do you hear what i hear?

trying to pass the time on my newly-enlongated commute, i've taken up listening to audio books. the first one i tried was hunger games and i really enjoyed it. i looked forward to the long commute because it meant i could hear more about katniss and what she was getting up to. that went well, so i tried another - golden compass. it's not going quite as well, but i am still hopeful.

with hunger games, i'd read it before and seen the movie, so i didn't need to actually pay close attention at all times to keep up with the story. with golden compass, i am completely unfamiliar with the story, so i am constantly battling with splitting my attention correctly between the road and the story.

the sound from my phone isn't very loud. with hunger games, again, hearing every word wasn't essential. with golden compass, if i am going to keep up with the story, i do actually need to hear most every word. with hunger games, i was already thinking i would like to have a wireless bluetooth speaker. with golden compass, it's clear that if i am going to use audio for books i am unfamiliar with, a wireless bluetooth speaker is essential.

hunger games was a simple read-through. this narrator was just reading the book, giving a little bit of characteristic sound to each voice when there was dialog. golden compass uses a different actor for each character, and that adds to the listening challenge.

it's interesting to see how attention is used... it's easier to listen to someone give a plain-old read. it's more complicated to listen to different voices. i'm not sure exactly why, but when the voice changes, it's jars my attention. i have to refocus, and then the voice changes again. bump-bump-bump i go over attention rumble strips.

hunger games narrator had an american accent. golden compass actors are brits, and the accents add to the attention problem. that is, i have to pay lots of it, in a way that makes me not sure this particular book is going to work out.

with hunger games, i completely knew what was going on. with golden compass, i can't really figure it out. i could have missed some key point... just simply didn't hear it, perhaps, or wasn't paying attention just at that moment.

obvs, my having read hunger games contributed mightily to my knowing what was going on, but in addition, golden compass seems more complex. i am still early in the book, but that's my impression. there are more unfamiliar terms, unfamiliar places. seems that the dystopia in golden compass bears less resemblance to normal life than does the one in hunger games.

i am not giving up on golden compass because i am assured that it is not truly boring, but i am not certain i need to be listening to it in the car. i'll probably give it tomorrow, and reevaluate over the weekend.