Radio 4 has a policy of letting the author of a memoir or autobiography read it themselves. It's not always the most professional production but it's always authentic. But should there be a point where authenticity should sacrificed for quality?
Grevel Lindop's memoir of his travels round south america to expand his experience of latin dance was a delightful story but his reading of it was just cushion bitingly awful. The man veally veally cannot say his rs. Not in a Jonathon Woss way, but in a Jonathan vross, or Danny the drug dealer from 'Withnail and I' way. This was a memoir about the sexiest dances on earth. I could not lose myself in the story without imagining what this guy looked like with his ridiculous speech impediment, and it wasn't a sexy image. As a result, I've had to google him and I wasn't far off
When we read or hear a book, there is an interaction between the words and our experience, expectations and imagination. All collide to ensure that our experience will be qualitatively different from anyone elses.
This was awful. Radio 4 - this should have been read by a sexy voice, or even an unimpeded voice. But not a voice that makes me think uber-geek. This pipe cleaner of a man, shaking his thang, talking about dancers skin and breasts made my flesh crawl. He must have willfully crammed in as many rs as he could - at fvree o'clock, I met a fvwriend of a fvwriend of a fvwriend called fvwRaphael .... Vradio 4 - for fucks sake you must have vrealised you were entering Welease Woderick tewwitowy? creative licence is necessary sometimes - here accuracy and truth just ruined what could have been a beautiful production.
Dear Reader, I urge you to listen while it's still available - as it's unintentionally hysterical.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/arts/book_week.shtml
Sorry, Grevel. Grevel? Grevel???! Says it all really.