Walden and On the Duty of Civil Disobedience

By: Henry David Thoreau

Narrated by: Robin Field

Length: 13 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

In the early spring of 1845, Henry David Thoreau built and lived in a cabin near the shore of Walden Pond in rural Massachusetts. For the next two years, he enacted his own Transcendentalist experiment, living a simple life based on self-reliance, individualism, and harmony with nature. The journal he kept at that time evolved into his masterwork, Walden, an eloquent expression of a uniquely American philosophy.

During the same period, Thoreau endured a one-day imprisonment for his refusal to pay a poll tax, an act of protest against the government for supporting the Mexican War, to which he was morally opposed. In his essay, "On the Duty of Civil Disobedience," Thoreau defends the principles of such nonviolent protest, setting an example that has influenced such figures as Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., and endures to this day.

Public Domain (P)1997 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Walden is a major philosophical statement on the American character....as readable and perhaps even more timely than when it was written." ( Masterpieces of World Literature)

Read and absorb

This should be a requirement for every American citizen. Read/Listen and Absorb the message.

Thoreau is such a hipster

But he's a fascinating one. While the book is, at times, self-indulgent and verges on listening to someone else's grocery list... that's kind of the par you hope for on this course. You wouldn't want the type of man who voluntarily renounced citizenship to live in the woods to be entirely without social eccentricities.

Exceptional Narration

The quality of the narration is excellent, particularly in tones and emotions imparted.
Some negatively comment on the slower pace of the reading.
I think the tempo is appropriate, if you are the type that require faster digestion of information then I would recommend some other topic entirely.

I will not review the author or the content, you know what you have searched for.

I wished to live deliberately

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book. It well written and engaging even over the most mundane. For a 19th century writing, it still comes across fresh and is surprisingly reflect of modern sentiments.

Mandatory reading\listeng

All time classic a must read/listen. Be prepared to take your time as the author intends for you.

interesting

I first heard of this book through the book Into the Wild. as I started listening I wasn't quite sure how I would feel about the book near the end. there are parts of this book that I question I listen and came to understand. I particularly like the last few chapters. definitely an interesting book that I would recommend to all of my adventure Seekers.

Poor writing, ok delivery

Thoreau’s writing (especially for the first 3/4 of Walden) is to be politely described as self-indulgent, and aptly described as similar to that which people do on their own behind closed doors.

Containing little of substance beyond boring, truncated recollections of his two years living in the woods, Thoreau’s actual philosophy doesn’t even begin to come to the fore until the last 1/4. This is where his actual poetic voice finally begins to come forth, but it’s too little too late. Civil Disobedience is more engaging, containing a better thought-out philosophical ground and more gripping examinations of the nature of his life in Concord, MA.

Robin Field’s narration is dry; understandable given the subject material with which he was working. I give him credit for conveying some of the wistful idleness Thoreau championed, but a bit more engagement would have helped the slog of the writing.

Teach me how to live Simply

The best chapters of Walden are 1-4 and 20. The rest of the book is Thoreau talking about the small details in living on Walden Pond.

Relaxing!

I really enjoyed listening to this. The descriptions of nature, the pond, and life back then were calming and thoughtful.

Civil Disobedience - Choosing not to participate

Revolution and change driven by choosing not to participate. He doesn’t promote change by violence. Government must be allowed by the governed. The politicians drive the need to continue to grow government to maintain their position in society.