Super Short Summary

A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers is a nonfiction travel narrative by Henry David Thoreau, detailing a journey he undertook with his brother from Massachusetts to New Hampshire and back. Structured around a week’s itinerary, the book mixes detailed day-to-day events with Thoreau's reflections on religion, history, and the environment, critiquing the Industrial Revolution and religious institutions. Thoreau's poetic and romanticized descriptions of nature emphasize his philosophy of living a simple and natural life, free from the artificial constraints of an industrialized society. The book opens with a tribute to Thoreau’s late brother and describes various historical and natural sights along their route. Thoreau ends by highlighting the constancy of natural change and the importance of experiencing and documenting it. The book contains descriptions of battle injuries.