Walden

by Henry David Thoreau

Hardcover, 360 pages

Published Feb. 19, 2004 by Collector's Library.

ISBN:: 978-1-904633-45-7
OCLC Number:: 55504930

(7 reviews)

Henry David Thoreau is considered, along with Edgar Allan Poe, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Walt Whitman and Nathaniel Hawthorne, as one of the leading figures in early American literature, and Walden is without doubt his most influential book. It recounts the author's experiences living in a small house in the woods around Walden Pond near Concord in Massachusetts. Thoreau constructed the house himself, with the help of a few friends, and one of the reasons why he moved into it was in an attempt to see if he could live independently and away from society. The result is an intriguing work that blends natural history with philosophical insights and includes many illuminating quotations from other authors. Thoreau's wooden shack has won a place for itself in the collective American psyche, a remarkable achievement for a book with such modest and rustic beginnings.

55 editions

barning reviewed Walden by Henry David Thoreau

Review of 'Walden' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Ich habe sehr mit dem Buch gerungen, weil es so unglaublich schwer zu lesen ist. Außerdem gibt es Kapitel, die sich scheinbar in seinen Aussagen widersprechen. Beispielsweise sieht Thoreau alle Nachrichten als Gossip und somit schlecht an aber sagt in einem anderen, dass der Mensch ohne Gossip nicht leben kann.
Weiterhin ist es übertrieben zu sagen, dass er sich von der Zivilisation weg bewegt hat, da er immer zu Fuß in den Ort gehen konnte und oft besucht wurde.
Teilweise kommt er auch sehr elitär rüber.
Allerdings sind die Gedanken und Theorien, die er über die Menschen und die Gesellschaft hat noch heute aktuell und geht von Antikapitalismus bis zu Vegetarischer Ernährung.
Ganz knapp also auf 4 Sterne. Ich empfehle das Buch als sehr harte Nuss.

Henry reviewed Walden by Henry David Thoreau

Ahead of its time & beyond thought-provoking!

5 stars

The emotions while I read this book were bouncing around the room.

One chapter has me yelling in agreement with Thoreau on his pro-animal stances toward hunting and dieting. The next on minimalism - inspiring me to gather more things I no longer need to donate. The next makes me put the book down to be high on nature. The next makes me rethink civil obedience and give up all I’m doing to commit to being my truest self with no external influences.

No review I am able to give can properly outline how impactful this book has been on the way I see the world. The philosophies are still ever true today, and Thoreau’s definition of “dull man” still appears to be the overwhelming majority of society today - all busy slaving away for the objects and powers that only serve to trap and control them.

Excellent read, all …

The emotions while I read this book were bouncing around the room.

Excellent read, all should read.

Warning: Definitely on the more difficult side. Though not unattainable.

Fionnáin reviewed Walden by Henry David Thoreau

Review of 'Walden' on 'Import'

5 stars

In Thoreau's most famous book, he creates a space to view the world by moving away from what is accepted as society. For three years he lived in a cabin in Walden, and stripped his life back to essentials, learning to love the world he inhabited.

He shows with a flair for poetry and vocabulary how the local and global can be mingled together, nearly a hundred years before the word 'globalisation' was first used. His interest in philosophical reading stretches across the world, while his interest in experience of the world is limited to a small area. His wry humour and versatile use of the English language makes this not only an enjoyable philosophical text, but also a very enjoyable book overall.