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The Days of Henry Thoreau

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If you like the writings of Thoreau, you will love this biography. Thoreau really comes to life and Walter Harding does a great job at aquainting us with Thoreau as if he were our neighbor or close friend. You will love all the stories of his childhood, his many excursions and his never ending desire for knowledge of nature. Also, at the end Harding dicusses Thoreaus's sexuality, which for me was a burning question throughout the book. There is no better biography out there written on Thoreau.

'THE DAYS OF HENRY THOREAU' by Walter Harding is as fine a biography as I have ever read.

On August 8, 1984 - my twenty-fifth birthday - my very good friend, Marty Brumer, gave me the tome, 'WORKS OF HENRY DAVID THOREAU'. I had no way of knowing at the time that Thoreau would become one of my very favorite writers, nor that Marty (just beginning to establish a career as an actor in Hollywood) would be killed 5 years later when a man in a stolen car, trying to elude the police, would run a red light at high speed and collide with my friend's Volvo in the intersection. In a way, Marty still lives through my interest in Thoreau, which he played a significant role in establishing.

In the Introduction to my copy of Thoreau's collected works, editor Lily Owens writes, "Thoreau was not a naturally political man. He was essentially an individualist and moralist. What he wanted most from government (and from most people) was to be left alone. Thus, few can embrace his philosophy whole." I'm hardly a naturalist; my interest in Thoreau originates from his wry observations about human nature, his passion for self-reliance, his Transcendentalist ideals & ethics, and his "plea that each follow his own inner light." And because there is so much "Thoreau" in me, I probably come as close as one can to embracing "his philosophy whole."

I acquired Walter Harding's, 'THE DAYS OF HENRY THOREAU' in preparation for my Summer vacation (from which I've just returned) that took me to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (the country's birthplace) and Concord, Massachusetts (site of "The Shot Heard 'Round The World" - the first battle for American self-determination, and Thoreau's beloved hometown with its Walden Pond, the body of water he made so famous). But I read the book with some trepidation: biographies have not always been kind to my heroes. I always felt that Samuel Clemens was THE genius of letters, but unfortunately, I learned through a highly esteemed biography that the man had a materialistic bent which disappointed me. I felt that Andrew Jackson was arguably our last truly principled and heroic president, primarily because of his courageous and righteous battle with America's third central bank. ("You are a den of vipers! I intend to rout you out and by the Eternal God, I will rout you out!" Jackson thundered at Nicholas Biddle and the other supporters of the dictatorial Bank of the United States. And rout them out he did. That's the stuff legends are made of.) But a biography made me too aware of Jackson's many character flaws. I half regretted having read it.

And so I wondered if perhaps I'd be better off knowing Thoreau only through his own written word; remaining blissfully ignorant of the details of his life. But I took a chance and read Walter Harding's extensive examination of the life of Henry David Thoreau, only to find that my misgivings were unfounded.

Harding paints a very balanced portrait of Thoreau, the writer / naturalist / abolitionist, showing why some contemporaries found him insufferable while to others he was an inspiring leader, known to be fully committed to his high vision and avowed way of life. What I most appreciated was how Harding was able to remove himself from the picture and simply state the facts and the opinions of those who knew the man, allowing each reader to extrapolate what he or she will, and arrive at their own conclusions. Too often, the biographer can't resist trying to psychoanalyze their subject, meddling in the mind and seeking to unveil cloaked motivations, and read into the most insignificant details, grandiose theories and subconscious meanings. Like a good detective, Harding sticks to the facts and lets the story tell itself. Along the way, the reader is treated to a lot of very interesting information. For example:

* How appropriate that one of America's most influential writers should have revolutionized the pencil-making process in America while working for his family's pencil production company.

* It was Thoreau's friend, Ellery Channing, writing from New York City who proposed the idea that the naturalist build himself a hut to live in at the shore of Walden Pond.

* Evidently Thoreau was far from a natural carpenter: when his Walden house foundation was excavated a century later, hundreds of bent, antique nails were found discarded in the cellar hole.

* In adding raisins to his dough before baking it, Henry invented raisin bread; the Concord housewives were shocked at the idea.

* The abolitionist, Thoreau, was a regular conductor on the Underground Railroad and his Walden Pond cabin was used as a station on a couple of occasions.

* True to his own solitary ways, Thoreau was more fond of the independent and aloof cat than of the loyal, but sociable dog.

When Thoreau was very ill and dying, it was a touching scene to read of his friends and neighbors flocking to his bedside to say their "goodbyes." Greatly moved by the genuine outpouring of their affections, he commented that had he known, he wouldn't have remained so standoffish.

All in all, 'THE DAYS OF HENRY THOREAU' by Walter Harding is a prime example of the biographer's art. It will be enjoyed by anyone who wants to learn about: the nativity of the conservation movement; the life of a naturalist; one of the founders of the Nineteenth Century Transcendentalist movement; and one of America's foremost men of letters and philosophy. I highly recommend it!

Hey! Whaddaya know?
I read the biography
And STILL like Thoreau!

"Man flows at once to God when the channel of purity is open...
He is blessed who is assured that the animal is dying out in him day by day,
and the divine being established."
-- Henry David Thoreau
'WALDEN'; chapter XI

Walter Harding's biography of Henry David Thoreau is easily the most readable and thorough of the many accounts of his life. It represents an ideal blend of description and narrative with solid scholarship. Harding clearly explains what is known and how it is known, drawing from an extremely broad familiarity with the literature and with the many sources of information about Thoreau's life. He does not shy away from presenting the wide range of opinions about Thoreau, ranging from ridicule to idolization, but puts these opinions into context. He draws heavily upon Thoreau's own journals and writings in order to inject as much storytelling into the biography as possible, so that it never reads as if it were merely a dry work of scholarship. I found this to be a quite gripping read -- and finished it in just over a week, which happened to be a very busy week, during which I was always eager to return to it when I had a spare moment. As a result I have a very vivid portrait in my mind of Thoreau the man. Harding's book would be an excellent complement to Richardson's Henry Thoreau: A Life of the Mind. While Richardson's book focuses on the development of Thoreau as a thinker and a writer, Harding focuses on his development as a man. Both are highly recommended.

This is probably the best biography of Henry David Thoreau, the most individual of American essayists. Walter Harding is one of those academics who not only knows his subject backwards and forward, but treats him with reverence. Yet this is not a mere hagiography. Thoreau's life is put into the context of the mid-19th century, and the reader develops a much greater understanding of why Thoreau wrote what he did, who he was, and why he became such an important American voice.

This book looks at Thoreau's life in depth. The first few chapters try to show how Thoreaus young life shaped his older years. Always complicated both in his young and old years. This book also gives great details of Thoreaus many excursions, and the many people with whom he graced with his presence. If you in interested in Thoreau, it would be in your best interest to buy this book, it's the link between his life and his work.

I've alway's been in the habit of reading about the life of an author before acually reading his works and this book has covered all the bases of an incredibly intelligent man. His prose of description was in depth, and at the same time it showed views of alot of his friends in a town full of intellects. It makes you feel like you were there living Concord enjoying the scenes on Walden with thoughts from a perspective that the average person would not usually pull from any kind of methodical observation.

I would read this book again and again for a distinctive and magnanimous outlook from one the most notable Thoreau scholars.

This is the only bio I have read of Thoreau, though I have read many of his HDT's texts and a great mant bios. Harding's book is a very detailed and seemingly accurate account of the life of Thoreau. The text is a complete guide to the details of the life and times of HDT but nothing is included to illuminate HDT's texts. For example, we learn ever detail behind the writing of Walden but nothing of the text itself. It is clear to me that Harding sought to avoid any textual criticisms of his subject's works. His concern was with the man HDT. Thus, if you are looking for a text that will serve as a commentary to the works of HDT this is not the bio for you. This text is strict about how far it is willing to go and places its boundaries firmly. The only discussions will be about HDT himself and will not include his texts despite the fact that we read of them like passing exit signs on the highway. Thus, you finish the text with an idea of where, how, why, and when the texts of HDT were composed, but you learn nothing more of the texts themselves-thus, it is a biography!
I did not have any large problem with this text and found it valuable in getting to know the person behind such essays as Economy. It is written in a manner that anyone could read it and is very accessible. Harding does a brilliant job in revealing HDT to us though one knows, from the beginning, that Harding loves and worships HDT. I this case, it is not a real critical text of HDT but enough information is gathered and presented that the reader can form some of their own opinions despite the author's allegiance to HDT.
I recommend this book for people interested strictly in the man Thoreau and not anyone searching for information about Thoreau's texts.

You will finish this book with a detailed relationship with and appreciation for Thoreau and know nothing of his writings.

An excellent biography of HDT written by Thoreau scholar, the late Walter Harding. This book is highly recommended for any reader wanting the best of a Thoreau biography.