Book Cover of Walden

Walden

by Henry David Thoreau

Two years, two months and two days! This is what forms the time line of one man's quest for the simple life and a unique social experiment in complete self reliance and independence. Henry David Thoreau published Walden in 1884. Originally drafted as a series of essays describing a most significant episode in his life, it was finally released in book form with each essay taking on the form of a separate chapter. Thoreau's parents were in financial straights, but rich intellectually and culturally. The young Henry was educated in the best of schools in their home town, Concord, Massachusetts and went on to graduate from Harvard, where he read history, philosophy, theology and literature. He commenced working as a school master in Concord but soon quit when he discovered that he was not ideologically suited to methods employed in those days which included corporal punishment. During this time, a chance meeting with the great philosopher, Ralph Waldo Emerson marked a turning point in his life. Deeply influenced by Emerson's ideas and his Transcendentalism cult, Thoreau embarked on the Walden experiment. The Transcendentalism movement was an amalgam of Buddhism, German and English Romanticism, Hindu teachings, Confucianism and placed great emphasis on emotional wellbeing, self reliance and personal truths rather than social norms. It rejected society's dominance over the individual. Walden Pond was located in a property owned by Emerson. Here, Thoreau built a cabin and proceeded to live a completely self sufficient life, gathering his own food and preparing it, sleeping and reading and appreciating nature as the whim took him. He meticulously recorded every experience and this forms the body of work known as Walden. The book received a lukewarm reception when it first appeared, but went on to gather cult status with the advent of the Flower Power generation, the anti-establishment movements against the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement. The concepts of individual freedom and individual choice became ingrained in the American psyche as a new generation of Americans re-discovered Walden. Walden's main appeal lies in its exploration of themes like solitude, economy, the simple life and the Higher Laws that he describes which relate to man's relationship to nature. Thoreau's style is attractive and easy, full of nuggets of folksy wisdom. Modern proponents of simplifying life, those who oppose our over reliance on technology and advocates of inner spiritual awakening are sure to find Walden a valuable and rewarding read.

Book Details

Language

English

Original Language

English

Published In

1854

Authors

Henry David Thoreau image

Henry David Thoreau

United States

Thoreau's careful observations and devastating conclusions have rippled into time, becoming stronger as the weaknesses Thoreau noted have become more pronounced. Events that seem to be completely unre...

Books by Henry David Thoreau

Listen/Download Audiobook

Read by:
00:00
Playback Speed 1.0
00:00
  • Select Speed

Related books

Memoirs of a Revolutionist, Vol. 2 Cover image

Memoirs of a Revolutionist, Vol. 2 by Peter Kropotkin

Peter Kropotkin, a Russian scientist and revolutionary, recounts his experiences in the second volume of his memoirs. He details his life in St. Peter...

Indian Boyhood Cover image

Indian Boyhood by Charles Alexander Eastman

Indian Boyhood is a poignant and immersive memoir that recounts the childhood of Charles Eastman, a Sioux boy born in the late 19th century. The book...

Apologia Pro Vita Sua Cover image

Apologia Pro Vita Sua by John Henry Newman

John Henry Newman's *Apologia Pro Vita Sua* is a deeply personal and intellectual account of his journey from Anglicanism to Roman Catholicism. Writte...

Memories and Adventures Cover image

Memories and Adventures by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

This book, "Memories and Adventures", is an autobiography written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It chronicles his life from his childhood in Edinburgh, S...

California Desert Trails Cover image

California Desert Trails by Joseph Smeaton Chase

An experienced adventurer embarks on a multi-year journey through the deserts of California, seeking to understand their enigmatic allure while enduri...

Our Village, Volume 1 Cover image

Our Village, Volume 1 by Mary Russell Mitford

Step into the enchanting world of rural England as Mary Russell Mitford invites you to "Our Village," a captivating collection of sketches that will t...

A First Year in Canterbury Settlement Cover image

A First Year in Canterbury Settlement by Samuel Butler

In "A First Year in Canterbury Settlement," take a leap back in time to the raw, untamed days of European colonization in 19th-century New Zealand. Sa...

Confessions of al-Ghazali Cover image

Confessions of al-Ghazali by Abū Ḥāmid Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad al-Ghazālī

The Confessions of al-Ghazali is an intellectual autobiography in which the renowned 11th-century Persian theologian and philosopher Abu Hamid al-Ghaz...

Un peu de ma vie Cover image

Un peu de ma vie by Henry Gréville

Il raconte l'histoire de sa vie et de son parcours, depuis son enfance jusqu'à son âge adulte. Le livre a été publié pour la première fois en 1897 D...

Desde mi celda - cartas literarias Cover image

Desde mi celda - cartas literarias by Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer

This non-fiction work consists of nine literary letters written by Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer during his stay at the Veruela monastery in the winter of 18...

Reviews for Walden

No reviews posted or approved, yet...