Walden Pond

Author: (American) Henry David Thoreau / Xu Chi
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-10-01
Features: This work has inspired countless naturalists and those advocating a return to the earth. — (American) The Environmentalist Bookshelf
Walden is a quiet book, a lonely book, a solitary book, a book of solitude, tranquility, and wisdom. Before reading it, quiet your heart. Sometimes, even during the busy days, I find it hard to get into it. But after dusk, as my mood gradually becomes lonely and tranquil, rereading the book suddenly brings great enjoyment, revealing passages that seemed meaningless by day. Every word is striking, every character shines, touching the soul and stirring the heart. At deep night, when all is silent, Walden becomes clear and unobscured. Reciting it, one is inevitably captivated. — Xu Chi
I came to this forest because I wanted to live a life of self-examination, to confront the essential questions of life, to see if there was anything life must teach me that I had failed to comprehend, and to wonder if, had I not come here, I would have been unaware of not having truly lived when the time came. — Thoreau
Walden is a masterpiece of late 19th-century American naturalist literature. A renowned classic with an acclaimed translation, both in name and in quality. The famous writer Xu Chi describes it as a quiet book, a lonely book, a solitary book, and a book of wisdom. There is no need to say much about Walden—just to repeat, it is a book of solitude, tranquility, and wisdom. It analyzes life and critiques customs with unique insight. Some parts of the book are rather difficult to understand, and the author himself once apologized, saying, "Excuse my obscurity." For example, the fable of the lost dog, the chestnut horse, and the mourning dove. Emerson’s brother Edward once asked him what it meant. Thoreau replied, "Have you not lost something?" and never answered further. Some critics suggest that Thoreau lost an Ellen (mourning dove), a John (dog), and possibly a Ralph (chestnut horse). Who among us has not lost something?
The book also contains many vivid and delicate descriptions, like the purity and clarity of the lake or the lush green of the forest; some chapters are profoundly insightful and illuminating. It is over a hundred years old, yet it has not lost its significance. During the busy days, I sometimes find it hard to engage with it, as if this book I adore so much suddenly seems less delightful. It feels as if it offers no benefits, even making me doubt its value. But after dusk, as my mood becomes lonely and tranquil, rereading the book suddenly brings great enjoyment, revealing passages that seemed meaningless by day. Every word is striking, every character shines, touching the soul and stirring the heart. At deep night, when all is silent, Walden becomes clear and unobscured. Reciting it, one is inevitably captivated.
In recent years, Thoreau’s Walden has gained even greater attention in the Western world. Severe pollution has made people yearn for the clean, fresh air of Walden Pond and the forest. Thoreau starts with the essentials of life—food, shelter, clothing, and fuel—making economics the opening chapter. He values practice and holds a simple materialist philosophy.