A Very Nice Example of Walden
A very solid and clean example of the first edition, first printing of this classic of American literature, with the earliest dated publisher's ads (April 1854) and the map of Walden Pond bearing the faint Chandler imprint.
Henry David Thoreau's Walden remains a masterpiece of American literature and a classic of nature writing, encapsulating the author's two-year experiment in simple living in a cabin near Walden Pond. Written as a reflective piece on self-sufficiency and individualism, the book delves into Thoreau's thoughts on society, nature, and solitude, challenging the materialistic values of mid-19th century America. Its critique of consumerism and contemplation of a life close to nature resonate with contemporary movements towards sustainability and minimalism. Walden holds enduring literary and historical value as it foregrounds themes of personal freedom and environmental stewardship, influencing both political thought and literary expression in profound ways.
Solid chunks of thought, in the midst of a solid chunk of nature, proving that the minimum of cash expenditure and of creature comfort may result in the maximum of acute observation and cerebration—for almost a hundred years an inspiration to nature-lovers, to philosophers ... and to persons who love to read the English language written with clarity - Grolier American.
Provenance
This example has interesting provenance, having been owned by three women, being passed from mother to daughter and earlier acquired from an aunt. The recipient of the book, Grace Caroline Kimball, may have been a suffragette, as a woman by that name appears on the roster of delegates to one of the national conventions of the American Woman Suffrage Association in the late 19th-century.