Thoreau declares several times that he was not living at that great a remove from society, i.e., the village in Concord. His decision to establish a dwelling closer to Nature--and, perforce, further from the day-to-day happenings of the local community--was an experiment in freely choosing solitude, and this, in the service of choosing that which would most influence and affect his essential self. One conclusion drawn--and contrary to the received wisdom of his neighbors--was that solitude was not some onerous circumstance one suffers but, rather, was actually conducive to happiness and a sense of well being, i.e., solitude is something we would do well to court and pursue, not dread. Thoreau, in this sense, was something of a contemplative, i.e., a mystic, honoring his essential being, i.e., his "nature," as that which is radically conjoined to Nature.
As with all of Norton's esteemed publications, this is an excellent value, both for the elegant prose of this sensitive contemplative, as well as for the informed commentary thoughout the text, including a major overview appended to the core writings at the book's conclusion. A worthwhile purchase.
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