Thoreau: Walden / Civil Disobedience

By: Henry David Thoreau

Narrated by: Rupert Degas

Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

In 1845 Henry David Thoreau, one of the principal New England Transcendentalists, left the small town of Concord for the country. Beside the lake of Walden he built himself a log cabin and returned to nature, to observe and reflect – while surviving on eight dollars a year.

From this experience emerged Walden, one of the great classics of American literature, and a deeply personal reaction against the commercialism and materialism that Thoreau saw as the main impulses of mid-19th-century America. Here also is Civil Disobedience, Thoreau’s essay on just resistance to government, which not only challenged the establishment of his day but has been used as a flag for later campaigners from Mahatma Ghandi to Dr Martin Luther King.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2010 Naxos Audiobook (P)2010 Naxos Audiobook

Simplify your life

This is the key text on simplifying your life and decluttering. Thoreau’s experiment in simplicity living in a small cabin next to Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts for two years documents his time getting away and fronting only the essentials of life. He says he did not want to come to the end of his life and find that he had not lived. There is so much inspiration and wisdom here in these pages. It is one of the great texts of American literature. It reveals Thoreau read widely and had a solid, rigorous academic education. We should all aim to be as well read and thoughtful as Thoreau. There is a popular trend right now of people living in RVs and vans and tiny houses and I think it comes from the same impulse as what motivated Thoreau to live in a small cabin by Walden. It’s the desire to simplify a hectic life and find out what really matters.

Didn't care for the narration

This is a great book, but I couldn't get into listening to it. I found myself drifting off to sleep or day dreaming. I think this was partly because the narrator's voice is rather depressing to listen to--flat, sad and dejected--although this very well may be the tone of the writer's voice and not the narrator's fault.

Kudoes for Rupert Degas

Henry David could not read Walden's timeless words any better than Degas. I've listened to it many times, and I hear new wisdom with each listen. I first read Walden 50 years ago, and Thoreau's message is just as timey today as it was then. Degas does justice to this everlasting classic. Thoreau by Degas is a treasure for all nature lovers.

Who taught this narrator how to pronounce stuff?

Would you try another book from Henry David Thoreau and/or Rupert Degas?

I may try just because it is HDT and reading him is supposed to change your life and make you cultured.

What was most disappointing about Henry David Thoreau’s story?

I expected to see him record his trials and how he grew and overcame them, as moving into the woods to live so simply would definitely warrant deep reflection and figuring some big things out. However his uppitiness and horribly cynical outlook on life resonated with me, but also gave me the impression that, maybe he meant to spend time away from civilization to have a break from them... but I wonder how many who knew his outlook and attitude didn't miss him. Times were definitely tough back then, but as a universal bit of reading that should offer something relevent to any generation, this just encouraged looking down on others as puny ants more flawed and pathetic than Thoreau, despite his own confessed flaws... that perspective isn't constructive to the survival of mankind anymore than any of the valid complaints he had of others.

What didn’t you like about Rupert Degas’s performance?

This guy... was very pronounced and careful with his articulation, but he so carefully pronounced even common words so strangely, it was distracting.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

It would be one of those Oscar Nominations everyone raves about and anticipates for a long time, then when you finally see it, you feel depressed and hopeless.

Any additional comments?

I know the Author deserves a lot of respect as an American Philosopher, and he definitely makes you think and evaluate anything you may be thoughtlessly doing or taking for granted in the world, I am just sad for him.

This should be read by everyone!

What made the experience of listening to Thoreau: Walden / Civil Disobedience (Unabridged) the most enjoyable?

This book will help you stop and reevaluate things. Too caught up in the struggles of modern life? Thoreau's Walden is a must read.

7 years ago

Should have listened to this 7 years ago before university. Most of the conclusions iv drawn have been the same about society but in our age if one is not apart of society they need to be fairly wealthy in order to live independently. I imagine small island life is the closest thing to this book and it feels like a serine vacation while I ignore strangers on the subway.

Classic. Great reading–issue w/Chapters?

A solid classic to prompt thought and wonder.
Great reading, especially with the parts of Latin, Greek, and other languages.

It does seem that where chapters were marked is incorrect. A chapter division often came up in the middle of a thought.

RANTING nearly the entire book!

Would you try another book from Henry David Thoreau and/or Rupert Degas?

Probably Not!

What was most disappointing about Henry David Thoreau’s story?

The most disappointing part of the book is that there was hardly any chronology. Instead he rants about this and that and occasionally talks of his actual experience/adventure of living at Walden Pond. Thoreau did what millions have been doing throughout the ages and are still doing today (living simply). He wasn't that far from neighbors or a town (<2miles), and he speaks of having many guests stopping by. In my opinion he didn't do anything that would be considered that unique for present day, and by no means was it unique for someone to build a simple cabin in the 1840s and live off of the land around them.

Asking for a "Star" rating for Thoreau's Walden?

An American classic. If you don't get it, perhaps you need to live a bit more, sigh... The narration is good, mostly convincing, not just "reading" through the text. However... it's ET-CET-ER-A not EK-CET-ER-A... Even with a couple of grating mispronunciations, this seems to be one of the better if not the best narration choices for this indispensable classic.

Slow down your reading to fast

What would have made Thoreau: Walden / Civil Disobedience (Unabridged) better?

Someone else doing the reading.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Thoreau: Walden / Civil Disobedience (Unabridged)?

When I turned it off.

Any additional comments?

Some stories are meant to be enjoyed while being read and I was anticipating a gay experience having Civil Disobedience read to me. I did not anticipate having a man who sounds gay speed read the work to me. I shall try again with another reader.