It's not a simple "yes" or "no" response. You see, English is a complex language that even native speakers aren't always proficient in. There's a reason why audiobook narrators exist in the same world where we've had Siri for over a decade. Apple Books has a free digital narration service for authors, and I decided to try it to get a real glimpse into how advanced our computers have become.
I'll admit that I've only listened to At Second Sight the whole way through so far. There were moments when I couldn't tell that it was a digital voice, but then she would mispronounce a word used as both a verb and noun or completely butcher the Italian words and phrases. In addition, the book is written from both male and female perspectives, and Apple doesn't offer the option of using both in the same book. It's not bad (and it's certainly cheaper than producing an audiobook); however, it's not an equal substitute.
I thought The Trophy Wife's User Guide might be a little better, but it's still missing the human touch that I enjoy about audiobooks. I can't complain though since it was a free service, and I retain all rights to produce an audiobook in the future.
Eventually, I want to have professionally narrated versions of my books, but it's not in my budget for the foreseeable future. So, if you don't mind occasional reminders that you're listening to a robot, you can find the digital narration versions of At Second Sight and The Trophy Wife's User Guide on Apple Books.
In other news, I’m almost finished with this cardigan!
