Erewhon
Samuel Butler
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Erewhon, or Over the Range is a novel by Samuel Butler, published anonymously in 1872. The title is also the name of a country, supposedly discovered by the protagonist. In the novel, it is not revealed in which part of the world Erewhon is, but it is clear that it is a fictional country. Butler meant the title to be read as the word Nowhere backwards, even though the letters "h" and "w" are transposed. It is likely that he did this to protect himself from accusations of being unpatriotic, although Erewhon is obviously a satire of Victorian society. (summary from Wikipedia) (8 hr 0 min)
Chapters
Preface | 12:55 | Read by calystra |
Waste Lands | 11:45 | Read by calystra |
In the Wool-Shed | 8:30 | Read by calystra |
Up the River | 10:24 | Read by calystra |
The Saddle | 15:33 | Read by calystra |
The River and the Range | 14:43 | Read by calystra |
Into Erewhon | 15:30 | Read by calystra |
First Impressions | 13:16 | Read by calystra |
In Prison | 15:17 | Read by calystra |
To the Metropolis | 19:43 | Read by calystra |
Current Opinions | 19:21 | Read by James Christopher |
Some Erowhonian Trials | 14:32 | Read by Zloot |
Malcontents | 18:35 | Read by Roger Melin |
The Views of the Erowhonians Concerning Death | 17:31 | Read by Ernst Pattynama |
Mahaina | 8:49 | Read by Zloot |
The Musical Banks | 27:19 | Read by Grant Petersen |
Arowhena | 16:35 | Read by Zloot |
Ydgrun and the Ydgrunites | 14:22 | Read by Zloot |
Birth Formulae | 11:54 | Read by Ernst Pattynama |
The World of the Unborn | 16:01 | Read by Zloot |
What They Mean by It | 17:35 | Read by Hannah Dowell |
The Colleges of Unreason | 17:15 | Read by Zloot |
The Colleges of Unreason - Continued | 20:34 | Read by Zloot |
The Book of the Machines | 12:13 | Read by Scott Carpenter |
The Machines - Continued | 17:08 | Read by Scott Carpenter |
The Machines - Concluded | 23:46 | Read by Scott Carpenter |
The Views of an Erewhonian Prophet Concerning the Rights of Animals | 16:03 | Read by Laura Davis |
The Views of an Erewhonian Philosopher Concerning the Rights of Vegetables | 16:48 | Read by Laura Davis |
Escape | 20:33 | Read by Laura Davis |
Conclusion | 15:37 | Read by Laura Davis |
Reviews
a really good book
adam
A very interesting tale about a civilization that punishes physical illness but sympathizes with and seeks to correct mental and moral illnesses. It’s an interesting adventure in itself and a commentary on the stigmas still very much active in our time. There is also a very prescient discussion about technology, which I’m sure the author could not have imagined how on point he would be in the present era. Lastly, Michio Kushi, a great man and believer in natural living and robust health, named his company after the title. Could there be something idillic in this lost land?
Utter twaddle!
Paul Busman
The beliefs and practices of the Erewhonians are totally ludicrous, even for what passes as a satiricle novel. After a while, I dipped into each chapter a bit, then moved on to the next. I was glad to reach the end. Hey, you might like it but I didn't.