Walden: Life in the Woods

Well written and interesting philosophy, but I would never feel the desire to eat a woodchuck raw. Good read for anyone interested in living with nature.

Parts of it can be a little boring, but there's definitely some poignant introspection in HDT's manuscript from his time at Walden Pond. Humankind has become woefully detached from it's primordial desire to be wild.

There is no doubt that this is a nice book, with slick pages and some nice photos. But after purchasing it, and trying to read it, I was confronted with several drawbacks that I didn't expect. I almost feel like Thoreau was speaking to me on some level, about issues he would have with it.Being familiar with his life - especially through Walden and biographies - he was never interested in flashiness, glitz, or style. He went for the basic and simple, in wardrobe, possessions, and values/priorities. He never connected with fancy items. So, in that sense, he wouldn't be wowed or excited about this version of his book. He might even be a bit annoyed at the graphics - which great as they are - are not his own, and do distract a bit from what really is his (the text). It's sort of like taking a famous painting, and someone adding their own pictures or drawings inside it.More importantly, the book isn't user-friendly as to highlighting and making notes in it. The slick pages make highlighting - especially with pencil - difficult to impossible. The "good old'" standard rough paper is much more conducive to that. Thoreau's writings are especially philosophical, and timeless and relevant to modern times. There are lots of key passages that will especially stand out to readers, that they will want to quickly refer back to, without having to reread the full book. It's a shame that the text can't be highlighted easily with this version, and ultimately makes it not very practical. By the way, Thoreau is known for making wise use of books, and writing lots of notes in the books of his own library. He knew of the importance of connecting with great books, and making the most of them for usefulness. I can almost see him looking at this and shaking his head.What would be great would be to have the pictures in a separate book, as a companion book to the "standard" versions of Walden. Then we could have the best of both worlds. This was an expensive lesson to learn. I guess the higher cost of this version is due to the pictures and glossiness. It also serves a reminder that "prettier" and "fancier" doesn't always equate to "better". Thoreau could smile and nod his head with approval at that realization.Additionally, the Foreward (by one Edward Wilson) is utterly ridiculous and off-base. He has the nerve to inaccurately state that in Thoreau's experience at Walden, he reached "no mystic vision, no transformative flash of light". HUH??? Walden is full of insights, both in nature and the spiritual realm, which he (and many readers) have seen as connected. Wilson also talks about "millions of years of evolution". Excuse me, but Thoreau never suggested a cold, godless world that formed on its own, without purpose and without a central creator. The foreward is 180 degrees opposed to Thoreau's thoughts and beliefs, and mars the book further; right from the start.Some reviewers have commented that this is a nice "coffee table book". Come to think of it, it does look like a typical coffee table book. Glossy, colorful cover, big square shape. Something you might pick up and glance through for a few minutes here or there. Nothing to spend much time on, or get into deeply. This is again is 180 degrees opposite what Thoreau wanted, and essentially makes a mockery of this deep book. Well, I guess while you're at it, you might as well use it as a placemat or a door stop.5 stars for the timeless text, 2 stars for the format, so 3 overall average

The brilliance of Henry David Thoreau is evident from the first chapter. You cannot read this book at the fast pace of today's society. I started reading it during a leisurely vacation, but once I returned to the frenzied speed of work, I could not relax within its pages. Therefore, I read it in spurts when I needed a sigh and perspective. Not that I agree with all of his viewpoints, I don't, but I do appreciate his presentation of them. I love nature and admire independent thinking. These commonalities proved the communal ground for the author and reader. The last portion of the book presents his social viewpoints for the consideration of the Americans of his day and all to follow. Even by those who disagree, it bears reading again today. A calm and reasonable conversation might emerge between individuals. After all, individuals make up governed communities, states, and countries. However, Thoreau would prefer it at the individual level. As a whole, this literary treatise is a unique experience. It is beautiful in relation to nature. You can see and feel the rhythm of the time period. This is soothing as well as frustrating. Many might stop relishing the descriptive prose. This penned oration is a bit too long and self-indulgent in places. Still, it is a beautiful literary window into a defining time and place in history. I recommend it.

First things first: if you are reading this review, it is probably because you are considering not just Walden, but Walden on audio. Does it work in that medium?Have no fear: not only does Walden not LOSE something by being read, it probably gains something from Mel Foster's excellent performance. My first experience with his reading was the production of William Bernstein's  A Splendid Exchange , and it was disappointing -- flat and lifeless. But he did a fine job with James Kugel's  How to Read the Bible: A Guide to Scripture, Then and Now , and this is terrific, too; I'll assume the mediocre job with the Bernstein was the producer's fault.Now, to the book. So much has been written about it, both on Amazon and elsewhere, that there is little more to say. But I will say this: if you read it in college, or if, like me, you merely PRETENDED to read it in college, pick it up again later in life. It is worth reading, and studying, and savoring.Walden is thought of as the urtext of nature writing, particularly American nature writing, but that really understates the matter -- thus, my assessment of it as an "underrated" classic. It is really so much more: an essay on the nature and purpose of human existence, an exploration of human nature itself, and an example of how we can see the sacred in the mundane. Indeed, one could argue that Thoreau was not so much writing about nature, but using nature as a way of seeing the supernatural -- looking THROUGH nature to grasp the reality of the unseen.And forget any notion you may have had about Thoreau, the dreamer: this is actually a very practical man, who strives hard to show that what he is doing can be a model for what all people should do. Not that they should go live in a cabin, but rather that they can and should seek their own unique path of existence. (Thus, the different drummer). It is no accident that the first and longest chapter is entitled "Economy": Thoreau wants to demonstrate that following a different IS possible if we prepare ourselves. If he is not fully convincing that anyone can do anything they want and make it stick, he is, in my view, unanswerable in his assertion that we cannot and must not be satisfied with what we are given, or what tradition or even our own habits tell us what we "should" do. If for nothing else, Walden is must-reading for anyone, young or old, religious or atheist, American or citizen of any nation. Or even no nation.

This is a pretty poorly typeset edition of the book, and the printing is tiny...

Lettura piuttosto pesante, non si tratta di un romanzo ma il resoconto della personale esperienza dell'autore tuttavia ho dato 4 stelle per la visione poetica della natura che ne scaturisce. Ad oggi, considerando l'epoca in cui è stato scritto, di grande significato.

Muy buen libro, es muy legible. El único problema es que de vez en cuando utiliza un vocablo antiguo y te exige buscar en Internet el significado de algunas palabras.

Marvellous quotes like this and much more will you find in this fantastic book. Nevertheless, I must admit the beginning is quite slow, as he talks about the money he had to spend to start his project and the prizes are obviously outdated. Loved it!

The Kindle version is actually pretty good, with the division in chapters that works very well.As for the content of the book, it starts and ends with very interesting chapters. However, the middle part is definitely boring, typical American romanticism, with just a few really good remarks. Anyways, it is an important book and everyone should read it. Maybe you will find it more interesting than I did.

L'impaginazione del libro lo rende di comodissima presa e lettura, la carta è incredibilmente morbida e le dimensioni contenute. Per quanto riguarda il libro in sé, lo considero un 'must have' per chiunque ami natura, avventura e diverse filosofia di vita.