Customer Reviews

THE ANNOTATED WALDEN~WALDEN; OR, LIFE IN THE WOODS

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This book, edited by Philip Van Doren Stern, is a dream come true for diehard Thoreauvians (like myself). If you think you know everything about Thoreau's Walden, think again. This book is full of fascinating footnotes that shed light on particular turns of phrase and allusions that one thought one had grasped. The footnotes are particularly illuminating in re turns of phrases that have gone out of style. To learn, for instance, that train wrecks and such were commonly referred to as "melancholy accidents" in the papers of the time, lends an otherwise missing mordant wit to Thoreau's criticism of the railroad when he says that "it will be perceived that a few are riding while the rest are run over-and it will be called, and will be, 'A Melancholy Accident'."-Absolutely delightful! Why is this book out of print with so many purported lovers of Thoreau out there?!?

WALDEN has rarely been out-of-print since its first publication in 1854. Copies come in all sizes, shapes and price ranges. Today's Thoreauvians have three ANNOTATED versions of WALDEN to choose from. Each one provides same-page explanatory notes that help the reader interpret the sometimes esoteric references in Henry David Thoreau's original text. The three books are "The Annotated Walden" (edited by Philip Van Doren Stern, 1970), "Walden: An Annotated Edition" (edited by Walter Harding, 1995), and "Walden: A Fully Annotated Edition" (edited by Jeffrey S. Cramer, 2004). Each one has at least one map of Concord and/or Walden Pond. Each one has its strengths and weaknesses. Each one has appeal for a devoted audience.

"The Annotated Walden" by Philip Van Doren Stern was first released in 1970. The editor had also worked with the writings of Thomas de Quincey, Edgar Allan Poe, and Abraham Lincoln. In addition to the text of WALDEN, this volume includes many "extras": an extensive Thoreau biography, details about the original publication, a lifetime chronology based on Thoreau's journal entries, photos of people and places featured in HDT's life and in Concord, selected woodcuts illustrative of the time, a bibliography, an index, and an annotated version of the essay CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE. The explanatory notes -- the essence of an annotated edition -- shed some light on the more complex references and turns of phrase. But Van Doren Stern was preoccupied with editorial minutiae: alternative phrasing between the final text and similiar journal entries, or how the final text differed from a previous draft or manuscript. As a result, these stylistic notes dominate the margins that should really offer more explanation of interest to the general reader, often making the annotations less than useful or interpretive. The index is merely a general one and doesn't help to pinpoint key passages. On the other hand, the volume is very visual and is more comprehensive than the others because of the photos, biographical material, and addition of CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE. The text of WALDEN used here is a photographic reproduction of the printing used in the very first edition, which also makes this
volume unique.

Lining up the three versions side by side is an interesting experiment, best conducted on a rainy summer day when no other work has appeal. Let's use two well-known and oft-debated passages for an initial sample interpretive comparison.

"I long ago lost a hound, a bay horse, and a turtle-dove, and am still on their trail." ("Economy") Do those three animals stand for actual individuals in Thoreau's life? Or does this passage simply refer to Life's losses? Philip Van Doren Stern devotes a page-length note to this paragraph. He mentions a few of the major interpretations and refers readers to the bibliography for more. His conclusion is: "Since there is no clear explanation, each reader will have to supply his own." Walter Harding offers three pages in a special appendix that covers all the major theories. At the end, he too suggests that "each reader is free to interpret them as he wishes." Jeffrey Cramer's paragraph cites two similiar excerpts found in other Thoreau pieces, and his explanation states that "no analysis has been generally accepted as valid." So the three men agree: we have to decide for ourselves what we think of the story.

"There was an artist in the city of Kouroo who was disposed to strive after perfection." ("Conclusion") Is the parable that follows that opening sentence based on some of the Eastern texts that Thoreau was fond of reading at the time? Or is it a thinly-disguised depiction of his own struggle to perfect the final WALDEN manuscript? Philip Van Doren Stern simply says that "no one has been able to find a source for the legend" and agrees with Arthur Christy that it is an allegory about Thoreau's own life. Walter Harding offers several possible origins of the legend but eventually cites and agrees with Christy's allegory statement. Jeffrey Cramer devotes just a two-sentence annotation, concluding with "It is generally agreed that the following fable is by Thoreau." In this instance, Cramer has the benefit of time over his colleagues. Most Thoreauvians have come to the same realization during the past decade after much gnashing of teeth.

Explanatory differences are more pronounced at other various junctures in the text. Each man obviously was intrigued by certain references more than others. I can say that overall, I found Jeffrey Cramer's annotations to be the most helpful of the three. Maybe someday someone will have the courage to tell all the makers of posters, bumper stickers, and t-shirts that "Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in" is NOT about fishing at
all.

Every school and public library should own at least one of these annotated editions. Academic libraries will want at least two of the three versions. If you want a book that has a lot more HDT than just WALDEN, find a used copy of the Philip Van Doren Stern book. If you want to hear from expert Walter Harding, choose his. Individuals who want the most comprehensive interpretation should go with the newest volume by Jeffrey
Cramer. It's a worthy addition to the Thoreau legacy.