Utopia

Surprisingly apropos as civilization enters the twenty-first century, Sir Thomas More's Utopia offers a perceptive analysis of social, economic, and moral hypocrisies in sixteenth-century England through a portrait of an ideal world on an imaginary island. In this perfect communal world the sparkling of the stars is valued above precious gems. But elements of hypocrisy creep in--as revealed in More's offhand acceptance of slavery and misogyny. Through James Adams's skillful narration one envisions More standing at a lectern in historical garb. Adams's deep, measured tones lend weight to the utopian portrayal, as do his accurate pronunciations of the names of Greek philosophers. The disparity between More's world of harmony and balance and the real events of the last 500 years makes this work all the more relevant. A.W. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

Mark Meadows brings his British diction and engaging storytelling style to the narration of Thomas More's political treatise. UTOPIA appeared just after Henry VIII left the Church of Rome. Published in Latin in 1516, More's classic speculative fiction is set on a mythical island. Here residents cast off the trappings of English and European society, and dispatch the class system to adapt to an egalitarian and simpler mode of living. Meadows's tone enlivens More's text and gives the Utopian political, economic, and religious systems their due. This brief audiobook rewards the listener with insights into one of the most influential texts on later generations of political writers and thinkers-- from Karl Marx to Adam Smith. A.D.M. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine