Librivox is a great site where
people volunteer and create audiobooks by reading and reading titles
that are available in public domain. In an open source style
you might have multiple people all working on different chapters of the
book or have just one person do the whole book. I have
listened to a number of books via Librivox, but there are some problems
with it.
Not all the readers are of the same
quality. Unlike Maureen at Maria
Lectrix and Julie D with her
book podcast you have some people reading of questionable
talent. Now I understand this is a free service staffed by
people who freely volunteer their time in making this work, but I
really wish they would have auditions before volunteers could submit
work.
Some of the readers pretty much drive me
crazy. There is one woman with a heavy French accent which I
have a real hard time understanding and she has done a lot of
submissions. Another woman with an accent I can’t identify
besides being vaguely British speaks in a monotone in a voice so low
that a still small voice sounds defining by comparison. Some
of the readers make Al Gore sound like a vibrant speaker, especially
some of the me. Now by in large most of the readers are quite
serviceable from the books I have listened to and a couple sound quite
professional. One of them I especially appreciate since he has done a
lot of books I like and he usually does the whole book.
Now though I sample listening to the
chapters first and if I find some readers who are hard to understand I
will use text to voice to record the chapter instead. It is
pretty bad when you have to settle for a computer generated voice
instead (even though modern ones are quite good.)
But please, Librivox is not a place for
people to practice their English or do their best to put you to sleep
while reading an action scene.
10 comments
My son Sam was using Librivox to help him get through his reading assignments because he thinks he is a slow reader. One day I found him downstairs reading his book WITHOUT the assistance of the computer and I asked him why. He said, “because I can read a lot faster than that guy! I couldn’t take it any more!!” ; )
Very funny — I’m in the last chapter (#36) of one book. It’s been tortuous. All sorts of painful quirks. Bless their hearts for volunteering, but I doubt I’ll do it again. You get what you pay for…
I’m currently listening to a Chesterton audiobook where the reader keeps calling Nietzsche “NIGH-chee” and mispronouncing a couple often-used terms of art. Very annoying. But…like you said…you get what you pay for. In any case, all that’s to say I can relate.
God Bless,
Speaking with Jimmy Carter, Pope John Paul II reportedly said, “Jimmy, the problem with free things is you get what you pay for.”
Carter, allegedly commented, “That’s right, sir. There are no free lunches.”
You could say the same thing about lectors at Mass; they should have to audition.
Why would you expect free things to have the same quality as those that are fee based?
Most blogs and web pages are also worthless.
Maybe you could make some money by providing a review service for “audio-books?”
You could say the same thing for cantors, off pitch, off time, mispronouncing the Latin… like a godzilla movie voice over on an old stretched out VHS. whatever…
I have listened to quite a few librivox books. Had some good ones (especially the guy that broke off and did all the Sherlock Holmes books by himself.) Also listened to some almost humorous attempts.
One Jack London book in particular, some gal did a horrible french accent, but it didn’t keep her from trying.
I prefer when one person does a whole book. It is annoying to switch readers at every chapter.
I understand your pain. I’ve been writing a blog (www.freelistens.blogspot.com) that reviews free audiobooks, including the better ones that Librivox has to offer. I’m not one to insult someone who gives away their voice for free, even if it is terrible, so I only review readings that I like.
First, thanks for the compliment!
I do understand what you mean. There was a poetry reading on Librivox of one of those poems which used to be used in classes to teach kids to read with rhythm. And the people read it (it was one of those multiple version poemcasts) as if it were free verse.
I writhed, I’m telling you! Thank you, o inventor of off switches….
But the other side of being totally free access to any reader is that a lot of shy people, who’d never put themselves forward for any kind of audition, do start uploading readings. These are exactly the people who often can read with the most feeling, because they can immerse themselves in books and poetry instead of just dabbling on the surface.
And there’ve been some books where my voice acting has been more than a little pitiful. 🙂
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