I definitely noped out of a sci-fi audiobook (can’t recall the title) a few minutes into one. And I hated the one Expanse book that was narrated by Erik Davis - it was like listening to a robot.

  • mo_
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    1 year ago

    I’ve been very tempted, but I end up enduring until I become numb to it lol. The hardest is when a narrator changes between books in a series.

    • fluffyrex@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      I agree that most of the time, changing narrators mid-series is jarring.

      There was one book I listened to (a long one) where the narrators changed for each of the 4 5 major sections, and it really worked. That was a Roberto Bolaño book titled 2666. Epic, and very dark.

  • fluffyrex@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    1 year ago

    Yes. Yes, I have!

    It’s been a while, and I wish I could remember the title of the specific book I had this issue with so strongly that I moved to reading the e-book instead, but … it escapes me right now, haha.

    I have also used the speed function to slow down narrators before. I know most people probably adjust the speed up, to get through something faster, but when I’m listening for pleasure, I want to be able to revel in the author’s writing, and don’t want to be forced to rush through it. I very actively create a visual world in my head while reading and/or listening, and need time for those images to build!

  • LambChop@aussie.zone
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    1 year ago

    I had the audio version of one of Sam Harris’s books a while ago and I swear the narrator pronounced every sentence like it ended with an exclamation mark! It was exhausting and I couldn’t stick with it past the first chapter.

    Funnily enough I’m currently listening to the first Expanse book, which is narrated pretty well by Jefferson Mays.

  • vatinen@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    1 year ago

    Actually yes, quite often. I think a bad narrator can ruin a good book, and the other way around.

  • DogMuffins@discuss.tchncs.de
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    1 year ago

    All. The. Time.

    A good Narrator can make a mediocre book enjoyable, and a poor Narrator can make a great book unbearable.

    Somehow, the right Narrator just kind of syncs up with my mind and the story just flows in. Otherwise you have to actually focus on listening which can be tedious.

    On the audible website you can search by Narrator.