[techwizrd]

I don't necessarily know of any studies, but I can offer some "anecdata". In reading, I tend to skim past long descriptions without any action. For example, I would skim past the food description in Brian Jaques' books, the descriptions in Lord of the Rings (such as The Council of Elrond), and lots of minor details in Harry Potter. I've recently been listening to a lot of audiobooks since the free echo deal (that came signed you up for Audible) from Amazong.

I've found that I retain a lot more of the details now that I'm listening through the books and I cannot just skim past "the boring parts". I notice the subtle callbacks to details in earlier stories. I notice the little hints or clues dropped by the author (especially in their choice of words). I think I actually enjoy this more because I get a stronger sense of the "craftsmanship" element.

However, this really requires a good reading so that you can distinguish the different voices, emotions, and details.