Outside of a Dog: Baker, Kage: (07.5) Gods and Pawns

Dan Blum

Dan Blum wrote on July 12, 2008 at 1:44 PM:

Are you going to be reading Rude Mechanicals>? I have been contemplating reading the Company series (so I really appreciate these posts), but have been wondering how much of it is critical.

Kate

Kate wrote on July 12, 2008 at 1:56 PM:

I hadn't been planning on it--but I see it's available as a free audiobook, so I'll throw it on the iPod in case I get back in the mood for audio fiction any time soon.

(The description makes it sound entirely non-critical to the series as a whole, though.)

Kate

Kate wrote on July 16, 2008 at 1:56 PM:

Update: Joseph doesn't sound like that in my head, so no audiobook of "Rude Mechanicals" for me.

David Tate

David Tate wrote on July 17, 2008 at 12:28 PM:

That is a real problem with audiobooks -- if the reader isn't good, or merely isn't consistent with my personal notions of how a major character should sound, I really can't enjoy the book.

Sometimes, I'll grow into it if I persevere. I didn't much like the Recorded Books reader for Lawrence Block's Bernie Rhodenbarr books, but after a time I stopped minding so much (even though Bernie doesn't sound like that in my head). I can't listen to Lawrence Block read them himself; his voice is perfect for his Keller books, but he reads Bernie the same way, which just doesn't work.

I've just started an audio version of Naomi Novik's "Temeraire" books (which I have not yet read). So far, the reading is perfectly acceptable; we'll see how it goes.

David

Kate

Kate wrote on July 17, 2008 at 4:18 PM:

I tried the Temeraire books, but while I don't know what Temeraire sounds like in my head, I know it's not that. Oh well.

I think some books may just never sound right to me out loud--Dortmunder would be the other main example.

David Tate

David Tate wrote on July 17, 2008 at 11:22 PM:

I know what you mean about what Temeraire sounds like. I find myself mentally translating to a different voice. That may not work when T gets more talkative; I'll probably switch to reading at that point, if I haven't just gotten used to it.