Thanks for the link to the piece in the NYT about book groups looking down their nose at members who listen to selections on audio. Although it's important for children to read because they need to improve their literacy skills and also because reading supports cognitive development, I'm not sure I understand why adults need to read and can't listen to a good story on audio. I consider it a treat to have someone read aloud to me. I admit I never listen to audio books; however, for people who spend a lot of time in the car or traveling, it makes sense. Let's not get on our high horse here -- a good story is a good story. Let people experience it however it works for them! Amy (visit me on the web at www.wozabooks.com)

I'm schizoid about audio; I prefer to read the actual book, but obsessively collect audios of old Jack Benny radio shows and stuff; some of it's just pacing-I love the Hobbit in print, but it knocks me cold listening to it on disc. Go figure....

By the way, how come nobody ever reads Northanger Abbey? It's probably Ms. Austen's funniest and least-known book, and if you want a really exotic treat, look up some of the improper trash that that heroine was fond of, like Matthew Gregory Lewis' The Monk....

Kevin, I think your comment about pacing is rather shrewd. After all, novelists aren't writing to be heard, but writing to be read. While I think audiobooks are significant and enjoyable, they're not for everyone or every occasion. It might help people who do like them to think about a book's flow in print before choosing to listen to it.

Thank you for posting Vallejera's article "Loving Books to Pieces." What a joy. I have given away 7 copies of "The Handmaids Tale" by Margaret Atwood - not including the copy my dog ate. Happily, all copies have come from my favorite local bookstore and I am thrilled to buy it over and over again, if I can get just one person to read it. MG