Walden, or Life in the Woods, Henry David Thoreau
Walden, or Life in the Woods, Henry David Thoreau
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Walden, or Life in the Woods

Author: Henry David Thoreau

Narrator: Linda Jones

Unabridged: 12 hr 33 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Spoken Realms

Published: 11/23/2021


Synopsis

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately.” And so it began. Henry David Thoreau, at twenty-seven, built a tiny, one-room cabin in the woods—on land owned by his friend, Ralph Waldo Emerson—and began his two-year experiment in frugality on the shore of Walden Pond. He wasn’t seeking isolation so much as simplicity, to “live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms.”This book is his account of his time spent there. And yet it is so much more. A keen observer, Thoreau is challenging, opinionated, funny, and sharp. E. B. White said of him, “Henry went forth to battle when he took to the woods, and Walden is the report of a man torn by two powerful and opposing drives—the desire to enjoy the world and the urge to set the world straight.”First published in 1854, these essays on politics, philosophy, humanity, and the natural world are at once deeply personal and strikingly universal. He writes with drive, hope, and frustration, with quick humor and exacting honesty. He is an astonishingly good writer. And his words and insights will stay with you long after the last page.

About Henry David Thoreau

Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862) was an American naturalist, essayist, poet, and philosopher best known for his book Walden and his essay “Civil Disobedience.” His seminal works have shaped generations of writers and political thinkers.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Riku on September 01, 2014

The first half is written by Thoreau, the accomplished philosopher and soars much above my humble powers of comprehension; the second half is written by Thoreau, the amateur naturalist and swims much below my capacity for interest. After reading about the influence the book had on Gandhi, I had atte......more

Goodreads review by Jeremy on August 01, 2007

Or "The Guy Who Liked to Go Outside and Do Stuff". If Thoreau were alive today, I bet he'd be one of those guys who won't shut up about how he "doesn't even own" a television. Curiously, however, I don't think he'd smell bad. And he'd find Radiohead neither overrated nor God's gift to modern music.......more

Goodreads review by Lisa of Troy on February 05, 2025

The Book That Led To My Best Friend Groundbreaking and thought provoking. Need to grab a highlighter just to get through the first chapter. It has so many ideas that were ahead of its time and still deserve a pause. This is one of my favorite books of all time. I have read it at least half a dozen ti......more

Goodreads review by Clare on September 08, 2008

Reading Walden was kind of like eating bran flakes: You know it's good for you, and to some degree you enjoy the wholesomeness of it, but it's not always particularly exciting. The parts of this book that I loved (the philosophy, which always held my interest even though I sometimes didn't agree wit......more

Goodreads review by Meghhnaa on November 17, 2022

It is incredible to see that I am ready with the review of my teenage favorites, that propelled me towards philosophy and to cherish the novelty of nature! When I conjectured it would put me to sleep, this book woke me in ways inexplicable! 😊 A perfect example of a book whose likeability is sheerly......more