Walden

This book has three distinct themes to it. One is Henry David Thoreau's love of nature and his view of it as a balm to the soul. The second is that he seems to think that those who work the land hard are fools wasting their time, that they should do only what it takes to survive off the land. And the third is his attitude towards government and democracy and his opinions regarding disobedience of authority.The first theme gets a bit played out over the length of the book, and Thoreau himself eventually tires of nature and moves on from Walden.The second theme is an elitist position, and it may very well be that Henry David Thoreau didn't have to work very hard to live off his bit of land - but he seems to have no concept of how those who made his silverware, cookware, etc. are fed.In regards to his attitude towards government, democracy and disobedience of authority - I would just say that I find myself mostly in agreement with Mr. Thoreau.

I was excited to read based on others opinions but just couldn't read it. Book defines Mary and Jesus as a fable basically. Waste of money for the Christian.

One of my favorite books by Henry David Thoreau. The illustrations add to it nicely and the cover and binding seem well made. This book is excellent for anyone who loves the idea of escaping from society and finding yourself. It serves as a reminder that as modern society advances, we become almost less human, going about the motions rather than living and experiencing all that life and nature has to offer. Great book for any avid nature lover.

"To read well, that is, to read true books in a true spirit, is a noble exercise, and one that will task the reader more than any exercise which the customs of the day esteem." Just one of my many of my favorite quotes from this book! Thoreau has to be one of the most complex and most insightful authors I have ever read. It took me a few months to finish, due to on and off reading and also trying to soak in the book as much as I could while reading it. Compared to most of us in today's rat race, Thoreau seemed, even back then, to have a great dislike for the hustle and bustle his townfolk were enveloped in, and sought refuge in a cabin of his construction near Walden Pond for about 2 years. He eagerly describes his surroundings and observations, from a seemingly epic battle between ants, to the different hues of colors he observes in Walden Pond throughout the seasons.It was one of the most challenging reads of my life, but one book I am so glad to have read. Thoreau had a lot of wisdom for someone of his time. What threw me off at times were his references to things like ancient history when he discusses his narrative of whatever he happens to be talking about at that time, which seems kind of random at times. It can be fairly easy to get lost at times, but keep in mind, this was written in the mid 1800's. Sometimes, it felt like reading this book was a lengthy homework assignment. Even still, it was a pleasure to have read this masterpiece. I suggest giving this a read if you have the patience for a deep and enlightening read.

In a nutshell, the audio sample of the audiobook version of this book has a different person reading than who's listed as the reader, Adam Morgan.And so I bought this audiobook specifically because of the voice quality of the reader on the audio sample. Yet when the item arrived and I played it, the reader was indeed Adam Morgan, but his voice is completely different than the audio sample. And I don't like it.Adam Morgan's voice is much more " Lah-Tee-Dah" than is appropriate for the voice of what should be a New Englander outdoorsman's voice, which should sound somewhat rugged yet thoughtful -- Adam Morgan's reading style is nothing like this. Morgan's reading style is more for reading something like Oscar Wilde -- more polo pohnies, more lah-tee-dah.

Undoubtedly one of the most challenging of books I have read, it was nonetheless among the best, how could it not be when it comes to Thoreau. Stumbled upon of his quotes today and found it uncanny to say the least, "Whatever sentence will bear to be read twice, we may be sure was thought twice." And that couldn't be more true when it comes to Walden as I found myself having to reread many a paragraph to understand his complex sentences that seem to extend beyond half the page. Now layer in the fact that the book was originally published in 1854, and you have the recipe for a most demanding read that will delight, enlighten and inspire any reader who dares to take on the challenge!As the story goes, Walden is tale about the time Thoreau spent in his cabin along the shores of Walden pond during his latter 20s. During his two years, he reflects upon his surrounds with his transcendental insights into humanity. Sometimes cynical, sometimes complacent, Thoreau nonetheless weaves together his discoveries about the nature of the earth and that of humanity as whole. From his point of view on the economies of his little cabin and that of 19th-century man to the change of the seasons and the visitors who darken his humble doorway.If you enjoy brilliant writing despite the aforementioned challenges, this is a must-read for all lovers of classic literature!

I bought this copy of "Walden" by Thoreau in April and just discovered that the concluding pages are written in gibberish. It reads as though someone had been trying to translate a foreign language version of the book back into English. Not very well. Check out the concluding paragraph: "I do not say that John or Jonathan will recognize all this; but such is the character of that morrow which mere lapse of time can never make to sunrise. The mild which places out our eyes is darkness to us. Only that day dawns to which we're conscious. There is greater day to sunrise. The sun is however a morning celebrity." See what I mean?I just tried to get my money back but of course it's a digital purchase plus I bought it last April. I can at least warn others about it.DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK!!!

I'm sorry but this book is impossible to read. The font size is so tiny one gets strained eyes after a bit. Text comes in 3 columns per page for some reason which adds to the "pleasure". The pages are not even numbered. No thanks

If you don’t mind suffering from eyestrain then this paperback is for you. I was so looking forward to a few hours of leisurely reading about Thoreau’s Walden pond experience and was very excited when the book arrived. The disappointment was great when I looked at the first few pages. Why would you publish a book that would require the average reader to resort to magnifying glasses in order to read it? For instance, the letter “t” measures just barely over 1 millimeter – not even close to 2 millimeters. For comparison I photographed pages from two other books with standard print; one is a page from a book by Jeffrey Archer and the other a page from Prentice Mulford’s “Thoughts are Things.” The tiny print of “Walden” doesn’t appear to be all that small in the photos, but they were taken with the camera’s Macro setting, otherwise you wouldn’t have been able to see/read it at all. Unless you have eyes like a hawk forget this edition. Very disappointing.

Can't tell you about the contents or author sorry.This book was "printed in the UK by Amazon" and it's of VERY poor quality. Its like one of those self-printed vanity books or an MS word document printed out.Terrible basic layout and font SO SMALL you can barely read it.Total waste of time, very poor quality indeed. Need to buy a replacement from a proper publisher now.Thanks for nowt Amazon.

For 2 years (1845-1847), Thoreau conducted a self-experiment. He built himself a cabin in the woods near Walden Pond, a simple shanty with the bare necessities. He arranged for his own food by growing crops. He cut down on 'civilization' and let it come to him instead. He sat and pondered about life, he wandered and observed nature. He read books, thought deeper, and aimed to discover the 'truth'. 7 years later, in 1854, he published his contemplation via Walden.Walden is a reflection on multiple themes - the need to simplify one's life, to reconnect with nature, to reconsider the ever-increasing materialism and shallow nature of our interactions, and to find a purpose and identity in a world that forces you to conform. It suggests that if you must belong somewhere, it should be with nature first and civilization second. The book is serialized into 18 chapters that cover a year of his life.It's not an easy read. Since it's a collection of diary entries, some topics struck my fancy and some not as much. There were some descriptions of the pond, the animals, and the trees that made me want to go to Walden pond myself but there were also long-winded write-ups that I ended up glazing over. What impressed me though was how well read Thoreau was, with his text quoting, in ample amounts, Hindu scriptures, Chinese philosophy, Greek mythology, Christianity and more; references I wouldn't have caught on to had it not been for the annotations in the edition I was reading. I agreed with Thoreau's emphasis on individuality and pacing one's life to one's rhythm. There were some nice philosophical nuggets to think over and social critiques to consider. I enjoyed this book.

Thoreau's 'Walden' is a beautifully written piece of American literature - describing the life and experiences of the author as he embarks on a year-long adventure: living a more simple, at-one-with-nature existence. Thoreau retreated from 'civilisation' and headed off to a remote woodland area, where he lived in a small cabin. It's here that he enjoys life at its fullest - without worrying about such things as money and bills, or keeping-up appearances. Thoreau lived by his own means - from fishing to picking fruit - and felt a new sense of freedom. He encourages other to pursue such an emancipated lifestyle - and presents this as a 'self-help' book.If you are fascinated by the anarchist ideal of living separate from 'social order' (i.e. government by others), and the naturists ambition of relying on what the environment provides, then I highly recommend this book. Not only is the 'idea' a grand one, but the way Thoreau expresses himself is so eloquent as to make this book a timeless classic.