The Tao Te Ching
The Classic of the Tao and Its Power
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
£0.00 for first 30 days
The Tao Te Ching
Buy Now for £8.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Sir Nigel Hawthorne
About this listen
In 80 short chapters, it reveals a profound view of the Tao, a unique and satisfying way of life and nature. This revered collection of wise sayings and commentaries is a complete guide to living the sagely life and finding a calm and tranquil center in the midst of the chaos and stress of 21st-century life.
©2008 Man Ho Kwok, Jay Ramsay, Martin Palmer (P)2008 Mark ForstaterListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about The Tao Te Ching
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Al
- 18-10-11
Sound sound!
Excellent reading by Nigel Hawthorne, well worth getting. An easy to listen to voice giving a fine interpretation of ancient words of wisdom.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story2 out of 5 stars
- Leon
- 12-05-20
Whimsical, unapologetically unstructured Tao philosophy
I love the delivery of this book - it really captures the nature of the subject IMO. I listen to 10-20 minute segments regularly, and the lack of narrative structure lends itself to this. In this way the Tao washes over you and slowly starts to become familiar. I have not found a better way yet, and am on my third repeat. For ‘firm theory’ around this I am reading Alan Watts’ ‘The Way of Zen’. That is much more involving.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Luke
- 29-11-21
Beautiful Performance By Nigel Hawthorn
My only small criticism is that l would have liked the numbers read as in the original text. Other than that wonderful!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Tim
- 05-03-11
Shades of Satire...
One who cooks good food?
Nope - that's Nigel Slater or Nigella Lawson.
Is he one of those Shakespearian actors who narrates audiobooks?
Well, he does do Agatha Christie, but he is not Brian Blessed or Ian Richardson.
No, this Nigel Hawthorne is none other than Sir Humphrey Appleby (from Yes Minister & Yes Prime Minister) - the Late Master of Posh, Cynical Irreverence narrating arguably the greatest philosophical work in history.
With a hint of skeptical wisdom & an ironic sense of Real politik, the Tao is given a whole new angle through one of Britain's finest actors. Each verse is compelling, yet also has that evasive quality that the Tao has which cannot be grasped, only allowed.
And best of all the whole work is condensed to a mere 76 minutes, meaning that the whole book can be listened to in one car journey!
This is, however, the one problem with it. The Tao Te Ching is rich & dense in content & one verse can last you a whole day of thinking. Crammed into one download (with only two or three word titles per verse) isn't really enough to explore the text's meaning.
Furthermore, this text is not the best translation of the Tao. Every translation is different & has different meanings but this one, if anything, seems a bit too literally translated.
As an example, there is the line on the back cover 'The Tao goes on forever doing nothing And yet everything gets done'. Why not 'The Tao does nothing, but leaves nothing undone'? Translation is no barrier to economy of language.
Despite this, this is (as the cliche goes) exactly what it says on the tin. It is a raw, pithy version of the Tao & is a good condensed version of the work.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- The_price_of_bottled_water
- 13-05-14
classic - well narrated
If you could sum up The Tao Te Ching in three words, what would they be?
Very abstract, but have listened to it many time. Shame it is abridged
Who was your favorite character and why?
Those who speak, do not know, Those who know, do not speak.
What does Nigel Hawthorne bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
Great actor, gives a very good performance of a classic text
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- matthew roche
- 08-10-18
Memorable quotes
Real food for thought here. The audiobook tells us how to live in accordance with Dao (follow the Dao, do not go against the Dao).
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Robert Berggren
- 17-10-20
Very good
It's "too short" running length for such a spanning work. But it still manages to lift up attention and there are plenty to ponder...for weeks and weeks. And it's short length makes it easy to make a repeat listen and familiarize!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mr S.Davis
- 31-10-16
classic recording of a national treasure
excellent performance of superb translation of immortal wisdom teaching - always loved it, always will
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Dun Dun
- 11-02-24
To the point, but not the best translation.
I really enjoyed this audiobook because of it's simplicity, but it's not the best translation I've heard.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!