|
Loading... Walden and Resistance to Civil Government (Norton Critical Editions)by Henry David Thoreau
LibraryThing recommendationsMember recommendationsLoading...
won't like
will probably not like
will probably like
will like
will love Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. A timeless classic that is as relevant today as it was when it was written -- possibly even more so. If you haven't read it already, stop looking at this review and go find a copy right now! ( )Like the works of Annie Dillard, I use this book in several ways--not the least of which is dipping into at random, enjoying self-contained observations that reliably inspire, refresh, hearten, or provoke thought. I was particularly moved when I visited Walden Pond a few years ago, and value the portability of this ongoing conversation with Thoreau. I started reading this book years ago. I found it a difficult read, because I've always had trouble concentrating on books with a great deal of description. But it's well worth the effort. In many ways, it's a sort of long prose-poem that gets us to experience the life of the earth and the change of the seasons, which we tend to ignore in our own lives, through the author's eyes. But I'm also interested in the New England transcendentalists, and so found Thoreau's philosophical reflections fantastic as well. "Walden" is a record of that experiment in simple living...Robinson Crusoe existence, bare of creature comforts but rich in contemplation of the wonders of nature and the ways of man. "On the Duty of Civil Disobedience" is [the author's] classic protest against government's interference with individual liberty. One of the most famous essays ever written, it came to the attention of Gandhi and formed the basis for his passive resistance movement. My first impression on starting Walden is that Thoreau is a dilettante, a dabbler in philosophy. Though he he made a life’s work of it, the over-riding theme of the first chapter suggests someone who plays at returning to simpler times. After all, Thoreau could have returned to a comparative life of luxury at any time. Civil Disobedience I find to be good reading. Thoreau makes a great case for resisting or at least disassociating one’s self from an unjust government. The original title for the work was On the duty of resistance to civil government, which was designed to put it in opposition to Paley’s On the duty of submission to civil government. (Full review at my blog) 0.079 seconds to build listing no reviews | add a review
Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0140390448, Paperback)Disdainful of America's booming commercialism and industrialism, Henry David Thoreau left Concord, Massachusetts, in 1845 to live in solitude in the woods near Walden Pond. Walden, the account of his stay, conveys at once a naturalist's wonder at the commonplace and a Transcendentalist's yearning for spiritual truth and self-reliance. But, even as Thoreau disentangled himself from worldly matters, his musings were often disturbed by his social conscience. Civil Disobedience, also included in this volume, expresses his antislavery and antiwar sentiments, and has influenced non-violent resistance movements worldwide. Both give a rewarding insight into a free-minded, principled and idiosyncratic man.(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:01 -0400) The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details. |
Abebooks |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||