Book Review

From July 4, 1845 to September 6, 1847, Thoreau lived alone by Walden Lake, almost exactly two years and two months. Lake Walden not only provided Thoreau with a place to live, but also provided him with a unique spiritual atmosphere, allowing him to immerse himself in thinking freely and independently. Let’s throw a look at today's society, we are always too rushed. It seems that we always have to catch up with the trend. Even on vacation, we just hurriedly ran through all the scenic spots marked on the map to take photos, and then the pictures can be shown on Instagram. We rarely stop, stop to listen to the wind, look at the cloud, recognize the vegetation, and dissect the details of the wonderful nature. People are always likely to condemn doing nothing, but should they be condemned when they are working without gain? Especially when it invades the mind, perhaps in order to accept more noble and sacred things, it must maintain peace and tranquility. During the first summer Thoreau spent by Walden, he didn’t study but grew beans, and sometimes he didn’t even do it. He was unwilling to sacrifice good time in any work, whether it is brain work or hand work. He loved to leave more time for his life. He sometimes sat in front of the door in the sun among the trees from sunrise to noon. And even at dusk, he meditated in tranquility. He thought that this was not a subtraction of time from his life, but more time of himself. In connection with the background of that time, the nineteenth century in the United States was regarded by some historians as a unique period of the birth and growth of American culture. It was a period of true independence after the political independence of the American spirit and culture from the mother of the European continent. Transcendentalism, represented by Emerson and Thoreau during this period, is particularly noteworthy. This trend advocates intuition and feeling, which is reflected in its love of nature, respect for personality, call for action and creation, and opposition to authority and dogma. In terms of the philosophy of life, it has had a huge impact on the American spiritual culture to get rid of the motherland of the European continent and form its own new and unique appearance. For Thoreau, he can do more practice and take actions rather than just speech. In his character, the spirit of advocating life and nature, advocating freedom and independence in American culture. Especially the courageous, heroic, rugged, wild pioneer spirit shown in the generation of the spirit of the West, there is actually some kind of connection. This creed of advocating life and freedom and following not blindly is exactly what the contemporary people lack.