Jenny’s Reviews > Walden and Civil Disobedience > Status Update

Well I've finished reading "Walden" last week. I've dragged it out for way too long but it's a great read for sure. I love Thoreau's unapologetic views. Highly quotable too. Even the boring bits ("mathematics of pond dimensions" for one) led to deep philosophical discussion. "Walden" is something I'd like to write for myself. It's a philosophical journal inspired by nature and ancient teachings from around the world.

Finished "The Bean-Field":
Hoeing beans was more of a spiritual and artistic activity for Thoreau than the actual harvest for sustenance. It's a way to distance himself from all the crap going on in the society (eg. Mexican War). He despised modern large-scale agriculture, thought it's greedy and disrespectful to Nature.
I particularly liked his metaphor on killing weeds where the weeds was Hector and he Achilles.

Finished "Solitude" and "Visitors":

P.107 contains the essence of "Solitude": "What do we want most to dwell near to? Not to [...] where men most congregate, but to the perennial source of our life.

I enjoyed learning about all sorts of interesting visitors Thoreau had in "Visitors". How true is it that guests always expect dinners during visits then judge your hospitality based on dinners, but not conversations.

Finished "Sounds":
Thoreau talked about how to amuse yourself so you'll never be bored in life. Enjoy the natural sounds of birds and bells. Again, have a productive morning, that doesn't necessarily mean "work".

Finished "Reading":
US govt not spending $ on education; People stopped reading Classics after school's done, nothing new. Ancient wise men showed all human experiences are universal thru writings. Illiteracy applies to both who can and can't read, the former never read intellectual books. I know the feeling of having no one to talk to about classics I've read. Also, Homer's available in English now (p.84), Thoreau.

Finished "Where I Lived, And What I Lived For":
If you need motivation to wake up early in the morning, read p.73-74, otherwise you'll be "pursuing a descending & darkening way"! If you know history & principles, why do you need news? Simplify our lives, don't be like the petty states of German Confederacy! "Renew thyself completely each day" on p.73 confirms my suspicion on Thoreau's "The Great Learning" influence.

Finished reading "Economy":
Thoreau was probably one of the most extreme individualists I've known. Everything's a sham - philanthropy, clothing, furnitures, fine arts... you name it. He spoke truth however, and there are lots of things to take away from his lecture. Thoreau reminds me of the Confucian classic "The Great Learning", it says: "you must first cultivate yourself before thinking about saving the world".

I've read the short bio of Thoreau, introduction by Jonathan Levin, and the first 20 pages of "Walden". Thoreau could've written this today and it'd still be relevant. I really like it so far, the endnotes are helpful.