CityOpinion

Marble Pedestal: Audiobooks

The ability to drive and read at the same time? Revolutionary!

Okay, here’s the deal. I drive a lot. And when I say a lot, I mean a lot. Because I attend university in Edmonton but I’m not from here, my only real option to see my family is on weekends. On top of that, now that I’m working a summer job, I live in one of Edmonton’s satellite cities. On average, I would say I drive about 10 hours per week, which is equivalent to 40 hours a month.

You might be asking yourself why this matters. Here’s your answer: you may not care, but I do. I can only listen to the same song on the radio so many times before I begin to contemplate driving into the railing of the overpass. Luckily, I found a solution.

Reading has always been very important to me. Just this past finals season, I often forwent sleep in favour of reading after discovering a certain fantasy series called Throne of Glass. Don’t try that at home, I’m just living my truth. I couldn’t bear the thought of putting those books down for a single second, let alone a two-hour drive home. Then a thought popped into my head: audiobooks. 

I’ve absolutely fallen in love with audiobooks. As what some might call a book purist, I’ve always hated e-books, but audiobooks are different. It’s a little hard to get used to at first, but once you do, there’s no going back. I still prefer paper novels, but with as much driving as I do, it’s been really nice to continue reading while I carry out the mundane requirements of everyday life. 

On top of all this, audiobooks are also accessible. Since only 2-8 per cent of people who are visually impaired can read braille, audiobooks make written literature much easier to gain access to. As a staunch supporter of books in all forms, I love the idea that more people can have access to them. 

I have nothing negative to say about audiobooks. The only issue I can think of is that some narrators may not be up to your personal taste, but I haven’t come across that problem yet. Audiobooks are accessible, convenient, and allow you to read in spite of your daily duties. In my opinion, audiobooks are a blessing and a gift. If you have the same driving habits I do, do yourself a favour and get some kind of audiobook app. Godspeed.

Payton Ferguson

Payton Ferguson is a English major by day, 2019-20 Opinion Editor for The Gateway by night (and also day). She enjoys long walks to the fridge, writing until her wrists ache, and bombarding social media with pictures of her chihuahuas.

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