JANICE RASPEN, a librarian at an elementary school in Fredericksburg, Va., came clean with her book club a couple years ago. They were discussing A Fine Balance, a novel set in India in the 1970s by Rohinton Mistry and an Oprah’s Book Club pick, when she told the group — all teachers — that she had listened to an audio version of the book.
“My statement was met with stunned silence,” said Ms. Raspen, 38.

Finally, Catherine Altman, an art teacher, spoke up. “I said that I felt listening to a book was a copout,” Ms. Altman said. “I’m not a hardcore book person, but my point was that she is a librarian and I thought it was ridiculous. I’m a painter and it would be like me painting by numbers.”

The perennial disagreement in book groups has been over authors. But the latest schism in the living room lit-fests is not over whom they read, but if they read.

Is it acceptable to listen to that month’s book rather than read it? Or is that cheating, like watching the movie instead of reading the book?

Plenty of book club members listen unabashedly. But others cringe at the thought of facing the hairy eyeball from those with whom they share sofas. After all, the settings ideally should be relaxed, courteous and erudite. Some don’t even admit that they listen.

But listen they do, though the stigma persists. People are pressed for time, and so growth in the audio book industry has been brisk, with overall sales (downloads, CDs and cassettes) at $871 million in 2006, up 5 percent over the previous year.

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