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hurricanejoe's review against another edition
2.0
I've tried to read this book over the course of a year, and now, 3/4 of the way through, I'm giving up. I want so desperately to enjoy this book due to the wisdom that is still relevant today. I find it interesting that his criticism of education, and our pursuit of ownership and status that requires a relentless pursuit of work is relevant today. His thoughts on minimalism and living simply completely resonate with me. However, the wisdom is scattered throughout his constant ramblings about the sounds of nature, every chirp in the forest, and every little detail that he notices happening around him. While I think that sitting back and enjoying the simple life is important, conveying that in the most minute detail does not make for an enjoyable read. If you are going to attempt to read this book and garner the important wisdom within, let me save you some time: read the first three chapters, the chapters on visitors, and the very last chapter. The rest is mostly ramblings by a someone who's spent way too much time making his daily journal into a book.
jacklawrence's review against another edition
3.0
A very conflicting book.
An equal balance of meditative and beautiful prose, boring and self-indulgent descriptions of nature (the "pond" chapters are near-unreadable) and bizarre but interesting digressions where I really have no idea what the author was getting at.
Thoreau is no Emerson, but this is still a good read (if you skip a few chapters here and there).
An equal balance of meditative and beautiful prose, boring and self-indulgent descriptions of nature (the "pond" chapters are near-unreadable) and bizarre but interesting digressions where I really have no idea what the author was getting at.
Thoreau is no Emerson, but this is still a good read (if you skip a few chapters here and there).
smuds2's review against another edition
4.0
I think I am the wrong person to read this book because I feel like I was already on board with his general vision from the get-go? Like - the idea that you should step outside the societal forces that surround you to take proper stock of what YOU think and YOU care about. I have never really felt like someone that is particularly influenced by external forcers - or at least not in the way that I see other people are... (i mean obviously i experience external force, but I think I often end up in positions were I have performed some introspection and trust my decision making is based from an place of internal desire)
Eventually, because it felt a bit like he was preaching to the choir - -I didn't really enjoy the back half. It wasn't a book that was meant to be sped through, but at the same time... i was like "I get it grandpa Henry, can we move on?".
I would recommend this book to a friend, especially a friend I know who changed in college or when they got to corporate america.
Eventually, because it felt a bit like he was preaching to the choir - -I didn't really enjoy the back half. It wasn't a book that was meant to be sped through, but at the same time... i was like "I get it grandpa Henry, can we move on?".
I would recommend this book to a friend, especially a friend I know who changed in college or when they got to corporate america.
carolkann's review against another edition
Just couldn’t get into it and found it hard to follow
sophialovestoread's review against another edition
3.0
It brings up a lot of things to think about. Though there were parts that I did not fully understand, I tried my best to interpret.
ameliaa15's review against another edition
3.0
I definitely got into it at the beginning, but very quickly lost interest. By page like 150 I just desperately wanted to finish so I could start a new book lol