Product Description

A different version of Thoreau's Walden, this universal, timeless book explores the philosophical and psychological issues of self-identity. A companion volume to the simultaneously released follow-up, The Stations of Solitude.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #483700 in Books
• Published on: 1991-09-01
• Released on: 1991-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Customer Reviews

Alice Koller's Life...
Steady as she goes. As a male reading this book, I was struck by the fact that so many consider this a "women's book." No way. This is a great book for ** anyone ** wanting a glimpse inside a solitary life. Ms. Koller's vivid telling of living alone with her dog (Logos) is truly remarkable. If you ever begin to feel lonely and isolated from life, as if you are "outside the circle," pick up this book and read how being alone doesn't have to mean lonely. No, this book is not a book for women, this is a book for anyone with a beating heart and a curiosity of a wonderful life lived alone. Alice Koller is one stable and balanced individual - great book!

perceptive read
Thirtysomething Alice Koller looked in the mirror and didn't recognize the face she saw. Feeling the urgent need to reassess her life, she saved up enough money to spend several months in a secluded house in Nantucket. Her only companion was her puppy, Logos. Faced with solitude, she began the challenging task of dissecting who she was and deciding who she wanted to become. She found that her adult self was not that much different from the child who so desperately sought her mother's attention and affection. She finds her difficulty with jobs and men have their roots in her early conflict with her mother. She emerges clear-sighted and independent: "I don't need anyone to tell me what I'm like, what I do well, what I ought to try. I know who I am a little bit more each day." Through writing and vigorous soul searching she comes to realize this. And the reader will share in her ultimate triumph.

Remakable exploration of a soul
I loved this book. I stumbled upon it accidentally and it was not at all what I expected. It is insightful and so well-written that you feel you are with her on both her actual journey and her inward one.