Pirate Lattitudes Revisited

I am a much better listener than I am a reader. That is to say that I read slowly but listening to a recorded book is completely effortless. I know people vary on this point because some I have talked to say that reading is effortless while listening is tedious. When I listen to a book I get a much better sense of story and am more likely to remember small details about the characters and the plot. However, when I read a book, I am much more likely to notice conceptual aspects such as the structure of the story and am more likely to relate the story to other stories I have read. I will notice deeper symbolism and philosophical issues when reading while missing character and plot development. I don't know why this is. But it is. Consequently, when studying a book I like to read it and listen to it often multiple times. If the book has been made into a movie, I like to see the movie as well.

The Andromeda Stain, which I need to post a bit more about, is a good example. I read the book, watched the movie, watched the mini-series remake, read the book again and watched the videos again. There is something in the back of my mind that has yet to coalesce about all this. So, I am holding off posting more until it does. In the meantime, I am trying to get a recording of it from the library and will probably watch the movies again. 

All this is to lead up to the point that when I read Pirate Latitudes, a while back, I suggested that the book may not have been finished. Characters were introduced somewhat heavyhandedly,  threads were dropped, and some of the action felt unmotivated. However, I just listened to a delightful recording from Recorded Books, narrated by John Bedford Lloyd that was free of these flaws. Or, at least, I didn't notice them. Perhaps because reading is more difficult for me I tend to be more critical. On the other hand, perhaps the fact that I am more critical makes reading more difficult. Who knows.

Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this recording and thought I should give both Crichton and the narrator their due.