Audiobook Sample
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- Title: What I Believe
- Author: Leo Tolstoy
- Narrator: David Barnes
- Length: 07:59:53
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 01/01/2016
- Publisher: LibriVox
- Genre: Science & Technology, History
- ISBN13: SABLIB9781164
As I settled into my favorite armchair with a steaming cup of oolong tea, the familiar weight of my noise-canceling headphones reminded me of that transformative semester at Berkeley when we examined how different mediums shape philosophical texts. This memory resurfaced vividly as I began listening to David Barnes’ narration of Tolstoy’s ‘What I Believe’ – a work that demands as much from our ears as it does from our souls.
The inner workings of Tolstoy’s spiritual crisis, which he describes with such raw vulnerability in the opening chapter, immediately transported me back to my first encounter with Murakami’s metaphysical dilemmas in Tokyo. Both authors share that remarkable ability to make the personal universal, though Tolstoy’s journey takes us through distinctly Christian terrain rather than Japanese magical realism. His description of sudden spiritual clarity – ‘a momentary flash of light’ – resonates with the Zen Buddhist concept of satori I studied during my year in Japan, revealing how different traditions articulate similar moments of transcendence.
Barnes’ narration captures the Russian master’s philosophical intensity with remarkable precision. His measured cadence during Tolstoy’s critique of organized religion (‘the result not of a methodical investigation…’) mirrors the text’s intellectual rigor, while his voice softens beautifully during passages about love and forgiveness. The audio quality, though bearing the slight imperfections characteristic of LibriVox recordings, adds an appropriate texture of authenticity to this public domain treasure.
What fascinates me most is how Tolstoy’s radical reinterpretation of Christian doctrine anticipates so many 20th century liberation theologies. His insistence that ‘the kingdom of God is within you’ (a phrase that would later title another of his works) dismantles ecclesiastical hierarchy with the same intellectual force I’ve observed in contemporary scholars like James Cone. The audiobook format makes these revolutionary ideas feel startlingly immediate – when Barnes delivers Tolstoy’s condemnation of violence, I found myself pausing the playback to reflect, just as I did when first encountering Thoreau’s ‘Civil Disobedience’ in graduate school.
Through a cultural lens, the work’s historical context becomes even more striking. Recorded during Tolstoy’s excommunication by the Russian Orthodox Church, these words carry an added weight when heard aloud. Barnes’ British accent might initially seem an odd match for Russian spirituality, but his delivery captures the text’s universalist aspirations. I was particularly moved by his handling of the Sermon on the Mount passages, where subtle vocal tremors convey Tolstoy’s passionate conviction.
The audiobook’s structure – with its seamless transitions between theological argument and personal confession – reminded me of teaching ‘The Death of Ivan Ilyich’ last semester. My students struggled initially with Tolstoy’s moral intensity until we experimented with dramatic readings. This audio version solves that pedagogical challenge beautifully, making complex ideas accessible without diluting their power. The free availability through LibriVox (a resource I frequently recommend to cash-strapped undergraduates) makes this recording particularly valuable for educational use.
Some listeners might find Tolstoy’s absolutism challenging – his rejection of all violence, including self-defense, remains controversial even among pacifists. The audio format amplifies these difficult passages, making them harder to skim than in print. Yet this very quality transforms the listening experience into an examination of conscience. I found myself recalling Gandhi’s letters to Tolstoy (which I first read while researching nonviolent resistance movements) and realizing how audio can deepen our engagement with morally demanding texts.
For those approaching Tolstoy’s spiritual writings for the first time, this audiobook serves as both introduction and provocation. The recording’s brevity (just under four hours) belies its density – I recommend listening in segments, as I did during my morning walks through the university gardens. Each chapter offers enough material for a day’s reflection, particularly Tolstoy’s stunning critique of private property, which Barnes delivers with perfect ironic inflection.
While the audio lacks the scholarly apparatus of a printed critical edition, this absence paradoxically enhances the text’s intimate, confessional quality. When Barnes reads Tolstoy’s description of his crisis – ‘vainly attempting… to build up a statue’ – we hear not just the words but the struggle behind them. This performance reminds me why I began studying literature: not for cold analysis, but for these moments of human connection across centuries and cultures.
In scholarly solidarity and shared wonder,
Prof. Emily Chen
