The Yosemite

By: John Muir

Narrated by: Michael Zebulon

Length: 1 hr and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

The Yosemite is one of the most beautiful areas on Earth, bringing all those who come across it to reevaluate their relationship with nature. However, it is also a place in danger of destruction by the modern world. John Muir, charter member of the Sierra Club, has emerged as perhaps the greatest prophet of an era which finds itself suddenly aware of the urgent need to care for our planet. This audio program, based on Muir's The Yosemite ,was created in cooperation with the Sierra Club on the occasion of the Yosemite Centennial.

Recording (P)1990 by Audio Literature

Critic reviews

"As often as Yosemite has been written about, no one has come close to Muir, the consummate naturalist, in expressing the sheer joy of the place." (National Geographic)

Beautiful is the only way to describe

John Muir puts you in the heart of Yosemite through the use of his beautiful writing. You can picture the mists of Bridal Falls and the intensity of seeing El Capitan looming in the distance. Highlyrecommend.

How Small We All Are In Nature's Wake...

Would you consider the audio edition of The Yosemite to be better than the print version?

I found both to have good merit. Narrated versions tend to take your own voice out of the descriptions and open up a fuller view of a scene.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Yosemite?

The descriptive cloud formations going through the valley in a spectral entity enchanted me. I especially loved it because I have had a the personal pleasure of Yosemite's charms.

Which scene was your favorite?

When Muir talked about the earthquakes and his tossing about on the Earth in the moonlight. When he said "it was like nature was holding its breath." I found, so was I at that moment...

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The glorious collective work had me in every moment caught in picture painted for the listener and the reader. Several times my eyes welled up and I swallowed hard in the thought of what was seen and heard.

Any additional comments?

Pure pleasure.

Muir at his descriptive best

John Muir provides a wonderful description of the Yosemite valley and paints a picture between the lines of the delightful and adventurous time he spent living there. The high point of the essay is his description of Yosemite Falls in different seasons. Love his claim to have seen a "moon-bow" hovering in the spume! A great portrait of a place, a time, and a very unusual, perceptive, athletic and fearless writer.

Find a different narrator - voice annoying.

Beautiful words from John Muir, but I couldn't tolerate the narrator's VERY deep voice... didn't finish book. I'll look for a different version.

Poet of nature

Muir brought forth vivid memories of my first Sierra summer in 1983 . Not much changed since his first encounter.

Not the full book

This audio book is only the first two chapters, I was going to use this for a project but now I've paid for it for nothing since it isn't the whole book.

Great story; horrible abridgment

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

If you like spending half of a book's market value for a tenth of the content, then this book would be for you. I'd also happily sell you one bite of my burger for the cost of the meal. This is an ideal title for someone looking for a rip-off.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Yosemite?

It's an awesome book. J.Muir charging a bear in open meadow is one of a multitude of great parts of the books this abridgment lacks.

What three words best describe Michael Zebulon’s voice?

Handsome, crisp, and speedy.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment. It's like enjoying someone's favorite three clips for a great movie. The clips are great, but I feel like a dope for having paid for them.

Any additional comments?

Forget Audible. They are getting greedy with an increase of 1.5hr recordings. Wait to purchase a full book or, better, just download free books from audiovox and wait until Audible changes their pricing. Look up Colbert and Amazon for a perspective or why this company is becoming too much of a pain and drain on customers.

Skips over paragraphs

Completely skips over paragraphs from the book. So disappointed with this. I had to get another one.