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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Beautiful musings, observations, and prose on the world both natural and manufactured, internal and external. Yes maybe he wasn’t completely forthright with how much he would go to his parents house and have some treats but I don’t care! It’s a strange feeling to discover that someone else - in fact many people - all independently observe , interpret, and want to move through the world in similar ways to me and I hadn’t ever felt that way from a book before this
I really had no clue what to expect when I picked this book up. I had never read it, and was only introduced to Thoreau through a grad course reading requirement of his. I fell in love then and this book continued that love. While many of his ideas are now cliche, to think that he was speaking them at a time when it was unheard of is incredible to me. There were many "ah ha" moments, when I realized things about everyday life that had not been clear to me before. Ideas about living simply and therefore more happily. That owning things can sometimes weigh you down much more than being "poor". He was an enlightened being who recognized the power of human will and thought. I think most people had to read this in high school which I don't agree with. At that stage in life I dont believe many are ready for all the ideas presented. I read it at the perfect time in my life and can't wait to read more of his works.
Yeaaah I'm not going to finish this anytime soon. Maybe in a few years when I have more brain cells to spare.
Thoreau has to be one of the most ridiculous, annoying, self-indulgent, absurdist characters/authors in all of American literature... and yet his sincerity and lack of affectation is clear throughout, and one learns to distinguish when he is being earnest and tongue-in-cheek – this distinction is a key part of the argument itself, which builds throughout the book (really a long essay in careful, meditative chapters). A political philosophy, an ethic of the self, a careful and prescient naturalist study, an intimate journal, a book of proverbs... Many things to return to here and I look forward to reading it again in ten years.
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
reflective
slow-paced
Sometimes he sais interesting things. Other times he sais racist things, boring things, he glamorises poverty or hates the poor.
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Wow. I finished this book a lot faster than Naked Lunch. And, most importantly, I liked it a whole lot better.
I was reading other reviews, and I just have to say I blew those guys out of the water with my perfect setting to read Walden at: on the dock looking out at Bear Pond in Maine, with loon calls echoing in the background and the sun setting. I'd definitely say this setting heightened my reading experience, which is probably why I gave this book five stars instead of four. But Walden was good. That's the real reason why I gave it five stars.
This wasn't a novel, and I went in expecting that. But I started to care about Thoreau like I did the other characters in all of Charlie's other books. Don't get me wrong--Thoreau annoyed me at times. The fact that he listed the official Latin genus names for all the animals and plants was highly irritating, and his comments about the gods idolizing him were pretentious to say the least. But I cared about his sojourn. I cared that he decided to go into the woods. True, town was very close and his constantly had visitors, but I liked the thought behind going to Walden. Good job, Thoreau. (Not that you need another compliment.)
Also, I'd like to take the time to reflect upon this personally. Last year, I went to Colorado. The short version is I didn't like it. Outward Bound is not my style and the kids athletic and all-American--so not me. There was a solo night, which means we went away from camp at the base of this mountain and sat alone under a tree for the night. I thought it'd be freaky, but that was the most enjoyable part of the whole week for me. I wrote, I drew, and I thought a lot. And I wrote this piece in the form of a letter, in which I contemplated over whether this was my Walden or not. I was leaning toward no, because I didn't feel anything. Mostly, I enjoyed being away from everything/everyone else.
But now things are different. If I had read Walden that summer, I probably would have barfed, because it represented how going into the woods is actually supposed to be a good time. I hate things that promote that, even now. But this summer I had a new perspective. It was more about the calm for me, the change. I looked into the spiritual and philosophical side more than the outdoorsy side. I especially loved when, toward the end, Thoreau made this comment like (and I'm just paraphrasing), "I came here for the exact reason I left." He knew things had to move on. He couldn't just sit in that house forever. And I couldn't just think about how hard this year is going to be. I just had to trust things are changing and life is moving on. I go to college next year, but at least I can take this book and this experience with me.
I was reading other reviews, and I just have to say I blew those guys out of the water with my perfect setting to read Walden at: on the dock looking out at Bear Pond in Maine, with loon calls echoing in the background and the sun setting. I'd definitely say this setting heightened my reading experience, which is probably why I gave this book five stars instead of four. But Walden was good. That's the real reason why I gave it five stars.
This wasn't a novel, and I went in expecting that. But I started to care about Thoreau like I did the other characters in all of Charlie's other books. Don't get me wrong--Thoreau annoyed me at times. The fact that he listed the official Latin genus names for all the animals and plants was highly irritating, and his comments about the gods idolizing him were pretentious to say the least. But I cared about his sojourn. I cared that he decided to go into the woods. True, town was very close and his constantly had visitors, but I liked the thought behind going to Walden. Good job, Thoreau. (Not that you need another compliment.)
Also, I'd like to take the time to reflect upon this personally. Last year, I went to Colorado. The short version is I didn't like it. Outward Bound is not my style and the kids athletic and all-American--so not me. There was a solo night, which means we went away from camp at the base of this mountain and sat alone under a tree for the night. I thought it'd be freaky, but that was the most enjoyable part of the whole week for me. I wrote, I drew, and I thought a lot. And I wrote this piece in the form of a letter, in which I contemplated over whether this was my Walden or not. I was leaning toward no, because I didn't feel anything. Mostly, I enjoyed being away from everything/everyone else.
But now things are different. If I had read Walden that summer, I probably would have barfed, because it represented how going into the woods is actually supposed to be a good time. I hate things that promote that, even now. But this summer I had a new perspective. It was more about the calm for me, the change. I looked into the spiritual and philosophical side more than the outdoorsy side. I especially loved when, toward the end, Thoreau made this comment like (and I'm just paraphrasing), "I came here for the exact reason I left." He knew things had to move on. He couldn't just sit in that house forever. And I couldn't just think about how hard this year is going to be. I just had to trust things are changing and life is moving on. I go to college next year, but at least I can take this book and this experience with me.