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Marcus Aurelius - Meditations: Adapted for the Contemporary Reader  By  cover art

Marcus Aurelius - Meditations: Adapted for the Contemporary Reader

By: Marcus Aurelius, James Harris
Narrated by: Gregory Allen Siders
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Publisher's summary

Meditations is a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor from 161 to 180 AD, recording his private notes to himself and ideas on Stoic philosophy.

Marcus Aurelius wrote the 12 books of the Meditations as a source for his own guidance and self-improvement.

These books have been carefully adapted into modern English form to allow for easy listening.

Enjoy!

©2016 James Harris (P)2016 James Harris

What listeners say about Marcus Aurelius - Meditations: Adapted for the Contemporary Reader

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Best translation

After checking many translations, this is by far the best. This is essentially Long's translation but simplified, free of "thy" and "thou". Not to mention it's available in both audio AND written format, which isn't the case for a lot of other books. Five stars.

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6 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Nice retelling of an ancient classic

I tried reading other translations of this book. I prefer this rendition. The narrator's voice, however, seems better suited to lighter reading, or even a Mark Twain novel. I found it distracting. It was professionally read and I find no fault in the production. This is probably nothing more than a matter of personal taste.

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4 people found this helpful

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    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

The narrator CHANGED many words! AWFUL!!!

For years now, I simultaneously read a book while listening to the recording. Straight up - the narrator did a poor job and must not have been paying attention! He misread so many words. I am serious, we are talking at least one to two errors per page!
The only way out of this mess would be to have an AI voice reading the book. I do not advise anyone to buy this Audible book.

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3 people found this helpful

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    1 out of 5 stars
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Poor narration

Poorly structured
The narrator is sub-par; unclear and high pitched. Incredibly dissonant and uninterested.
Makes a riveting diary sound like a phone book

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Quality of thoughts = happiness of your life

Marcus Aurelius was the last of the Five Good Emperors, as described by Machiavelli. He was also a renowned Stoic philosopher.

The book is a compilation of thoughts written in a period of 20 years by the Emperor, however; the meditations were not meant to be published but were rather for self reflection.

It was very easy to follow along and absorb many of the thoughts by the way the book was adapted for the contemporary reader. It feels as if a wise older man, think grandfather, was sharing his wisdom to a grandson.

Regardless of the simplicity of the book, it should be read (listened to) a couple times as the knowledge laying on the pages cannot be absorbed in one sitting.

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

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Narration is awful

A poor decision was made when choosing this narrator. Total bummer. FYI, only Audible Premier Plus members can return books.. don’t get stuck with this one.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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I loved listening to this classic!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I probably would not have ever sat down to read Marcus Aurelius' Meditations in its entirety. This audio version allowed me to listen to the whole thing, and enjoy it as I did. Aurelius provides great wisdom that transcends generations.

If you could give Marcus Aurelius - Meditations a new subtitle, what would it be?

Everything I ever learned in my long life.

Any additional comments?

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

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2 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Important ideas delivered poorly

Maybe it has to do with how Latin was written but this adaptation felt like a long run on sentence.

Narration too often veered towards the monotone. If adapting to a contemporary audience (per the subtitle) then perhaps making the text flow more like modern readings is warranted.

Also, some terms were mid-pronounced and that always is distracting.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Insightful and Inspiring

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, it provides great insight and wise philosophies for a complete life. It was awe-inspiring and a great, productive listen.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

Thoughts are things which can drive and create a fulfilled life.

Have you listened to any of Gregory Allen Siders’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Great strong narration for this subject matter.

Any additional comments?

"This review copy audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost."

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Adapted for modern listeners

Would you consider the audio edition of Marcus Aurelius - Meditations to be better than the print version?

I hadn't read the print version so this is my only exposure. .

What about Gregory Allen Siders’s performance did you like?

His narration is very even but not monotone or boring. Nicely done.

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

It is pretty dense and I feel like I will better understand after another listen. Also, I wouldn't recommend speeding up the narration as there is so much information I really needed to stop and digest what was just said about every minute or so because if I didn't pay attention it would just kind of just fly by me. Wasn't able to multitask while listening. Would be great for walks or maybe driving.

Any additional comments?

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

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1 person found this helpful