-:- Henry David Thoreau Reading List by Katharena -:-

Henry David Thoreau: Main Page | ...an Impressive Thoreau Poetry Sampler | Thought Provoking Quotes by Thoreau | Thoreau's Lucid, Provocative Writings | Henry David Thoreau -- Woodlands, Streams, and Meadows | Thoreau : Canoe Trip -- Poet of Nature | Thoreau Planted Beans at Walden Pond? | Thoreau and Emerson: Best Friends | H. D. Thoreau : Sounds, Smells, Woods and Water | Henry David Thoreau : Books and Reviews | Katharena's Essential Thoreau, for the Passionate Nature Lover!

Walden Audio CD

Henry David Thoreau's classic, first published in 1854 and reporting on his experiences at the eponymous site where he lived in physical and social independence during the mid-1840's, receives refreshing treatment here. William Hope reads leisurely but with feeling, offering listeners the illusion that the author is speaking directly to them. The abridgements are not substantive, so listeners will feel that they have become acquainted with the complexities of a text that is both orderly and sprinkled with irony and other literary devices. The chapters are tastefully set off by musical interludes that complement Thoreau's own rhythms. Not only is this an excellent alternative for students assigned to read the text that is often offered in tiny print without benefit of margins, but it is also possible to suggest this to thoughtful teens who are seeking an intellectually engaging listening experience for their personal enjoyment. Hope's pacing invites readers with minimal skills to accompany their print foray with his narration. The careful editing here assures that they will not become lost between page and sound. --Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley Public Library, CA

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Walden is organized like a conversation. Thoreau moves from topic to topic in an easy flow, touching on politics, economics, and spirituality. William Hope's performance of the work brings out this quality wonderfully. Reading slowly, with regular pauses, as if engaged in a conversation with a close friend, Hope allows readers to hear the rhythms of Thoreau's prose. But however it rambles, WALDEN always returns to the loving descriptions of nature and insightful reflections on personal identity that Thoreau developed in his cabin by Walden Pond. This is an accessible adaptation of an American classic. --G.T.B. © AudioFile, Portland, Maine