audio books

I don't normally listen to audio books -- I prefer the feel of a book in my hands -- but my appetite for words is such that I will take an audio book over no book on occassion, such as going for a lengthy car drive.

That said, I just finished listening to Life of Pi by Yann Martel. I'd heard quite a bit about this book, and decided it would be worth the listen on my drive to visit my friend Kootch.

I found the book to be quite boring and I wonder now if my reaction would have been at all different if I had read it for myself. I think that, in large part, my problem was with the reader, Jeff Woodman ("named one of AudioFile Magazine's 'Best voices of the century'" according to the cd jacket).

The story seemed droning and tiresome. Yes, I still have some questions about the story itself, but the story as I heard it never engaged me. I was never drawn in to the story the way one should.

I wonder if this might not hold true when we read stories, too. Do we ever read a book in the wrong way? Do we miss the inflections that an author intends?