I’ve bought the paperback of Larry Niven’s Ringworld at least twice in my life but never read it. Not really sure why I never dug into it. I’ve certainly read some long SF novels, so I don’t think it’s the length. Even though I thought the idea of a Ringworld was very cool, something about it just never quite grabbed me enough to start reading.
At some point over the last year or so I purchased the Ringworld audiobook on Audible, and this week I started listening to it. I’m enjoying it quite a bit, and may read the novel afterward. I often read a book THEN listen to the audiobook, which I’ve found enhances my enjoyment of the material. I listen going to and from work, and also when I’m going to sleep at night. So yeah, I fall asleep and have to backtrack almost every day, but it still works for me. I’ve listened to the first two Dune books a few times, as well as many others. Combining reading with listening helps me fully “ingest” the material. It is easy to get a bit lazy while reading (or listening) and not pay attention to what you just read or heard.