Civil Disobedience vs Walden: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Homes and haunts, American Authors, Essays, Philosophy, Biography & Memoir
Civil Disobedience
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Written with the motto "that government is best that governs least", when men are ready for it, that will be the kind of government we will have. This book tries to tell us to think for ourselves. This is a Must Read…
Walden
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Walden first published in 1854 as Walden; or, Life in the Woods) is a book by American transcendentalist writer Henry David Thoreau. The text is a reflection upon the author's simple living in natural surroundings. The…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Civil Disobedience is the quickest read — about 1 hours vs 5 for Walden.
- Walden has the widest readership — 39600 ratings behind its score.
Scores by source
| Civil Disobedience | Walden | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.9 (20536) | 3.9 (39600) |
| Hardcover | 1.0 (1) | 3.6 (336) |
| Google Books | 4.0 (1) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (820) | 4.0 (554) |
Reception
| Civil Disobedience | Walden | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 20536 | 39600 |
| Editions | 261 | 1139 |
| Citations | — | 27 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 23787 | 304495 |
| Reading it now | 580 | 3309 |
| Written reviews | 1565 | 9703 |
| Wikipedia attention | 6677 | 25300 |
| Pages | 28 | 320 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Civil Disobedience or Walden?
Civil Disobedience has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Civil Disobedience 4.0/5, Walden 3.9/5).
Which is shorter to read: Civil Disobedience or Walden?
Civil Disobedience is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Civil Disobedience (28 pages, ≈ 31 min); Walden (320 pages, ≈ 5 h 56 m).
Which is harder to read: Civil Disobedience or Walden?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Civil Disobedience: Demanding; Walden: Demanding.