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Title details for The Untold Story of the Talking Book by Matthew Rubery - Available

The Untold Story of the Talking Book

by Matthew Rubery
Jim Denison
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
Histories of the book often move straight from the codex to the digital screen. Left out of that familiar account is nearly 150 years of audio recordings. Recounting the fascinating history of audio-recorded literature, Matthew Rubery traces the path of innovation from Edison's recitation of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" for his tinfoil phonograph in 1877, to the first novel-length talking books made for blinded World War I veterans, to today's billion-dollar audiobook industry.The Untold Story of the Talking Book focuses on the social impact of audiobooks, not just the technological history, in telling a story of surprising and impassioned conflicts: from controversies over which books the Library of Congress selected to become talking books―yes to Kipling, no to Flaubert―to debates about what defines a reader. Delving into the vexed relationship between spoken and printed texts, Rubery argues that storytelling can be just as engaging with the ears as with the eyes, and that audiobooks deserve to be taken seriously. They are not mere derivatives of printed books but their own form of entertainment.We have come a long way from the era of sound recorded on wax cylinders, when people imagined one day hearing entire novels on mini-phonographs tucked inside their hats. Rubery tells the untold story of this incredible evolution and, in doing so, breaks from convention by treating audiobooks as a distinctively modern art form that has profoundly influenced the way we read.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    November 16, 2016

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781504743921
      • File size: 331977 KB
      • Duration: 11:31:37

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Jim Denison narrates this audiobook about audiobooks--it doesn't get more meta than that for listeners. Rubery reveals the audiobook's history from its technological emergence in the late nineteenth century to the commercial explosion of audiobooks in the last 50 years. Throughout, he contemplates the many complicated considerations that authors, narrators, producers, and listeners have grappled with, all addressing this question: What does listening to an audiobook mean in terms of reading? Denison delivers the discussion in a straightforward and clear voice that has strong projection and good cadence. He's easy to listen to, for the most part, but it's not always clear when he switches from narrative to quotations--which can be confusing. Overall, he enhances this production, so essential for audiophiles. L.E. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from January 30, 2017
      Audiobooks have become a billion-dollar industry. Rubery provides the fascinating and rarely told history of the audiobook industry, connecting the dots from the birth of the phonograph and the first narration of “Mary Had a Little Lamb” by Thomas Edison to the rise of Audible, the blockbuster digital audiobook retailer and producer. He identifies the challenges and critiques that the format seems to encounter in every generation, including cultural acceptance (is it reading or not?), concerns about the proper way to produce an audiobook, and censorship. Actor Denison narrates with the right amount of emphasis and speed. He knows how to distill the meaning of Rubery’s prose and tease out nuance, which is especially crucial given the subject. He does not complicate his reading with vocal flourishes but employs a controlled and steady pace, which fits Rubery’s preference for narrative delivery discussed in the book. A Harvard Univ. hardcover.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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