On audiobooks in general and the Boystown series in particular

Once upon a time, I hated hearing books read aloud. The idea of an audiobook was, to me, hell. But then, one day, I decided to try them properly. Really give one a chance. I went for some low hanging fruit: a book I already cherished, the first Adrien English book by Josh Lanyon.

And I loved it.

Since then, there have been many, many more audiobooks and recently, a new development: books I consume for the first time in audio. For my first two years of listening, I pretty much always selected books I'd already read. Safer that way, I thought. There was already a story and characters I liked. Besides, it’s interesting to see what a narrator brings to a story you have read before.

I discovered that wonderful books can be made even more wonderful with good narrators, but ruined by bad narrators. I discovered that enjoyable but less technically proficient books have all their weaknesses exposed by being spoken aloud. I discovered that mispronunciation in an audiobook (like mispelling in a regular book) can pull you out of the reader experience in a disconcerting way. I discovered that good narrators can sometimes be bad choices for certain characters and that when you spend 10 hours listening to someone perform, you begin to notice their tiny verbal habits. Oh, and you *really* notice authors’ favourite words and phrases!  

I also  discovered a new and deep respect for acting. Audiobooks have to be performed. They are challenging for narrators for all sorts of reasons: multiple characters - often conversing at a fast pace in a single scene, multiple accents, deeply intimate material. Like writing, performing can only be done properly if it’s done sincerely. And it’s difficult to be sincere. To be open and naked.

My current audiobook obsession is Marshall Thornton's Boystown series. As I said, a new development for me has been to consume books for the first time in audio. My first - wildly successful - experiment in listening-before-reading was Jordan Castillo Price’s Mnevermind trilogy which was absolutely wonderful and fantastically narrated by the wonderful Seth Clayton.

Boystown had been another big success for me. This series is predominantly gay mystery /modern-historical - the books follow Nick Nowak, a private investigator in Chicago in the 1980s. There's romantic elements - or rather, I'd say a romantic thread that runs through all the books and lots of sex. The shadow of HIV and AIDS looms large.

I'm conscious as I write this, that that description may not entice a lot of readers I know who want a book that is ultimately uplifting. And yes, parts of the books are emotionally wrenching but they are uplifting too. They are uplifting in the best and most satisfying way because they are authentic and at the heart of them is the character of Nick who is deeply flawed yet … good. Deep down good. A character who keeps having to do good things against his better judgment. Of course, sometimes Nick's not good at all. Sometimes, he's a mess. Sometimes, he makes mistakes - big ones. But he is always questioning.

Speaking as someone who is relatively new to mystery and has only really dipped a toe in the water of the genre, I suspect that this may be one of its draws: the questioning main character. Because where there are questions, where there is curiosity, where there is an unwillingness to accept glib explanations - there is hope. For the reader, at least.

The Boystown books are narrated by Brad Langer and I really love his narration. His style is low key but forthright - he's very effective in the emotional scenes without seeming to break much of a sweat. His voice and his performance are a great fit with Thornton's writing and Nick's character. Down to earth, plain speaking, unflinching, and occasionally, unexpectedly tender.

So, does Thornton have a favourite author word?

One sticks out for me: dingy. A very good word that Thornton uses regularly. I first noticed it in an important scene between Nick and an elderly character. I don’t want to give spoilers here, so suffice to say, she utters something bigoted and Nick feels deeply ashamed for her, as though she'd lifted her dress and shown him her dingy underwear. It's a wonderful, emotional and nuanced moment. Nick's feelings are complex in this moment, and so are the other character’s: there’s anger and pity and shame and defiance and… well, it’s a moment like so many real moments. It’s not resolved. There’s no understanding reached or punishment meted out. But it’s enriching me, the reader. I am seeing this. In a way, I am living this.

I remember the exact moment I heard that line. I was on my way to work (audiobooks are a good way to ensure I walk rather than take the bus places). I was at the west end of the city and the sun was shining and everyone was walking to work.

And tears pricked my eyes, right there in the street. I had to duck my head to hide them.