レビュー

• Uma das melhores biografias que já li, e certamente a melhor biografia de Thoreau. Além da autora conhecer muito, e apresentar Thoreau e sua época de forma incrivelmente viva, a escrita é magistral. Um diferencial desta biografia é que uma biografia especialmente do Thoreau escritor, ou seja, como surgiu e foi se transformando o seu caminho como escritor.

• I knew very little about Thoreau (1817-62) before reading this outstanding biography; now I know a great deal more. So this review is written from the standpoint of someone lacking a strong background regarding Thoreau and his writings who decides to tackle this book. It is my impression that there much disagreement about what Thoreau was up to and what his goals were. I think this is because people try to put him into various boxes: ecologist; poet; historian; naturalist; anti-slavery activist; linguist; surveyor; civil disobedient; scientist; or simply the author of "Walden." The problem is that Thoreau's range of interests and intellectual activities was so broad, that he is all these things simultaneously and more. By dying at 45, his life is snuffed out long before its eventual maturation and growth are completed--adding to his personal mystery. Fortunately, the author, a professor of English, does not turn the bio into a discourse on Thoreau's many writings. Instead, chronologically each of his major writings is discussed, usually in a fairly compact fashion. Even the discussion of "Walden" is limited to five or six pages. But so skillfully has the author established the context for each writing that her discussion slips smoothly into the narrative to give the reader a good grasp of what Thoreau has written and why. I found it very useful to have a copy of the Library of America Thoreau volume on Collected Essays and Poems handy since almost every writing the author discusses is contained therein in a convenient format, including an extensive chronology of Thoreau's life. The challenge of recounting Thoreau's manifold activities without overwhelming the reader is well handled by the author. She takes her time as the book runs some 630 pages, including extensive endnotes, bibliography, and index. I found particularly interesting the sections on Thoreau's anti-slavery advocacy, his side career as a lecturer, and especially his involvement with spreading Darwin's evolutionary theory (which in effect denied the basis for slavery) throughout Concord, Mass., where he spent most of his life. Randall Fuller's "The Book that Changed America" focuses on how Darwin impacted Concord. For a small town, Concord and its lyceum emerge as an hotbox of intellectual activity, especially as regards literature and abolitionist politics. The author devotes much space--perhaps too much--to Thoreau's passion for taking long expeditions through the wilderness and climbing mountains. But the reader comes to understand why these jaunts were so important to Thoreau and to understanding him. I stand amazed at all the diverse activities and areas of study that Thoreau engaged in during his brief 45 years. It is equally amazing that the author has managed to organize and discuss all these aspects so skillfully in this biography. Part of the reason is that the author has written extensively on related topics which has enriched her perspectives on Thoreau. So if you are a Thoreau novice or even an expert, this is the biography you want to read. It is not only informative but pleasant to read as one encounters the author's numerous perceptive insights. It is simply what a biography should be.

• One of the best biographies I've ever read. The author has a very engaging style. Thoreau was quite well-known in New England during his time and his words and thoughts have spread across the world after his untimely death. Laura Dassow Walls uses quotes from Thoreau's books and journals and lectures quite seamlessly in this memorable biography. You become friends with Thoreau by the end of this book. A must read if you love nature, transcendentalists ideas or want to know what was the history of Walden.

• This biography brilliantly evokes the life and times Henry Thoreau, dispelling a number of myths in the process, for example,that he was misanthropic and reclusive. Although 500 pages long, I found this well-written book always engaging and absorbing. A must read to help understand a complex figure who has much to tell us still about how to live.

• One of the best of the best critical biographies of the life and art of one of America's most significant writers. Highly recommended.

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