One of the great books of American letters and a masterpiece of reflective philosophizing. Accounts of Thoreau's daily life on the shores of Walden Pond outside Concord, Massachusetts, are interwoven with musings on the virtues of self-reliance and individual freedom, on society, government, and other topics.
HDT speaks my mind I've kept Thoreau at arm's length over the years. I sensed his brilliance yet secretly accused him of purposely unconnecting from the world. I was recently lead to him while looking for some essays on gardening. The first subject he covers in Walden is ecomomy. Economy rates low on my reading list. I was further warned by the difficulty of his text in general. Still, I was close to discovering his writings. In the beginning pages he takes me on a tour of opinions needing to be voiced in my life. My fear of crankiness is dispelled with freshness on every page.
A classic How does one review a classic? In this day of eco-spirituality, Thoreau is a must-read. This edition is easy to read, but not the best quality paper. I don't expect it to have a long shelf life. Thoreau is one of the saints of American ecology. His writing takes one to a different time and place, and yet one in which the rape of the landscape was already taking place. I suggest following Walden with Annie Dillard's marvelous Pingrim and Tinker's Creek. Emerson's essay on Thoreau is a happy bonus.
Hard Work I wonder if Thoreau wrote the way he did as a way of imparting to his readers how much hard work he put in to living in the woods. If so, he was successful. This book contains many, many little gems of clever witticism and solid advice, but it's quite difficult to sift through all of the pointless and trivial paragraphs in order to separate Thoreau's genius from his madness. It is almost not worth it. I've lived twenty-two years having not read Walden and I did not live them as a hillbilly. Therefore, I probably would have been perfectly able to function in society without reading this monster. Again, though, the gems in this book cannot be denied. They are a mirror, in front of which is standing American society. Some have called Thoreau arrogant. I disagree. Although Americans might not want to see what Walden has to show them, they should not take this disgust out on the messenger. Thoreau did not imagine what he had to say about American society, but rather he observed it. That is not arrogance, it is realism and bravery. I do, however, truly wish I'd not read this book. Someone should sort out the passages of value and publish them in a small volume that most people might actually be able to get through. American society would be the beneficiaries of valuable knowledge and information without the drag of the rest of Thoreau's book.
The Hobo Philosopher My first copy of this book was indubitably from some other publisher. So I'm not commenting on this particular volume but the content of the work itself. I have always loved this book but it wasn't until recent years that I realized what a controversial book this was. Thoreau published this book at his own expense and he sold very few copies. Later on he stored most of his unsold copies in an attic. He once claimed to have the largest collection of book published by Henry David Thoreau than anyone alive - and I'm sure he did. But why didn't people buy this book? Well, for one thing it was critical of "the neighborhood". For another thing it was critical of "the values of his neighbors". For another thing it was critical of the values of his countrymen; it was critical of Capitalism; it was critical of modern life; it was critical of the "consumer mentality"; it was critical of the work ethic; it was critical of buying things; it was critical of "getting ahead" and "accumulating; it was critical of working for a living; it was critical of achieving; it was a critique on the civilization of the day - and it was not positive. So why did it make me feel good to read it then and why does it have the same effect on me today? I don't know but whenever I get lonely to go have a talk with an old friend I go to the book shelf and pick up Walden by Henry David Thoreau.
Pertinent and well written Strangely surprising how pertinent many of Thoreau's perceptions, opinions and insights on habits and values are to modern day society and culture. And impressive how vehemently he professes these views in some sections. No sugar coating here. This is raw stuff, presented with language and skill we've lost over the years.
My favorite quote: "One generation abandons the enterprises of another like stranded vessels"
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