Henry David Thoreau
3 books
- A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers non-fictionThoreau drifts downriver with his brother and wanders off into long asides on friendship, Hindu scripture, whatever crosses his mind, so read it slow and let it meander. Knowing John died soon after the trip gives even the fishing scenes a quiet ache.
- Essays non-fictionThoreau in essay form is crankier and funnier than his reputation suggests: he'll defend John Brown, refuse his poll tax, then spend twenty pages on wild apples like nothing else matters. Read him slowly, argue with him a little, he holds up.
- Thoreau can be smug about his beans, sure, but then he'll spend a whole page chasing a loon across the pond and you forgive him everything. Read it slowly, a chapter at a time, when your own life feels too cluttered and loud.