Walden (AmazonClassics Edition)

By: Henry David Thoreau

Narrated by: Pete Simonelli

At Walden Pond, Henry David Thoreau reflected on simpler living in the natural world. By removing himself from the distractions of materialism, Thoreau hoped to not only improve his spiritual life but also gain a better understanding of society through solitary introspection.

In Walden, Thoreau condenses his two-year, two-month, two-day stay into a single year, using the four seasons to symbolize human development - a cycle of life shared by both nature and man. A celebration of personal renewal through self-reliance, independence, and simplicity, composed for all of us living in “quiet desperation,” Walden is eternal.

Revised edition: Previously published as Walden, this edition of Walden (AmazonClassics Edition) includes editorial revisions.

Public Domain (P)2018 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Super Relevant

I greatly enjoyed hearing this version of this classic. So much about Thoreau’s book speaks to me, from his perspectives on life and government to the ways he enlivens the mundane. Absolutely the classic

Enlightening

Some very thought provoking and useful insights, especially near the beginning and the end of the book.

Should Have Listened

Start by apologizing to the teachers that I didn't pay attention to read this book. I would have been greatly surprised. Listening to it is enjoyable. Wish they had this version on Amazon then.

Walden is one of my Top 10 books!

Walden in one of my Top 10 books! It had an enormous impact on me in high school, and it had an equally significant impact on me again, this second time through, many years later. On the 4th of July 1854, Thoreau began living in the woods alongside Walden Pond in Concord, MA for 2 years, 2 months and 2 days (love that). His was a social experiment to seek personal independence and to live simply. As one of our great Transcendentalist thinkers, Thoreau' immersed himself in Nature and through his simple reflections, he shares his insights on the larger society. A beautiful book in it's simplicity and complexity.

A modern stoic with poor manners

I would liked to have met this man, if only to hear his voice give rhapsody about nature or real freedom. Or perhaps watch him ice skate or dance to a Scottish jig in his unbeautiful but earnest way.
And to walk away with the mixed feelings that everyone felt after his precipitate departure. He was a human animal as
Emerson described him and like
Animals, never had a passion for people, only the egoistical aim of grappling with them and then returning to solitude to write or compulsively observe the phenomenons of nature. I love Henry because I love anyone for being true to themselves, even if it’s unpopular. So long as they are people of integrity and intelligence and that he certainly was. I have heard it said that Emerson wrote what Thoreau lived and this seems
To be mostly true. He brought the platonic ideal down to earth and when he spoke, it was measured and lecture-wise; punctuated by that wry and subversive wit that his pals loved to provoke and tease out of their little Henry. I cannot oblige all of his ways for I find them too cynical and rationalistic but his mighty love for nature and poetic prose is what inspires me most. This version includes Civil Disobedience which is very good (although he never used the term himself). The narrators voice is tolerably masculine and there are times when he speaks the bird sounds in a high pitch trill that was amusing. I swam in Walden in July this year for my birthday and while the pond and trees where sublime, their was a crowd that littered the main beach, blasting pop music and staring at their phones. I swear I saw Henry behind an old oak, shaking his head in dismay and cursing under his beard.