I've been frantically listening to an audiobook at every chance I have (with headphones, at 8 am, with my head on S's stomach, not kidding) because a) it's 30-something hours and b) it's just so compelling that I literally HATE not listening to it. And the saddest thing about this whole thing is that it's a book that I've read probably at least five or six times, all within the last five years. I love this book, and I know what's going to happen, and I can't imagine how I'm going to get through the last little bit, to be honest, because it's so gruesome and icky and very disturbing. But as I said, I love this book, and right now, it's all teddy bears, hearts and stars and so so good. (If you're dying to know, it's Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon.)
Anyway, my OCD listening to the audiobook is not the story here. The story here is the fact that sometimes in between sentences, and in long pauses between words, I can hear things that are not a part of the audiobook, and definitely not ambient sound from TV or radio (because at 8 am on Sunday, laying in bed, S and I don't have anything on that would make any noise). These things range from very faint music sounds to coughing to conversation. It's very strange, and I didn't hear these things in my car, or at my desk, so I'm not sure if it's just this 2nd part (out of four) or the fact that in those places, it's not quiet enough to hear those background noises. I've also never heard them on any other audiobook, even the ones that I've listened to in fairly quiet places--and I've gone through A LOT of audiobooks in the past 12 months.
I find it highly odd. I mean, what is this? Some person with a tape recorder reading the book into the mike? Does she press the pause button at times and yell, "Hey, guys, keep it down! I'm recording an audiobook in here."? It's just weird. And the reader's voice is perfectly pleasant (esp. when doing the manly Scots voices.), so the other noises are that much more distracting.
I don't know, does anyone else think this is very strange for an audiobook that is sold for a good amount of money? Can you imagine if you bought a music CD and this was the case? Or there were other sounds on a TV show or during a movie? It just doesn't seem too professional.
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