pagesofjulia

Ack, sorry folks, I know I’m filling us right up with posts this week!! But I couldn’t resist today’s BTT topic, because it brings back such memories.

Booking Through Thursday asks,

1. What do you think of reading aloud/being read to? Does it bring back memories of your childhood? Your children’s childhood?

2. Does this affect the way you feel about audio books?

3. Do you now have times when you read aloud or are read to?

1. I can remember being read aloud to, barely; my parents took that parental duty very seriously, which I think is the obvious beginning of my lifelong love of reading. I also went to a sort of experimental preschool where, among other things, they taped me reading aloud; hearing some of those tapes a little later in life was awfully funny. The little-me voice reading aloud and critiquing and imagining and adding onto what I read was very interesting. I believe my parents and I took turns reading chapters aloud to each other when I was old enough for “chapter books.” (I also know I had to be made to turn the lights off and stop reading to go to sleep.)

2. Audiobooks? I don’t think I’d much made that connection, although obviously that’s what an audiobook is: somebody reading aloud to me. Interesting. I had some trouble getting into the audio format, but did finally catch onto it this year, finding my commute time to be a good way to get some more reading in. Did my early-life reading aloud (and being read to) affect my current appreciation of audiobooks? I don’t know, but I do appreciate them!

3. Not much, but yes: Husband doesn’t really read much (until I pushed the audiobooks upon him! oh joy!), but I so wanted him to enjoy The Old Man and the Sea that I read it aloud to him on one long car trip. (To Eldorado, maybe? I don’t remember.) He did appreciate it. I have an interest, too, in sharing the Odyssey with my friend Gala by reading aloud – since it was originally an orally recited “book,” it seems like such the perfect way to enjoy it. We’ve talked about it but never gotten it together; perhaps it’s finally time? And, while I’m thinking of Gala, I remember The Lincoln-Douglas Debates which I was to read for class in college (as an undergrad political science major). I was having trouble with it, and finally teamed up with Gala’s son, my best friend, and we read them aloud to one another, taking turns, like I did with my parents when I was small. This way we got to debate and discuss as we went, and the topics came alive to me, which of course helped me in class.

I do think that reading aloud is very important for little kids – that’s where you get to begin to instill a love of reading! – and for adults, as well. It allows a different kind of connecting to the book; sharing the experience with another person means discussion and greater involvement, and generally greater enjoyment. I think there’s an obvious application for study, but also for pleasurable reading of fiction or whatever you like. Yes please to read aloud!

Filed under: miscellaneous | Tagged: audio |