It is a better work than the author’s previous one, ‘A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers,’ though we reckon that as a book which will live in American literature a good while.”

“We mean, before long, to say how delightful a book this is but it is now Saturday, the very day when people buy books, and we can only say that it is just the pleasantest and most readable, the most-thought-provoking book of the present season.

The Boston Commonwealth found it thought-provoking and delightful: The book received a number of favorable reviews when it was originally published in 1854, though its unique perspective and subject matter perplexed many reviewers. It then went out of print until Thoreau’s death in 1862. Walden was moderately successful when it was published, but took five years to sell 2,000 copies. The book is a complex work that is part memoir, part sermon, part manifesto and, at its heart, is about how to live a full and meaningful life amid a world full of drudgery and meaningless distractions. The book is about the virtues of simple living and self-sufficiency in a modern world and was inspired by the two years Thoreau spent living in a small cabin at the edge of Walden Pond in the 1840s. Published in 1854, Walden is Thoreau’s most famous book and many would argue is his best. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.) (Disclaimer: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you haven’t read much of Thoreau’s work and don’t know what type of his writing you prefer, here is a general overview of his best essays and books: If you are more drawn to his nature and philosophical writing, then Walden, Walking, Wild Apples, Cape Cod would be a better option for you. If you are more of a fan of his political writing, then his essays and books such as Civil Disobedience, Slavery in Massachusetts and John Brown are probably more your style. Henry David Thoreau published two books and numerous essays during his lifetime and many more of his works were published after his death in 1862.ĭeciding on which of these Thoreau books or essays you should read really depends on what type of Thoreau writing is your favorite.

The Maine Woods by Henry David Thoreau