Walden (or Life in the Woods)

by Henry David Thoreau and illustrated by Ethelbert White: Henry David Thoreau

Book Overview

A TRANQUIL VOYAGE OF SPIRITUAL DISCOVERY

In Walden, (Or, Life in the Woods) Henry David Thoreau details his 1845 retreat into a cabin he built near Walden Pond. Set amidst woodland owned by his friend and mentor Ralph Waldo Emerson, it served as Thoreau's immersion into nature and escape from the distractions of social life. He stayed for two years, two months and two days.

Thoreau used his time at Walden Pond to write his first book, A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers. When writing Walden, Thoreau compresses the two years spent in the woods into a single calendar year, using the passing of four seasons to symbolize human development.

Part his personal declaration of independence and part social experiment, Thoreau also spends time making precise scientific observations of nature, recording in detail the color and clarity of the different bodies of water, describing the freezing and thawing of the pond, and detailing his experiments to measure the depth and shape of the supposedly "bottomless" Walden Pond.

A Transcendentalist, Thoreau's text reflects upon simple living in natural surroundings. It is a call to reconnect with nature, escape the noise of modern life and immerse yourself in the serene, introspective world of spiritual discovery. It is a manual for self-reliance and a celebration of simple living and tranquility offering wisdom and insights that remain profoundly relevant in today's hectic, noisy world.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1722504218
• ISBN13: 9781722504212
• Release Date: February 2025
• Publisher: G&D Media
• Length: 304 Pages
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.5" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

Horrible version! TINY PRINT!!

Haven’t gotten to read the book because the print is so small I can’t see it! Buy a different version other than this one.

Super boring!!

Thought this would be a nice read. Boy, I was wrong.

The Map Back to Eden

After I crashed and burned in a college intro to philosophy course, I wanted to see if I could find a work by someone who was both a thinker and a writer.Thoreau, in his book Walden, proves himself to be it.Walden is the narrative of the author's two year stay at the aforementioned pond. He has decided to live life simply, and in a collection of loosely connected essays, he describes the people, animals, and the pond that make up his new home. If you haven't spent real time out in nature, you might think this book is ridiculous. But go into the woods, and stay there until boredom and longing for the city stops. Just then you'll realize the awe he felt when examining the ice bubbles and listening to vagabond squirells. Thoreau has rediscovered the patches of Eden that still exist in the world. And if we are open-minded enough to listen to his instructions, we can find our way back to them.Even if his insights into the idyllic perfection in nature fail to sway you to live more lightly in the world, Thoreau will open your eyes to the benefits of philosophy. He understands the man who marches to the beat of a different drummer, and shows through his clear, crisp text the results that thought and contemplation can hold for anyone.