The reviewer finds Thoreau's 'Walden' a masterpiece that offers profound insights into humanity's relationship with nature. They appreciate its timeless relevance but also critique Thoreau's romanticism and idealism, noting that his views on nature's brutality and moral superiority are not entirely aligned with modern perspectives.
The reviewer sees 'Walden' as a masterpiece that continues to inspire and challenge readers. They highlight Thoreau's deep observations about nature and humanity's place within it, emphasizing the book's relevance to contemporary issues like environmental conservation and ethical living. However, they also point out Thoreau's romanticized view of nature and his tendency to overlook the harsh realities of natural life. The reviewer appreciates Thoreau's call to live authentically and compassionately but critiques his idealistic notions of moral superiority and the dismissal of modern life's complexities.
Quick quotes
We need the tonic of wildness...At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be infinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable.
We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake...I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavor.
It is a surprising and memorable, as well as valuable experience, to be lost in the woods any time...not till we are completely lost, or turned around...do we appreciate the vastness and strangeness of Nature.