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Essays

By: Ralph Waldo Emerson
Narrated by: Alastair Cameron
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Publisher's summary

Ralph Waldo Emerson was a leader in the transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. He is best known for his political philosophy and ideological thoughts on the moral worth of the individual and his work greatly influenced many of the great thinkers of his time, including Henry David Thoreau.

Some of the greatest works of Ralph Waldo Emerson include the Over Soul, which discusses the existence of the soul and its connection to the ego as well as the human soul's relationship to God. In "Circles", he discusses the vast array of circles in nature and how they seem to be repeating patterns in the natural universe.

Ralph Waldo Emerson is often referred to as one of the greatest thinkers in history. His revolutionary views on life and religion are evident in his numerous essays.

Public Domain (P)2017 A.R.N. Publications
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History
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What listeners say about Essays

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good material weak narration

Brilliant thinker and ideas. He delivers thoughts rapid fire and let’s you pick up the pieces. But why would they choose a Brit to narrate? That makes no sense. And such a atonal delivery.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Rich, Wonderful, and Insightful

In many aspects one can say that Emerson’s essays are a series of motivational, self-improvement articles that are very well written and rich with insight and meaning. No other author’s work truly embodies the beauty of life with so few words. This book is a must read for the serious thinker as well as those interested in philosophy or spirituality.

The reader did a real good job with the dialect and keeping an even pace throughout the read. No matter if you're discovering Emerson for the first time or are already familiar with his work, if you have a philosophical thinking mind you won’t want to pass up these essays.

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16 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Great material, weak narration

The material and thought in these essays is baffling in its profundity. To think this was just how people communicated their thoughts in the 1800s. Our society has gotten so much dumber.

The narrator here is very robotic and boring tho.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Needs to be read

this book needs to be read in person, the material is too deep and complex to be understood in an Audio format

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Love Emerson, but narrator…..

I love Emerson’s writing, but the narrator is awful. His nasally tenor hurts my nerves and his cadence and sylabolic emphasis sounds like Seri or AI.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Stop! And listen!

Emerson's essay series will rouse your understanding of the human experience and meaningful pursuits, and is arguably the most important book you will ever read, over and over.

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Great words and great fluff

I’m glad I’ve got time to get smarter now. I spent too much of my life trading my hours for dollars. Now I can work for my intellect.

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    2 out of 5 stars
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Great Essays, Unlistenable Performance

I love Emerson's essays, but this performance sounds almost like a computer simulating a man's voice. A couple of minutes in, I had to stop listening. Plus, the actor reads so quickly that the listener doesn't have time to contemplate the thoughts. Very disappointing.

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    1 out of 5 stars
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The narration is irritating

This was my first introduction to Emerson. I appreciate his famous quotes, but either I don’t like Emerson, or I just don’t like the narrator.

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pompous drone

the actor has a british accent which i guess is supposed to make him sound smart, but he obviously doesn't really understand what he's reading. if you want to be read to by a british robot, enjoy

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2 people found this helpful