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Amor Towles's Reviews > Walden
Walden
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FIVE EXPANSIVE BOOKS SET IN CLOSE QUARTERS (#4)
This summer, the Wall Street Journal asked me to pick five books I admired that were somehow reminiscent of A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW. To that end, I wrote on five works in which the action is confined to a small space, but in which the reader somehow experiences the world. Here is #4:
Ironically, one of the most timely pieces of close-quarters literature is a work written over 150 years ago in which the author voluntarily commits himself to a one-room cabin on the outskirts of town. In Walden Henry David Thoreau isolates himself in the woods to avoid the distractions of ‘modern life� such as the headlines of newspapers, the gossip of neighbors, and the endless desire for possessions. What he finds in his isolation is not a cessation of life, but a bounding of the spirit. By dampening the insistent noise of the town, he frees himself to dwell on nature, poetry, mythology, philosophy or, in a word, eternity. If Thoreau shook his head with dismay at the distractions in Concord circa 1850, imagine what he would think of our world today! With a 24-hour news cycle, voracious social networks, and vast libraries of entertainment downloadable in the instant, there has never been greater merit in retreating from daily life, if even for an hour. But if reading Walden from end-to-end is not your cup of tea, fear not. Reading a few pages of the book at random can provide the perfect antidote to a hectic day.
This summer, the Wall Street Journal asked me to pick five books I admired that were somehow reminiscent of A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW. To that end, I wrote on five works in which the action is confined to a small space, but in which the reader somehow experiences the world. Here is #4:
Ironically, one of the most timely pieces of close-quarters literature is a work written over 150 years ago in which the author voluntarily commits himself to a one-room cabin on the outskirts of town. In Walden Henry David Thoreau isolates himself in the woods to avoid the distractions of ‘modern life� such as the headlines of newspapers, the gossip of neighbors, and the endless desire for possessions. What he finds in his isolation is not a cessation of life, but a bounding of the spirit. By dampening the insistent noise of the town, he frees himself to dwell on nature, poetry, mythology, philosophy or, in a word, eternity. If Thoreau shook his head with dismay at the distractions in Concord circa 1850, imagine what he would think of our world today! With a 24-hour news cycle, voracious social networks, and vast libraries of entertainment downloadable in the instant, there has never been greater merit in retreating from daily life, if even for an hour. But if reading Walden from end-to-end is not your cup of tea, fear not. Reading a few pages of the book at random can provide the perfect antidote to a hectic day.
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October 24, 2016
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Angela
(last edited Nov 07, 2016 05:29AM)
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Nov 07, 2016 05:21AM
'I� reveled� in� these� peaceful� yet� accessible� urban� surroundings.� In� summer� it� was� all� sun and� heat� and� garden� work.� In� winter� the� brick� fireplace� in� the� kitchen� warmed� my� hearth.� It� was straight� out� of� Sunset� magazine.� I� promised� myself� then,� that� I� would� not� leave� this� L.A., Walden-esque� ranch� until� something� else,� someplace� else,� was� created� for� me� to� land.� I� loved� it up� on� the� hill.� I� was� not� about� to� move� myself� again� without� some� karmic� ally,� some� divined place� for� me� to� go.' #GhostsofItaly
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Retreating, especially today, is a treat. Peace is a pleasure, offline.
Toni,If ever there was a day to turn off everything electronic within reach, this was it.
All right. Maybe not the freezer. The ice cream's coming in handy.
AT
I think reading is kind of like being confined to a small space, which then expands to a whole world. Does this count?
Coincidentally, I have been rereading A Gentleman in Moscow while reading Walden. The books were selected for my book clubs. I struck by some of the common themes and attitudes. I was thinking about the description of the moths adapting to their surroundings and it took me a moment to remember which books had that description. Both books have offered very useful perspective in the current COVID-19 environment.
Thank you, SLB.You may be interested to know that while WALDEN does not play a part in A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW, it does play an important role in my first novel, RULES OF CIVILITY.
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Best to you in these turbulent times,
Amor
I’m reading your first book now AT, loving it as much as AGIM. Not read Walden but it sounds like how I’m living my life now apart from dipping into ŷ now and again. Look forward to reading your other 2 books. Best Wishes.
