Henry David Thoreau
Список книг автора Henry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau: Walden, oder: Leben in den Wäldern
Henry David Thoreau fertigte während seines zweijährigen Rückzugs in einer kleine Holzhütte am See Walden umfangreiche Tagebuchaufzeichnungen an. Daraus entstand «Walden, oder Leben in den Wäldern» (OT: Walden, or Life in the Woods). Das Selbstexperiment des einsamen Lebens in der Natur war ein bewusster Rückzug aus der hektischen, aufstiegsorientierten Welt der amerikanischen Industrialisierung. In der Ruhe der Natur wollte Thoreau zum Wesentlichen des Lebens und des menschlichen Daseins finden. Er genoss die Freiheit, die entsteht, wenn man wenig braucht. Im Buch wechseln detaillierte Beobachtungen des Geschehens in Flora und Fauna mit poetischen und philosophischen Passagen. «Walden» wurde zu einem einflussreichen Werk für die Nachhaltigkeits- und MInimalismusbewegung unserer Tage. Ein Buch, das niemanden unberührt lässt.
Walden ou la vie dans les bois
Walden ou la vie dans les bois (titre original Walden; or, Life in the Woods) est un récit publié en 1854 par l'écrivain américain Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862). Le livre raconte la vie que Thoreau a passée dans une cabane pendant deux ans, deux mois et deux jours, dans la forêt appartenant à son ami et mentor Ralph Waldo Emerson, jouxtant l'étang de Walden (Walden Pond), non loin de ses amis et de sa famille qui résidaient à Concord, dans le Massachusetts. Walden est écrit de telle façon que le séjour semble durer un an seulement. La narration suit les changements de saisons et Thoreau présente ses pensées, observations et spéculations. Il dévoile également comment, au contact de l'élément naturel, l'individu peut se renouveler et se métamorphoser, prendre conscience enfin de la nécessité de fondre toute action et toute éthique sur le rythme des éléments. Walden n'est ni un roman, ni une autobiographie, ni un journal naturaliste. Sa dimension critique à l'encontre du monde occidental en fait un véritable pamphlet. La part de l'imagination est conséquente et Thoreau consacre de nombreuses scènes à décrire l'étang de Walden mais aussi les animaux et la façon dont les gens le considèrent du fait de son isolement, tout en dégageant des conclusions philosophiques. Ces longs passages concernant la nature appartiennent à la tradition transcendantaliste et appellent à refondre l'éthique.
Henry David Thoreau: Walden, or Life in the Woods (English Edition)
"When I wrote the following pages, or rather the bulk of them, I lived alone, in the woods, a mile from any neighbor, in a house which I had built myself, on the shore of Walden Pond, in Concord, Massachusetts, and earned my living by the labor of my hands only. I lived there two years and two months. At present I am a sojourner in civilized life again. I should not obtrude my affairs so much on the notice of my readers if very particular inquiries had not been made by my townsmen concerning my mode of life, which some would call impertinent, though they do not appear to me at all impertinent, but, considering the circumstances, very natural and pertinent. Some have asked what I got to eat; if I did not feel lonesome; if I was not afraid; and the like. Others have been curious to learn what portion of my income I devoted to charitable purposes; and some, who have large families, how many poor children I maintained. I will therefore ask those of my readers who feel no particular interest in me to pardon me if I undertake to answer some of these questions in this book."
"Walden, or Life in the Woods" by Henry David Thoreau is a reflection on simple living in natural surroundings. Thoreau describes his experiences over the course of two years in a cabin he built near Walden Pond in Massachusetts. «Walden» is one of the most celebrated works of American literature.
WALDEN AND ON THE DUTY OF CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE
Under Emerson's influence, Thoreau developed reformist ideas. On July 4, 1845, Independence Day , Thoreau moved into a self-built log cabin (Walden Hut) near Concord on Lake Walden on a property in Emerson. Here he lived alone and independently for about two years, but not isolated. In his work Walden . Or Life in the Woods – he described his simple lifeat the lake and its nature and also integrated topics such as economy and society. The «Walden» experiment made it clear to Thoreau that six weeks of wage labor a year is enough to make a living.
Henry David Thoreau: Civil Disobedience (English Edition)
"When I converse with the freest of my neighbors, I perceive that, whatever they may say about the magnitude and seriousness of the question, and their regard for the public tranquillity, the long and the short of the matter is, that they cannot spare the protection of the existing government, and they dread the consequences of disobedience to it to their property and families. For my own part, I should not like to think that I ever rely on the protection of the State."