Reading Walden

Today, it being a Sunday, I allowed myself to sleep in reading Henry David Thoreau's Walden until well after midday. I have a lot of work to do today, but I had also worked all day on Saturday on top of the regular work week and I needed a break... before Monday starts the whole cycle again. I am reading a downloaded copy from Project Gutenberg on my iPad. I don't know what Thoreau would say about the iPad though. Or the non-stop work thing I'm up to either. I have never read this book before - watching Douglas Sirk's All The Heaven Allows last week inspired me to look at the volume.  I am surprised by how many pages of accounts and figures are published in this book, it is a lot more prosaic and less romantic than I was expecting it to be since first hearing about it in Dead Poet's Society as a kid. Agent Cooper is a spectral reimagining of Thoreau too, of course. It is definitely making me reassess the 'essentials' in my life as well - reading Walden makes me want to have a massive clear-out of all of my things. It is having the same effect on me as watching Hoarders. What would Thoreau think of my book collection though? And my record collection? And my random pieces of paper/notes collection?

I would like to swim in Walden Pond if I ever have the chance to go back to Massachusetts during the summer time. I was nearby in 2010 but it was October/November. It is also more of a lake than a pond, I think. I am adding it to my swimming holes wish list.