The joy of commuting

[theoriginalblurker]

I've been listening to audio books as a part of my commute for quite some time now.  I got hooked from the Harry Potter audio books (which are fabulous and if you haven't heard Jim Dale perform any of these, you are missing something beautiful) and have continued collecting various books that I find at Half Price Books or elsewhere.  They really do make my 45 minute commute much more enjoyable.

Right now I am listening to Catch-22 performed by Jay Saunders.  I read Catch-22 in high school; I even wrote a semester report about Yossarian, but I never understood this book before now.  I don't think I had the level of maturity needed back then to really get the humor.  Saunders is a huge help here, he does a terrific job of acting throughout the book.  His characterizations aren't as beautifully differentiated as Jim Dale's, but he clearly understands the author, and he communicates that understanding to the listener.

If you see me driving around Houston laughing out loud, this is why.

Comments

[la-directora.livejournal.com]

If you don't already have it, I highly recommend a subscription to Audible.com. That's where I get all of my audiobooks. If you have a means of listening to an MP3 player of some kind in your car, you can take all of the audibooks with you. I listen to 'em on the subway all of the time.

[tubin.livejournal.com]

I was just about to recommend downloading podcasts and audiobooks... I download stuff from itunes, all of which is free, and it gives me hours of entertainment. I listen in the car via one of those ipod/tape converters and I listen directly from the ipod when I take the bus...

Right now I'm listening to an audiobook by Mercedes Lackey and some other people - action/adventure/sci-fi romp about superheroes which manages to blend some really funny moments with some more serious stuff... free download and very professionally done. I also like the various NPR stuff - Prairie Home Companion, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, This American Life... again, all free from ITunes store. And I listen to this "coffee break Spanish" which may or may not actually be teaching me Spanish but it's fun to be taught Spanish lessons by someone with a thick Scottish accent -

So yeah, if you see ME driving around down laughing, that's why...

[la-directora.livejournal.com]

Does iTunes have all of "A Prairie Home Companion" as a podcast now? I used to only be able to find "The New From Lake Woebegone", and not the whole show.

My favorite NPR podcast is the "Most E-Mailed Stories" one. Since I don't own a car anymore, I don't listen to NPR except for when my alarm goes off in the morning, and when I listen to podcasts. The most e-mailed one means I get a bit of a mix, which is great.

[tubin.livejournal.com]

Oh, they just have the Lake Woebegone stuff. But that's my favorite part of the whole show...

[la-directora.livejournal.com]

Ah, see, I love the music. It reminds me of going to hootenannies with my grandfather when I was younger. He was a storyteller/writer from Minnesota, so pretty much anything about that show reminds me of him. Garrison Keillor actually sounds a bit like my grandfather.

[goldfired.livejournal.com]

You don't have Stephen Fry reading Harry Potter?

[greeneyes-rpi.livejournal.com]

No, the American version is performed by Jim Dale. I only recently found out that Stephen Fry did the UK version. I don't know which of us should be jealous. :)

[la-directora.livejournal.com]

Dude, seriously? That's awesome. I want to see if I can find that.

I'm very annoyed because Audible is saying the Harry Potter audiobooks are "currently unavailable". Who knows if they'll come back. I hate getting audiobooks any other way.

[arch-scrivener.livejournal.com]

Can I borrow Catch-22 when you're done?

[greeneyes-rpi.livejournal.com]

You bet!

[greeneyes-rpi.livejournal.com]

drangelo should be bringing it for you tonight.

[johnbrandon.livejournal.com]

I read Catch-22 for the first time almost 20 years ago.

I've reread it at least once every year or so since then and every time I find some new little bit that makes me enjoy it all over again.

There is a sequel called 'Closing time', its not quite as good (and has even been used to 'prove' Heller didn't write the first one, but actually stole it), but I enjoyed it. It takes place long after the war when the characters who survived are all old men and there is at least a little bit of crossover with Slaughterhouse 5.

ANother Heller novel that I enjoy is called 'God Knows'. It tells the story of King David from *his* viewpoint. It includes such wonderful ideas as the fact that his idiot son Solomon was not trying to be wise when he told the arguing women to cut the baby in half, he was trying to be *fair*.

Anyway, try some of his other stuff! Their good reads!

[greeneyes-rpi.livejournal.com]

No kidding. Heller is a God. :)

I read God Knows in high school, as well as Good as Gold (the story of the first Jewish Sec of State), and loved them both. They were certainly more accesible than Catch-22, although that may have been due to the consistancy of the timeline.