WaldenWalden
Score Classic
What it's about
In 1845 Henry David Thoreau built a small cabin on the shore of Walden Pond, near Concord, Massachusetts, and lived there for two years, growing beans, reading, walking and watching nature. He describes how he lived simply and cheaply, and argues that most people waste their lives working for things they don't need, living 'lives of quiet desperation'.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Guardian's list of the best nonfiction of all time and is a founding work of American nature writing and the environmental movement.
You'll love it if you liked
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
Leaves of Grass
The Snow LeopardGood to know
The long first chapter, Economy, is dense; the nature chapters are the most beloved. Thoreau wasn't as isolated as he suggests.
By the numbers
- Readers7 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics51 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller30 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking
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Quick answers
Is Walden worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Guardian's list of the best nonfiction of all time and is a founding work of American nature writing and the environmental movement. It ranks #2,401 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 59.7 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Walden about?
In 1845 Henry David Thoreau built a small cabin on the shore of Walden Pond, near Concord, Massachusetts, and lived there for two years, growing beans, reading, walking and watching nature. He describes how he lived simply and cheaply, and argues that most people waste their lives working for things they don't need, living 'lives of quiet desperation'.
How long does it take to read Walden?
About 10 hours (384 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Walden?
If you liked it, try Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard, Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman or The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen.