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Boring Boring Boring. Henry David Thoreau's "Walden Pond"
Date of Review: Jan 23, 2000
Walden Pond is not a book that one would read for excitement.
Nor is it a book that one would read in search of humor, drama, or suspense. There is certainly no mystery involved and a weak plot. The only romance contained in this book is between a man and nature. The only horror contained in this book is that of a colony of ants fighting for food. Maybe that is why it is such a highly acclaimed work of literature.
Henry David Thoreau's Walden Pond is a book that only a true literature or nature fanatic could truly appreciate. When I was forced to read this book in my English class, I felt like it was some kind of cruel punishment. It seems like an endless culmination of worthless, minute and detailed observations of nature, or the smallest components of nature actually. Thoreau can write forever about a single leaf that has fallen from a tree or the greatness of a piece of dirt.
Personally, I think Thoreau is just a loser and has been outcast socially, forcing him to forever be a misanthrope. However, some view his writings as philanthropic. He seems to love dirt more than people. He seems to value an anthill more than a friendship.
This book is the very detailed account of Henry David Thoreau living alone at Walden Pond. Though some may see it as a priceless, insightful novel, I think that this book is a complete waste of time.