In Which I Disagree With The World's Greatest Librarian (Respectfully....And Of Course Quietly)

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

Nancy Pearl is the world's greatest librarian. She is the librarian who has an action figure. She is the librarian who has appeared in the Backlisted podcast. If I wasn't an atheist I'd worship in the church of Nancy Pearl.

But she has made me think my view with regard to audiobooks. Ms Pearl mentioned on Twitter that it was a disappointment when a book she loved had a reader she didn't like. Particularly with regard to the way they pronounced particular words.

I queried why she would listen to a book she'd already read.

Ms Pearl responded by saying that she found it was an entirely different experience than reading in print.

Now regular readers to this blog know that I rarely reread books. Simply because there are so many books and so little time. I've also no problem with listening to audiobooks when in the bath or whilst driving (I'm kicking myself for not listening to Stephen Fry's reading A Tale Of Two Cities on my recent three and half hour journey to Essex).

But that being said and understood if you are, as they say, "hands free", then nothing beats those hands reading a book.

I have always believed that when you read a book there is not only a mental picture but a mental voice as well. That voice is your voice. So whilst it cannot do accents what it can do is set the tone and emotion that you feel as you're reading it. Unless the author advises otherwise then your voice is the truest voice the book has.

An actor/actress might have the training. But that's no guarantee that the book is being read correctly. Ms Pearl criticised an audio reader's pronunciation of the word library. What if though there are other undetectable ways through inflection, tone and even accent that the original writer would object to that might mean that you, the listener, are being led up the wrong path in appreciating what you are hearing?

So believe in your mental voice not a trained one.

Until the next time.

Meanderings Whilst Waiting For A Washing Machine...And It's Installer

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

You may remember a few posts back I chatted about waiting for the washing repair man? Well after a few trips the machine was pronounced finally dead early this week. And today (Friday) a day I'm not at work will be partly spent waiting for the machine to be delivered then installed. Another waiting for moment begins. Nothing I can really do until this is done.

So it's 7:45am. And the wait begins.

I do know what I'll be doing once daughter has woken up and gotten herself together. I'll have to watch more episodes of series one of Supergirl now she seems to have entered a comic book kick. Judged on the first episode it's not The Flash. Thing is The Flash took me back to when I was a child and enjoying the wonder that comic books (I refuse to call them "graphic novels") provided. Supergirl doesn't do that. I look at it through the weary eyes of a fifty four year old man.

I'm not saying that Supergirl is bad, and obviously I'm not the target audience. It's just not for me.

And further to this Superhero/heroine summer that it has apparently become will be going with daughter to see the Antman and the Wasp movie later today. Of course I say "intention" a lot of things are going to depend on the Washing Machine delivery today.

9:04am. Machine delivered. Hurrah. Now have to wait for the installer.

In the meantime mail has come. Swansea Grand Theatre's shows for Autumn/winter. Apart from an evening with John Hartson (the only ex Arsenal player whose performance for West Ham was just as good) it's of no interest to me. For the wife there's a dance show by ex-Strictly Come Dancing star Brendan Cole. Email her. Ask if she's interested.

You know one of the best things about Twitter is it's ability to remind you of things. Just seen a clip of Terry Jones interviewing the writer Angela Carter in an eighties programme called Paperbacks. It reminded me that not only was Jones an actor (of course in Monty Python) but also a writer and skilled presenter. He had intelligence, knowledge and wit. The Stephen Fry of his day. It makes the fact that he's currently suffering from Alzheimer's even more of a tragedy.

10:45am. I get a call. It's my mother. Much as I love to chat about life, the universe and everything to her. Much as she has many considerable talents. She's doesn't install washing machines (though to be fair neither do I).

11:50am. Daughter still not awake. Had a very late night yesterday so unworried. Will wake her up at one. Meanwhile no installer and I'm hungry. Salami sandwich time nearly and a cup of tea.

12:33am Daughter awake. After she has a shower and dressed will be watching Supergirl Series One whilst hoping the installers will come and relieve me of this wait.

Until the next time