I understand that Wendy has read the entire series many times over. For those unfamiliar, The Wheel of Time currently spans twelve books, each on the order of 800-1000 pages in length. Wendy is crazy.
The audio book format is convenient for those of us who are the primary caretaker for an infant. It allows us to follow the story while freeing us to chase a baby around the house. I plowed through the first book in only a few days.
There are downsides. Unlike background music, audio books require consistent attention. The slightest disruption sends me scurrying back to my computer to rewind what I missed. Whereas normally I engage in "dialogue" of sorts with Max ("Where's Max? Peekaboo!") I tend to stay silent and unresponsive while the audio book is playing. After a while, I feel guilty -- as if Max were being raised by a deaf-mute.
The moral of this post, I guess, is that moderation is key. Sometimes I need to turn off the book and pay attention to my child. That's all well and good, because it's easy to get sick of a book when you're listening to it constantly. After reading George R.R. Martin, Jordan seems quaint to me -- as if the books are targeted at twelve-year-olds. Perhaps they are.
If you have a hard-copy of the book around, you can read it to/at Max. Then it counts as good parenting instead of negligent. It also conveniently pauses exactly on cue. You save the audio book for when you are making lunch and he is chewing a carrot. You have a precious and small window here before you may no longer feel comfortable reading the more 'playful' parts of the book around him.
ReplyDeleteEven though she reads prodigiously, Wendy still has me read her to sleep 9 nights out of 10.
At this age, Max has little attention for books that do not lend themselves well to pointing and identifying big pictures. ("Dog. Cat. Cow.")
ReplyDeleteI am, however, looking forward to the time when I can read him The Hobbit. If he's anything like me when he's five years old, we'll both be up until 3am each night until the book is finished.
Not if I have anything to say about it.
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