Walden; or, Life in the Woods

Henry Thoreau, an American writer, "inspector of rain and snow storms," at the age of twenty-eight withdrew from society and, having built himself a house in the woods by the shore of Walden Pond, settled there for two years. Thus appeared one of the most amazing books in the entire history of literature — "Walden; or, Life in the Woods." Thoreau's account of two years spent in solitude with nature became a classic of American literature. Through his life at the lake, Thoreau aimed to show his contemporaries, with their cult of material prosperity, that it is possible to live well and happily outside society, satisfying all natural needs through one's own labor. He opposed the consumer society with freedom from material concerns, solitude, self-sufficiency, contemplation, and closeness to nature.