The question might seem almost a parody of Shakespeare’s famous words but it can easily be answered by saying that in an audiobook is a pure delight of the spirit, that sort of atmosphere by which everyone can wonder in a different sphere to be away from problems and worries.
The audiobook practice is a singular approach to the reading of classic literature texts. While widely diffused in Great Britain, it is still scarcely known in Italy and not yet recognized as the very useful form of cultural entertainment as it is. Some few important Italian publishers have started only recently to pick up some very famous masterpieces in Italian literature, like Dante’s Divine Comedy to let readers enjoy its dramatization while reading the immortal verses, and some minor ones are just trying the commercial experiment with the foreign best-sellers read in Italian by well-known actors.
As an Italian by birth, I have admired and followed this audio-reading practice since I was a young girl. At the time, in the early ‘70s, I could only listen by radio to some few dramatizations of my favourite books but nothing more, the CDs were still far to come. Now as a teacher I often introduce my students to this particular way of learning and just at the beginning of this scholastic year I worked with them for some time on an abridged version of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë of whom I am a renown scholar and a fervent admirer. It was really a success and at the end of the activity many students went to the local bookshop and bought the book just to read and have it in their own library at home!
As an adult reader in English and a Brontë scholar I myself prefer listening to unabridged versions of classic literature novels, especially if they are related to my beloved authors. Last April I took part in the recent BrontëBlog Competition, as ever I did in other occasions. This time the updated, colourful blog gave away just a copy of the new Jane Eyre audiobook in an unabridged version in 16 discs published by Blackstone audio Inc. and read by Juliet Mills. It was really a temptation and, incredible to say, the price was won just by me! I don’t know if for the luckiest of coincidences or as a heavenly reward for my pluriennal zest towards my dear Brontës. I also got the parcel from kind BrontëBlog in a very short time so to be able to listen with great pleasure and interest to my beloved Brontë novel read by this famous and clever English actress.
Her mature and lively voice contributes to give a new flavour to Charlotte’s wonderful story mainly in the crucial episodes and is a very pleasant and welcomed companion for twenty relaxing hours.
What to add? I warmly recommend the audiobook practice both for learning and pleasure but this one in particular.
MADDALENA DE LEO
Hear, hear! Well said, Maddalena!
ReplyDeleteAmongst others, I've the Naxos 'Wuthering Heights' read by Janet McTeer and David Timson, and it's an absolute delight to listen to on my ipod!
I've got to get my hands on that unabridged 'Villette'!
Villette is on my wanted list as well. Once you've tried this audiobook thing you want them all, don't you?
ReplyDelete