While narrator Jennifer Pickens wrings all the passion she can out of this novelized life of Henry David Thoreau, the audiobook keeps its focus firmly on Thoreau's inner world, especially his relationship with nature. Although that relationship is active, it is not dramatic. Thoreau may have been thrilled to discover a climbing fern, but few listeners will share his excitement. Even his decision to propose marriage (she turned him down) is approached only through his interior monologue about his doubts. As accomplished a narrator as Pickens is, she cannot bring high emotion to this. The great essay "Civil Disobedience," about Thoreau's act of principle and nights in jail, is elided completely. Sadly, the Thoreau we get here is something of a drip.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2024
Duration: 4 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: Dreamscape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ayla, one of the "others," is adopted by a clan of Neanderthal cave people. She struggles to conform to their ways, but her advanced human traits overwhelm and threaten their primitive culture in this initial installment of an immensely popular series. Although the story might benefit from abridgment, Rowena Cooper easily carries out the formidable task of enlivening the mostly silent and stereotypical characters with consistent, diverse personalities and human dimension. Through skillful phrasing and inflection, she maintains the reader's interest and suspense, especially with Ayla and her plight, throughout this rambling and imaginative story.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 22 hrs
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This lyrical, sensual novel of woman's lot in Manchu, China, is as well researched as it is well written. Authentic in tone, it's nonetheless written for Westerners by a Western expert on China. Moreover, Susan Clark performs the demanding text superbly, with only occasional signs of fatigue. For the most part she not only sustains the quaint diction and Asian atmosphere, but also, creates whole worlds with her voice. She acts the book, rather than reads it, and, in so doing, turns a pretty trifle into a stupendous beauty.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Audio Literature
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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