Walden by Henry David Thoreau

anyone read Walden by Henry David Thoreau??? i found a copy at value village awhile back, and was really interested in reading it. it's an old copy published in the '60s, which is awesome.

anyways, has anyone that's read this book found it very hard to grasp??? there'll be times for me where i kind of understand what he's saying, and he'll be making some really great points, and then all of a sudden i get lost. and i'm only done the first chapter. the grammar is sooo different from today's modern language (being that it was written over 100 years ago). it makes it difficult to read, when you have to keep reaching for the dictionary every 5 minutes...

but, anyways, who's read it? and, is it worth the time??? or should i just give it up and move on to something else??

 

It is truly not a hard book, and it is worth the read.

 

thanks

EDIT: dammit, this is inbloom...

 

I haven't read Walden, but I read Civil Disobediance, and yes the language is very dated, but Thoreau does make many good points.

 

'Walden' is difficult at times and boring at others. Nevertheless, these traits are far outweighed by its rewards.

Thoreau wanted to take up a simple life ("Let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred."). HE found this in living close to nature ("fronting only the essential facts of life...").

The important point to note is that this is Thoreau's life, not necessarily the particular sort of life he is advocating for others. That is, many people read 'Walden' and say 'Oh, I've just got to get rid of some of my material things, and become more in touch with nature.' That's in line with what Thoreau DID himself, but not the view he was advocating for others (after all, he says "Don't tear the seems trying to put on my coat if it doesn't fit you.").

The main reason, I would argue, that Thoreau took up his "experiment" in the woods was to get away from society. Thoreau admired nature for its lack of duplicity (see the example of the fox hunting the rabbit he writes about). The fox hunts the rabbit, but there is no duplicity involved. The fox doesn't go about hunting the rabbit while telling the rabbit, 'Don't worry, I'm looking out for your best interests.' This is what bothered Thoreau most about society, that it is duplicitous. The most important feature of the simplicity he is advocating is as an effort to avoid this duplicity ('the affairs as two or three' can just as easily be the faces one must wear in dealing with various people). While it's true that Thoreau respected nature, this is the feature of nature he most esteemed.

In addition to this, 'Walden' promotes self-reliance as did many of the rest of the American Transcendentalists (esp. Emerson).

You may want to skip some of the travellogue-sounding parts, but the parts where Thoreau lays out his philosophy are priceless. Stick with it!

"It is characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things."

 

It's good. I prefer "Civil Disobedience" myself.

 

wow, thanks man.

 

I have the 255 page paperback version...it has Walden & Civil Disobedience.
I've had it for yrs but never read it all....so I'm starting it over now.

 

havent read that since i was kid, i should reread it i think i could appreciate it more now

 

The flames that Thoreau sparked upon the shores of 'Walden Pond' eventually became the Hippie Movement.

 

About 15 years ago, I sat on the bank of Walden Pond at Thoreau's home outside of Boston....it was awesome.....and I have read his works.....

Lila

 

Yeah, this is a great book, very inspiring for me. I have it in a collection with civil disobedience and some other essays. I'm reading it (again) right now. That man was a genius. And personally, I like the language he uses. Once you get used to it, it sounds very beautiful.

 

As anyone can tell from my "signature", I am a big fan of Thoreau:

If a man does not keep pace with his companions,
perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.
​

His works can be a difficult read, but please trust me, the more you know and understand, the more, much more, you'll get from his books & essays.

Here are some links that may help:

In my mind, the best is the late Ken Kifer's site : "Analysis and Notes on Walden, Henry Thoreau's Text with Adjacent Thoreauvian Commentary" http://www.kenkifer.com/Thoreau/index.htm

The Thoreau Reader :http://thoreau.eserver.org/
and their "Links for Specific Works of Thoreau": http://thoreau.eserver.org/wrkslnks.html

These folks call themselves "Best Web Sites about Henry David Thoreau": http://www.calliope.org/thoreau/thoroweb.html

You may also like American Transcendentalism site, it's just what the name indicates. They cover all thetranscendentalism authors: http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/transcendentalism/
and this is their excellent Walden Study Text: http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/transcendentalism/authors/thoreau/walden/

I have many more, if anyone's interested. Come to think of it, I have them even if not.

Peace,
poor_old_dad

 

Yeah, I thought "Walden" is transcendant classic. Was like I was seeing through his eyes at the waters, feeling the timeless ripples echo through eternity.

"Walking" is really great too.

 

i would enjoy his works more if we werent forced to read them in school and memorize every stupid detail about them. god i hate school....

 

My favourite quote:
"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear, nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary."

 

thoreau is my nigga. Reading Walden again now. Hope to finish it this time.

 

It's very good. Growing up, I had a needlepoint that my mom did of his quote "Only that day dawns to which we are awake," on the wall beside my bed.