Henry David Thoreau

Paul Boehmer admirably narrates this massive biography of the multifaceted man from Concord, Massachusetts, best known for the book WALDEN and and the essay "Civil Disobedience." Walls's writing style has a repetitive cadence that may not be as obvious in print as it is when read aloud. Boehmer does his best to capture it--with sometimes awkward phrasing choices. In addition, final syllables occasionally drop into inaudibility. But given the more than 20 hours of narration, these are small issues. Thoreau's own words are read in a distinctive voice. And, whether intentionally or not, Boehmer gives a slight New England lilt to certain words. For example, "man" or "hand" are nearly given two syllables: "mah-yan" or "hah-yand." Boehmer's authentic touches ground the audiobook in the New England roots of this great American. C.M.A. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine