Wakefield by Nathaniel Hawthorne | An Audiobook Narration

In this video, I present Wakefield by Nathaniel Hawthorne - an audiobook narration.
Hawthorne had bit of a thing for 'what if' tales. This is one of those tales.
Whilst we might ponder the sliding door effect, where our 'what if' is more about making some kind of life altering decision that could set us on a different path, ultimately resulting in a better or at least fundamentally different life; Hawthorne uses the concept of the 'what if' as a thought experiment.
What if, a man told his wife he was going away for a few days but then stayed gone for 20 years. Further, what if he had only moved 1 street away.
Perhaps my favourite part of this story is that Hawthorne makes no effort to write a story but rather present a formal article explaining his thought experiment, and asking us to come along as he rambles through his analysis.
This may not be his greatest work but it is exactly why I fell in love with Hawthorne's writing. His storytelling is sublime.
Join me in deciphering the madness (or terrifying precision) of Wakefield by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe to my channel for more classic stories and poems. Stay tuned for more enthralling tales that will ignite your imagination. Happy listening!
#audiobook #nathanielhawthorne #reading

[@Aiko2-26-9]

I live in Japan. Here we have a peculiar societal problem called "hikikomori". These are people who shut themselves in their home, sometimes only one room, and don't come out for years. It has been much studied. The reasons are many, usually pressures to conform which they can no longer bear. But years go by without them seeing or talking to anyone except possibly their family. This story reminds me of them. Once they start hiding from the world it is almost impossible for them to rejoin normal life. Humans are so complicated. Thanks for the reading.

[@readingtheclassics]

Oh that is fascinating! Going to go learn about this phenomenon. Humans are definitely strange and I guess we have always been! Thanks so much for listening.