When Your Brain Rejects the Audiobook Narrator
I think I’ve developed an audiobook problem.
I’ve been on a Sarah J. Maas marathon lately. And when I say marathon, I mean all the books. I’ve read them all before, but in order to meet the new book release deadline, audio was the way to go.
Throne of Glass series.
Crescent City series.
And the 10th Anniversary editions of A Court of Thorns and Roses series
Why?
Because apparently my idea of getting a “quick refresher” before the next ACOTAR book comes out involves committing myself to approximately nine thousand hours of fae, assassins, magical powers, questionable decisions, devastating revelations, and complicated relationships.
Okay, nine thousand might be a slight exaggeration.
But somewhere during this epic (because Queen Sarah deserves no less) listening marathon, something happened that I didn’t anticipate.
My brain got attached to Elizabeth Evans. Who is she? Well… she’s the legend, a queen herself, the narrator, and basically the voice of the SJM universe. She’s also the voice that I can’t get out of my head.
When I say ‘attached,’ I mean it’s really attached.
I got used to her rhythm. Her pacing. Her character voices. The way she handles emotional scenes. After spending hour after hour with the same familiar voice in my ears, I stopped thinking about the fact that someone was narrating the story at all.
That voice became part of the experience. And then I finished my Sarah J. Maas refresher and I had nothing to listen to. The smart thing was to take a break and listen to music, but no… I felt ambitious. I felt like I finished a school project in plenty of time and I had free time to spend however I wanted.
So, I picked another book. Another author.
I started another audiobook.
A perfectly fine narrator began reading.
And my brain immediately went — Excuse me. Who are you?
I actually sat there listening for a few minutes feeling strangely… perplexed. My brows bunched together trying to figure out what was happening. I waited. I listened. Elizabeth Evans did not come on….
The other narrator kept narrating. And I felt my eye begin to twitch. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the narrator. She was doing her job. But, meanwhile, some unreasonable part of my brain was apparently standing in the corner with its arms crossed, muttering — This is not the voice we agreed upon.
And that’s when I realized just how important audiobook narrators become to the reader/listener experience. I’ve been an avid reader for most of my life. Admittedly, I’m not consistent. I go in spurts. There are times I read A LOT, and there are weeks I go without reading. But in general, I love books and books have always been with me.
In recent years, I’ve also fallen in love with audiobooks. Given my busier schedule, listening to audiobooks has allowed me to maximize my time. I listen to audiobooks when I’m driving to and from work and I love it! I don’t mind if I get stuck in traffic or the drive takes a little longer.
Audiobooks have allowed me to start and end my workdays in a positive way.
When I read a physical book, I create the voices in my head. But with an audiobook, someone else is doing that. It’s great, if you like their voice and their style. Then you don’t mind spending time with them. After enough time, like I just did across a long series, their voice becomes connected to that world. It becomes the world.
The characters sound like that.
The humor sounds like that.
The emotional moments sound like that.
And apparently, after listening long enough, even books by completely different authors are supposed to sound like that. (LOL!) At least according to my brain.
I’m still listening to the new audiobook. I’m adjusting. Slowly.
The narrator and I are working through our differences. I’m giving it a chance, but I am seriously considering breaking up.
I might do better and like the book better if I just read. It’s supposed to be a great series. Great reviews. Huge fandom. But… I’m not there. And I think it’s because I am not connecting with the narration.
Ms. Elizabeth? I think she has ruined me. Apparently, my ears have entered into a committed relationship with her that she does not know about. And I would be upset if I couldn’t listen to another audiobook because she’s not the voice. UGH!
Audiobook listeners, tell me I’m not alone.
Have you ever listened to one narrator for so long that switching to someone new just felt… wrong? Or better yet, is there a narrator whose voice has become the voice of audiobooks for you?
I don’t think I’m alone in this because I hear her voice in IG clips when certain characters are being highlighted in a fan art.
