Audio vs Read Books

 We have a book club member who listens to audio books and does his book talks on them. It bothers me. Maybe it shouldn't, but it does. It feels as though he hasn't put in the work of actually reading the book. But then, I have to recall a book club that I was in years ago, one that had a blind person in it. She "read" only audio books.  We held our gatherings of eight members, at a restaurant and this lady, while quite adept at feeding herself herself, often had to ask her neighbour what she was eating. We found her own giggles over it, fun. That's not saying much about the chef, but no one found it out of place, nor did they mind her presentations of audio books. The blind woman discussed books as keenly as anyone else in the group. But the man in my present book club who "reads" nothing but audio books, has perfectly adequate eyesight. A few of the other members of the book club are privately as disturbed at allowing audio books under the wire, as I am. We haven't debated the issue openly, but I suspect it will happen one day. At the moment, it seem an imbalanced argument to get into it, since we have only one audio book chap. To me, an audio book is much like a Hungry Man Dinner popped onto the table after a session in the micro. It looks good but the taste and or effort just aren't the same as a dinner constructed  of similar ingredients.  Also, from an author's point of view, when a writer goes to great efforts to fashion certain words in creating a scene or a mood or a question, it seems unjust to be taken up by a reader who then adds the colourful intonations to construct the same intent.The reader misses the experience of creating imaginative scenes using his own ability. Or does that matter?  Some of the audio book fans I know tell me I am wrong because they listen to readers that have such fine voice ability they actually enhance the enjoyment. Or so they tell me. Many of the professional readers come with an intriguing non- English accent and some read the books they have written. It is true that it adds a certain unique element. I suppose the debate will continue, cover unopened, really never to be resolved.