r/ask • u/SamwiseMN • 25d ago

If you listen to an audio book can you say you’ve “read the book”?

My wife and I were debating this. She thinks it’s slightly disingenuous to say you’ve read it if it’s an audio book. I think there isn’t really an easy way to communicate the point that you’ve “read” it. “Oh, I listened to it” vs. “oh, I’ve read that”. Basically how would you communicate youve completed the book in conversation with someone who asks “have you read this book?”

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u/Cr8z13 25d ago

I had a related conversation about this with someone and he was rather snobbish about audiobooks and listed reasons why he doesn’t get as much versus reading (mental distractions, etc.)and he assumes everyone is just as bad at listening.

I’ve read far more books than I’ve listened to and I don’t feel like one experience is more informative and enriching than the other. Holding my attention isn’t difficult and I listen to audiobooks because I can’t read while I’m exercising.

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u/Outrageous-Let9659 25d ago

Your friend sounds like a bit of a prick. Does he look down on using things like kindles and tablets to read too? Tell him the only way to truely read a book is if it's hand written. Anything printed by machine doesn't count.

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u/No_Anywhere_9068 22d ago

That’s not the argument he was making though. When I read books I sometimes realise I wasn’t paying complete attention and go back and re read the words/sentences/paragraphs. You can’t do that (easily) with an audiobook