The Wall Street Journal

Does Listening to a Book Count as Reading It? Debate Roils Literary World.

Audiobook fans bristle at suggestion they are multitaskers prone to missing big plot points

Does Listening to a Book Count as Reading It? Debate Roils Literary World.
Illustration: Alexandra Citrin-Safadi/WSJ; iStock

Brittany Lowry has devoured more than 80 books this year. The twist? The social-media creator in Alberta, Canada, hasn’t read a word. 

“I count them as books I’ve read,” Lowry, 34, said of her audiobook consumption. “Who doesn’t want to slay a dragon while washing the dishes?”

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