's voice, that's for sure. And but thank you so much for the call. Really appreciate it. And we were talking just before Amber's call, Rachel about a feeling feeling shut out. And I think sometimes that can be the issue with and I mean no offense by this, because I know you're an author, but with the with the literary world, sometimes it can seem a little bit snobby or out of reach for some people. You know, if you're not going to read the Charles Dickens books like Pat, if you're into the books that you pick up at the airport, or you know, I saw a shameful article written today about the women lining up overnight to get get a new book that's considered in the fairy pawn genre. You know, it's a bit fantasy. And if you like to read fantasy or Fifty Shades of Gray. When I was talking about this with Graham Goodings earlier, he said, oh, you know all those people reading fifty Shades And I said, but they're reading and they get into it. So you know, sometimes you can feel like it's a bit there's a bit of shame associated if you're not this literary wonder.
Yes, that's such a good point, because really stories are for everybody, and stories are what keeps us human. And really, I think for whatever purpose, you know, it's an individual experience. And as Anders said to Hearing, heartfelt, authentic life experiences from those two people or from anybody is what makes us feel less alone as well. We've got, you know, isolation being one of the biggest global impacts on health. And again, a book, a writing group, a book group, a community place in a library brings people together. So if audio books also help somebody who might be feeling a bit alone or unwell, and it takes them into their life, then I think that's the wonderful thing. And who cares what the genre is really.
I'd actually never heard of fairy poorn until I read the other.
It's a new thing.
I don't google it because I know I tried to find article and I don't know the computer.
No, I'm scared already. I'll ask my students.
You get them to do it.
They could do the research. Yeah, exactly. I was also thinking too you know, like a couple of my characters from my latest book never looked desperate people in midlife who didn't get a chance to go to UTI but would have liked to have studied and and have a lot of interests or ideas and things that they would secretly love to share. But it just didn't happen for them. And again, you know, I think they they feel forever that they're not part of or worthy of contributing to a cushion about stories, whereas audio books are saying, really, everyone has something to say and everyone has experiences that are worthwhile, and I think that's a good thing.
Oh, it's a great note to end on, doctor Rachel Matthew. You've changed my mind. I came into this conversation thinking known audiobook, it's probably more of a podcast. But now, after hearing from yourself and Pat and Fay and Amber, you've changed my mind. I'll stop the judgment, Darky, exactly, I'll stop the judgment. I might even download an audiobook myself.
Wow.
I appreciate your time today.
Thank you, Thanksay, and thanks to everybody. Bye bye.
He it's doctor Rachel Matthews, author and creative writing lecturer at R MIT University live afternoons SW