Hearing is key to many things that we do each day, such as crossing a street (Frogger, a dangerous but frequent activity for many BYU students) or listening to a song. When reading a book, one does not always think about hearing, since much of our reading is performed silently. With the announcement that our main Shakespeare work to study was to be experienced in audio format, I was a little weary. In my Writing About Literature In the Digital Age class, I read two books in
audio format, and I struggled a bit. Having listened to part of Hamlet...things have not changed much. As I mentioned on my blog for my last class, I like to hold the physical book while I am reading. With audiobooks, you cannot see the words upon the page, and it is difficult to go back and forth between different passages. Trying to find a passage is hard unless you have marked the time frame that it took place in your notes somewhere.
Hamlet, being a play, was better than trying to read an academic book in audio format. However, since the language is from another time, I found it frustrating while listening to dissect what was taking place at times. This brings me to the commentary. I am still trying to figure out how I feel about this addition. On one hand, I love the background information and what it adds to your understanding of the play. But this commentary can be distracting and at times separates you so much from the action of the play that it is difficult to stay connected with the flow of the play.
I have never read Hamlet before, so I am intrigued by the Hamlet and father's ghost conversations. Shakespeare is great at making the extraordinary seem ordinary, and the ordinary appear extraordinary. Hopefully, I will be able to gain some insight through experiencing Shakespeare in this new format. As the ghost says, "Pity me not, but lend thy serious hearing to what I shall unfold." Has listening to Shakespeare been frustrating or easier than reading it? Have you found any solutions to make listening easier where audio books are lacking for academic learning?
