rating:
94%
this collection of five essays (civil disobedience, slavery in massachusetts, a plea for captain john brown, walking, and life without principle) covers more than one topic. the first three detail the author shares his opinions of slavery and hopes for its destruction. the fourth essay is an in-depth look at the insight he has gained from walking. the fifth essay finds the author questioning the focus of our thoughts and efforts as a society.
positive:
the author’s inquisitive nature challenges the reader to think beyond the boundaries of our current societal restrictions. he tends to use unique and often entertaining imagery to fully illustrate his arguments. the author’s voice remains consistently dauntless through each essay. while the collection is dated, some of the content has remained relevant to this day - at times it is even more so.
negative:
the author does not structure his arguments in any way; this sometimes makes the prose difficult to follow. more specifically, walking seems to lose focus in the middle. the author’s unyielding technique is still quite potent.
all in all:
not everything in this collection is relevant anymore. at times, it only serves as a good reminder of tribulations in the past. however, when it is relevant to the current time (and it frequently is - more often than i expected), it is deeply so. that being said, he is quite a drag. don’t expect to feel any warm and fuzzies is all i’m saying. thoreau is kind of a jerk - but if you’re into that sort of thing, i recommend this wholeheartedly.
vocabulary:
tintamar, n
a hideous or confused noise; synonym: racket
quotation:
“justice is sweet and musical; injustice is harsh and discordant.”
see also: latin
available here: free ebooks from gutenberg
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