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Meditations Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,153 ratings
#1 Best Seller in Ancient, Classical & Medieval Collections
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One of the most significant books ever written by a head of state, the Meditations are a collection of philosophical thoughts by the Emperor Marcus Aurelius (121 - 180 ce). Covering issues such as duty, forgiveness, brotherhood, strength in adversity and the best way to approach life and death, the Meditations have inspired thinkers, poets and politicians since their first publication more than 500 years ago. Today, the book stands as one of the great guides and companions - a cornerstone of Western thought.

Translation by George Long revised by Duncan Steen.

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  1. Listening Length
    5 hours and 9 minutes
  2. Author
    Marcus Aurelius, see all
  3. Narrator
    Duncan Steen
  4. Audible release date
    January 7, 2011
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Naxos AudioBooks
  7. ASIN
    B004INMVDY
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 5 hours and 9 minutes
Author Marcus Aurelius, George Long - translator, Duncan Steen - translator
Narrator Duncan Steen
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date January 07, 2011
Publisher Naxos AudioBooks
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B004INMVDY
Best Sellers Rank #273 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#1 in Greek & Roman Philosophy (Audible Books & Originals)
#1 in Ancient, Classical & Medieval Collections
#1 in Ancient & Classical Literature

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
1,153 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book enlightening, inspiring, and life-changing. They describe it as a great read and a classic that everyone should read. However, some customers find the translation difficult to understand at first due to poor grammar and writing style.

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EnlightenednessReadabilityTranslation quality
34 customers mention "Enlightenedness"34 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enlightening, inspiring, and life-changing. They find practical wisdom in the meditations that they can immediately apply in their personal lives. The meditations are described as wise and revolutionary in Marcus' time.

"...The words and advice within the book is food for the soul. I was inspired, motivated and learnt lot on life, pain, intelligence and life in..." Read more

"...I found practical wisdom in the meditations that I could immediately employ in my personal life...." Read more

"...cultures and centuries, and Aurelius' gaze is steady, even-tempered and wise...." Read more

"...I can only imagine that in Marcus' time, this was a revolutionary philosophy, considering the widespread wars and slavery that ran amok in that age...." Read more

22 customers mention "Readability"22 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and a classic. They say it's a must-read for living life and a Stoic manual.

"Excellent read and very enlightening. I love how the words and thoughts from someone who loves so long ago are still very applicable to this period...." Read more

"Nice to read a couple of paragraphs and think on them. Wisdom of old." Read more

"...Nonetheless, Meditations is a great book everyone should read, just have to find the best version you will enjoy reading." Read more

"I liked this book and I have completed reading this book. I have passed this book on to others and advised others to purchase this book." Read more

29 customers mention "Translation quality"8 positive21 negative

Customers find the translation difficult to read and understand. They mention the grammar is poor, the writing style is unorganized, and the book seems to be a direct translation from Latin. The writing is described as archaic and hard to follow. However, some readers find it simple to read but challenging to fully implement into practice.

"Common sense goes way back. A bit hard to understand at first read, but in the end makes a whole lot of sense." Read more

"The grammar is atrocious. The phrases meander, chain together, change course, and use words that today mean the opposite...." Read more

"...In brief, Meditations is basically an instruction book on how to live a great life by being a great and respectful person. In a word, Stoicism...." Read more

"Enjoyed this read, but it is not the best translation if you don't like to read pretty much "Middle English"..." Read more

translation SUCKS
1 out of 5 stars
translation SUCKS
this edition is honestly so dreadful because of the translation style. ended up buying another edition to carry on with my reading.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Neelam
    5.0 out of 5 stars An exceptional book
    Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I was influenced to read this book after seeing a lot of people recommend it and how influential the book was in changing their life. I read this version and a couple of other versions at the same time to get a better perspective on the book.

    Throughout the book there is a plethora of information and wisdom. The words and advice within the book is food for the soul. I was inspired, motivated and learnt lot on life, pain, intelligence and life in general.

    Though Aurelius himself never intended to publish his work since the work is mostly his observations, perceptions and ideas that he lusted down in his notebook to remind himself of lessons he considered beneficial to himself. The book is divided into twelve books which contain his words on life, death, knowledge as well as perplexing issues like thee nature and purpose of man, philosophy and religion as well as personal development of an individual.

    Some parts of the book may seem a little gloomy and melancholy especially the constant reminders on death and shortness of life. But otherwise the book is a mine of information.

    This is a book you have to read again and again so you can adopt the lessons and incorporate them unto your life.
    27 people found this helpful
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  • Lonesome Roads beck
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wisdom through the ages
    Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2021
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    Common sense goes way back. A bit hard to understand at first read, but in the end makes a whole lot of sense.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Leslie McIntire
    4.0 out of 5 stars Difficult but substantive read
    Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Maria Aurelius wrote densely but substantively on the principles for how to love a good life.I found practical wisdom in the meditations that I could immediately employ in my personal life. Some of the terminology used presented a challenge for fully understanding some passages since I could find no definitions for those terms using the reference materials available to me on my Kindle.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • James D. Persinger
    5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorite reads
    Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I've long appreciated the Stoics, but hadn't ever gotten around to reading this classic. Some truth is universal across cultures and centuries, and Aurelius' gaze is steady, even-tempered and wise. I was inspired when he “recordeth what and of whom, whether Parents, Friends or Masters; by their good examples, or good advice and counsel, he had learned.” He tells us to be humble, and “whensoever though wilt rejoice thyself, think and meditate upon those good parts and especial gifts, which thou hast observed in any of them that live with thee.” I actively did this in letters to my mentors, wife and parents - a gift for them, and also for myself.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Righter P.
    5.0 out of 5 stars There are no other books equal to this
    Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    It is the thoughts and advice from a famous Roman Emperor.
    His advice applies today as well as in his day.
    Especially if you are the ruler of an Empire!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Travis Bughi
    3.0 out of 5 stars The unfortunate reality is that a good idea conveyed poorly is a poor idea in the end.
    Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    In summary, the unfortunate reality is that a good idea conveyed poorly is a poor idea in the end.

    Let's start with the good stuff, as I like to do.

    Just so you know, Marcus Aurelius is known as the last great emperor of Ancient Rome. As I'm an Ancient Rome fanatic, reading his work seemed like a sort of intellectual necessity. I mean, given the chance to read the words and thoughts of someone long dead over 2,000 years, who ruled such a place at such a time? Think of the implications! Isn't that exactly what makes writing so amazing to begin with? The chance to cross the very barrier of time and live in the moment with those who existed so long ago? Maybe it's just me, but I find it awesome to think about.

    So anyway, I was excited to start reading, and at first, this book seemed promising. In brief, Meditations is basically an instruction book on how to live a great life by being a great and respectful person. In a word, Stoicism. Treat people with respect, let your actions speak for themselves, avoid vices of thought such as prejudice and idleness, and just generally try to be a man (or woman) of virtue and discipline. I can only imagine that in Marcus' time, this was a revolutionary philosophy, considering the widespread wars and slavery that ran amok in that age. However, what was most fascinating to me was just how relevant such teachings were to this very day. Marcus' Meditations could be easily and readily applied to any individual walking around in the modern age, and doing so would improve the lives of many by an alarming degree.

    Now, I say this because I agree with most of what Marcus' wrote. Unbeknownst to me until readings these works, I'd been "following" Stoicism for a good decade now, and in truth, most good people do, too. Meditations is, I believe, just putting into words those common things that all good people eventually come to realize: that happiness is easy to obtain when you live a virtuous life. And that right there is where Meditations fails.

    This book is not revolutionary, I hate to say it. Marcus did not invent any of the ideas presented in his book, which he freely admits by saying things such as "I learned from father this, from my mother that," which any halfway decent and smart person does anyway. Human beings learn from their surroundings now, then, and until the end of time, and the only thing Marcus can boast is that he was a) fortunate enough to have good mentors, b) smart enough to learn from them, c) wise enough to jot them all down in a book, and finally d) lucky enough to have his book survive to the digital age. Reading Meditations might be rather insightful for anyone who didn't grow up with good guidance, but I'm a firm believer that good people are everywhere, if only one looks for them, and were Meditations to have been lost when Ancient Rome fell, there would still be a great many people unknowingly "practicing" Stoicism to this day.

    So now let's get to the bad part, or why I only gave this book 3 stars. Although I feel the idea of living a virtuous life is a 5-star concept, and the fact that I can so easily agree with a long-dead ancient emperor is astoundingly fascinating, the truth is that this book wasn't well written.

    The majority of Meditations is simply a bullet list of good practices in paragraph form. Marcus drones on "think well of others, do not judge, avoid idleness," without extending much effort to explain why. There's no compare and contrast with the opposite points of view, little dwelling on why doing these particular things will enrich one's life. He says they will, but doesn't often dive into the meat of it all. The few times he does, for example when he speaks of why it's important to live in the now, are absolutely riveting and absorbed me to no end. Unfortunately, these moments were few and far between, and the majority of the books makes for a dull read that goes in one ear and out the other, which results in me forgetting most of it.

    As I said in the beginning, the unfortunate reality is that a good idea conveyed poorly is a poor idea in the end.

    You see, I can't recommend this book to anyone who needs to read it. Due to the nature of this book's dry and mostly face-value delivery of information, the only people who'd be able to absorb this book's teachings would have to agree with the writer from the start, or at least that's my impression. I couldn't recommend this book to people I feel could really benefit from it because they'd be lost in a heartbeat, having no frame of reference to tie all these things together. From their view, it'd just be a long rant by some old dead guy telling them what to do.

    So yeah, 3-stars. Although the message is a good one, Meditations is a short book of preaching to the choir.
    31 people found this helpful
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  • Mad Stan
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great translation
    Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    This is the translation you want. Hard cover, no frills like the text, and in a compact size.
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  • Bird
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
    Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Excellent read and very enlightening. I love how the words and thoughts from someone who loves so long ago are still very applicable to this period. Will certainly reference often and read again
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Steelheader26
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
    Reviewed in Canada on October 30, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    The book that keeps on giving!
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  • Alexander Werth
    5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended
    Reviewed in Germany on May 24, 2024
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    Good book! Can highly recommend! The book is very new nice and small, meaning you can take it anywhere!
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  • RSA Tavares
    5.0 out of 5 stars Leitura obrigatória em Estoicismo
    Reviewed in Brazil on February 17, 2020
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    Obra essencial!
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  • Amazing Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Not for a casual reader
    Reviewed in India on August 15, 2020
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    I found this book very heavy and for someone who may want to spend some quality time understating each and every word! This particular translation by George Long as per me is to the point, didn’t deviate from the actual text and gives it straight on! Not recommended for people who just wanna finish the book quickly as it has some heavy notions which may take time to sink in. Overall I love this book!
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Modern stoics
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 19, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    It is true that this book has little structure, theme of common purpose for its parts, however, this book is a wealthy reflection of a previous time.

    Few authors, philosophers or statesman can truly be said to create works that stand the test of time: Marcus Aurelius has created a body of text which transcends generations and brings a personal connection with a epoch of time, long since finished.

    This is an excellent text for anyone to read.
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