The ruling class wants you to be literate enough to understand their written orders. And nothing more. True literacy is punk. True literacy is revolutionary.
If you look at this article and think “this is too long to read” you’re part of the target audience. Make the time.
Oh my gosh, I absolutely love Stephen Fry’s narrations! You’re right, the production quality of the audiobook, as well as the cadence of the narrator, can make or break it.