Walden (1981 Easton Press edition) is a handsomely crafted volume of Henry David Thoreau’s seminal work, enhanced by the evocative wood engravings of Thomas W. Nason. This edition, part of Easton Press’s 100 Greatest Books Ever Written series, presents Thoreau’s meditation on simple living and self-reliance within a setting that paradoxically embodies luxury—bound in rich full leather with 22-karat gold accents, gilded page edges, and moiré silk endpapers.
Nason’s illustrations, originally created for a 1936 limited edition, perfectly complement Thoreau’s prose. His stark, finely detailed woodcuts of Walden Pond’s frozen shores, the cabin’s humble interior, and the surrounding woodlands reflect the text’s quiet power and connection to nature. The contrast between Nason’s austere artistry and Easton Press’s opulent binding creates a fascinating tension—much like Thoreau’s own juxtaposition of solitary simplicity against the Industrial Age’s encroachment.
For collectors of fine press editions, this volume stands alongside Easton’s Moby-Dick (with Rockwell Kent illustrations) and Leaves of Grass as a testament to American literary and artistic tradition.
