January 8, 2009
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Last Saturday, as the young lady at check out counter of my local library checked my books out, I looked around and behind me. On a displaying desk there were many boxes that looked like video tapes. I asked her what they were and she told me they were audio books. “Inside each box there is a small device look like an ipod with a few buttons. Plug a head phone in and maneuver these buttons and you can listen to a book,” she said. I asked her if she ever listened to any of them. She replied that she had listened to The Abortionist’s Daughter of Elizabeth Hyde. She said it was good. There were quite a few books displayed and I saw The First Choice of Nicholas Sparks. However I chose the Abortionist’s Daughter because of its controversial title. I listened to it when I sat on the train to work and on the way to return home.
The book begins with the murder of the abortion doctor, Diane. Listeners will have to guess who the killer is. The murderer could have been her husband of 20 years with a few domestic unresolved conflicts throughout their marriage, or the doctor’s bratty 19 year old daughter, Megan who was fighting with Diane about a trip to Mexico that Megan had wanted it as a Christmas present, or Megan’s boyfriend, Bill, who was unable to let go of Megan after they broke up, or Reverend Stephen who opposed abortion, or an unknown drug dealer whom Diane owed a lot of drug money as Bill reported to the police. Although there are some parts the author discussed and described some graphic pictures of abortion and the pro and con between the pro-life and pro-choice, the book mainly is about solving a murder case. The book is very interesting. I am hooked by the intriguing plot as well as the family relationship between husband and wife, mother and daughter, and love and the death of love. While I am totally absorbed in the murder case. It is completely refreshing to see how the young detective Huck Berlin and Megan falling for each other. Elizabeth Hyde is skillful in building a character like Doctor Diane Duprey who does abortion however she chooses to carry to full term and raise her son although she knew the boy would be heavily retarded.
The down side of this audio book is I cannot rewind to certain parts that I miss or skip certain parts if I want to or I cannot speed it. If I miss something I have to listen to the whole chapter again. If I want to skip I have to skip a whole chapter. When I got the book from my librarian, I was kidding to her, maybe I would be addicted to audio book. I think I am now, it is much lighter than to carry a book on the train, and I can give my eyes a rest.
Comments (7)
I haven’t been to the library in years. It’s time to visit again. I do miss it.
i never tried audio books before – is it someone reading the book or are there actors playing their role out like old radio?
audio books are probably faster than i can read.
I’ve never tried audio books, but I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately too. Thought it might be nice for when I’m at the gym.
I enjoy audio books. They’re nice when you need to pass time but it’s difficult to concentrate. Like a train or a plane. I also like them when I’m walking on a treadmill. For some reason I always seem to get bad Audio books though. Books I would never read in print, but for some reason I will listen to them.
This sounds very intriguing. I think I will look it up at the library too. I love audio books because of my long commute. I got hooked on Odd Thomas series by Dean Koontz and also Tales of the Otori series that way. I think I probably would have never checked out those as books (not knowing what they were) and missed out on great stories so I am glad my friend loaned me those as audio books.
@pmanmeister - You are self-belittling. I think it is much slower than I can read.
@awoolham - I have not read Dean Koontz yet. I think thrillers are the best to listen, because they are easy and catch attention.