Walden

Life in the Woods

By: Henry David Thoreau

Narrated by: Alec Sand

Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

Thoreau's classic account of the solitary life, describing his attempts to simplify his life and sort out his priorities by living alone in a cabin beside Walden Pond for nearly two years, is one of the most influential books ever written. The bible of the environmental movement, Walden vividly portrays Thoreau's reverence for nature, and his understanding of the idea that nature is made up of crucially interrelated parts.

Public Domain (P)2006 Trout Lake Media

Great Deal

Where does Walden rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I had to read this book for a school course and the story was as expected. The reading performer was good and I do not think some of the other reviews are accurate. It was a great buy.

Refreshing

This book is a opens your mind to the simplicity that life should be. Great philosophy on life. Great narrator too.

A great "listen"

I listened to this audio version of Walden in the car on a long trip. It was easy to accept the reader's interpretation of the phrasing--his voice is distinctive and wonderfully appropriate to the story and its time. I felt like I was being told tales whilst (definitely "whilst") warmed by a cozy fire in an old stone fireplace in a log cabin. I will not comment on the book itself - who would dare!

Thoughtful

What Thoreau discover on Waldo’s pond and takes great pains to describe, is the ease of the every day. It is the norm that we should all appreciate.

Incredible intelligence of vast simplicity

Incredible dualism. Poetic simplicity beauty of life, nature, humanity. Great for walking or hiking.

Excellent book and narration

With only 1 minute of the preview available and with a couple 1 star reviews I was a little hesitant to buy this version. But with the Summer Sale a book like this for under $5 was too tempting to resist. So I bought it and I am very glad I did.

Firstly I could not tell you if the narrator embodies Thoreau's nature or persona. Nor could anyone else for that matter. He died in 1862. It is silly to say what they were.

Furthermore, I don't hear the choppiness, blank verse type reading mentioned. Neither have I yet noticed any mispronunciations or repeats. That doesn't mean there aren't any, it just means that it is not riddled with them.

What I do hear is a very natural way of telling a story. For the first time listening to an audiobook I feel like I am in a room with the author who is telling me the story instead of line being read from a book. It is this conversational interpretation that makes this reading so intimate, so natural, so engaging. And isn't that the feeling one should get by listening to Walden? For me it works. Highly recommended.

James T Kirk reads Thoreau

I’m sorry I know this narrator has done several books but this read is so choppy it is difficult to get fully into the book. I still have three hours to go and I find myself longing for this to be over. Like it were required reading for a class or something. In three years with Audible I have only returned one book, but.

Inspiring

Where does Walden rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Thoreau makes me want to not lead a life "of quite desperation." This is the first audiobook I have listened to and I completely appreciated how listening helped me connect even more with Thoreau. Hearing his words read aloud made his philosophy feel even more perosnal.

What did you like best about this story?

The contemporary importance of his ideas.

An incredible work of literature

perhaps even more apt for our current generation than the one it was written during. this book can be listened to multiple times over, each one feeling like a new experience.

Awkward listen

Really loved the book. The narration was difficult to get through mostly due to odd and lengthy pauses in nearly every sentence.