This work of Thoreau is one of the deepest writings I have ever read. Reading it once is definitly not enough, though it might seem boring at times. Reading secondary sources of criticism (there are enough) gives you even more insight. Thoreau as a disciple of Emerson CAN NEVER quite get away from the Latter's influence. THEREFORE it is Advisable to first read Emerson's _Nature_, "Self-Reliance" and "Uses of Great Men", before starting with _Walden_. Another helpful piece of advise is to take a look at a map of Massachusetts at That Time, where everything was located, and of course getting as much information as possible on antebellum America. With all this information in the back of one's head it is impossible not to enjoy reading _Walden_.
