Last weekend, I finished listening to a great audio edition of Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game. I wish I could link you to a sample. The voices were great, and in a commentary at the end of the book, Card says he prefers audiobook to other mediums of delivering story, particularly his stories. The listener can’t skip or skim through a story and miss things, diminishing his experience. In another recording I have through Audible.com, Card says he is glad he listened to Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, because he believes he would have skipped parts of it near the beginning and not enjoyed it as much as he did at the end. His family still reads books to each other, like people used to do before TV.
Ender’s Game was a great story. Because I loved it and knowing so many others loved it too, I wonder if one of the heartstrings of humanity is dedicated to stories of brilliant children who face great peril–or to put it more broadly, thinking of The Hobbit and LOTR, stories of the humble, the small or weak, facing insurmountable evil or overcoming persecution. Why do we love those stories? It’s David vs. Goliath in as many settings and circumstances as possible.
I also wonder if I’m stuck with making painfully obvious observations. Oh, well. I must follow my heart.
Most of us know (even those who won’t admit it) that we’re small and helpless in one sense or another. Right now I’m reading a book that involves violence done to children we’ve been allowed to get to know and to care about (I’ll blog about it when I’m done with it). And I just *hate* it.
Agreed, Phil. Nice post.
This blog remains one of my favorites. Thanks to both of you guys.
Ender. What an excellent book. And I enjoyed the audio version as well. Are you guys aware of the new Ender book coming soon? I am eager.
Now Lars has me wondering what the book he’s reading could be. Is it the same one I am reading right now: “The Life of Pi?” Or perhaps, the far worse, “The Kite-Runner.” I really did hate that one. Pi is okay so far.
Keep up the good work.
Thanks, Samuel. I appreciate your comments, and I did know about the upcoming sequel to Ender’s Game. I hope it’s a strong one. I haven’t read The Speaker for the Dead though, so I’ll probably pick it up first.
I sympathize with you on The Kite Runner. I liked it overall, but the main conflict or problem in the plot depressed me a good bit. I was really enjoying the audiobook up until that point, but then I got in a funk. It was awful.