The Lost Notebooks of Loren Eiseley [Paperback]

Loren Eiseley (Author), Kenneth Heuer (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2002

This indispensable collection is filled with marvelous autobiographical glimpses of Loren Eiseley at different points in his life-as a young, inquisitive man during the Depression, as an astute archaeologist, as a blossoming writer, and lastly, as a world-renowned observer and essayist. Also included are poems, short stories, an array of Eiseley's absorbing observations on the natural world, and his always startling reflections on the nature and future of humankind and the universe.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

At the time of his death in 1977, Eiseley left an unfinished novel, nature jottings, notebooks that contained ideas for speeches and articles, poetry and short stories from his schooldays. Heuer, who edited many of Eiseley's books, has sifted through this vast trove, organizing the material chronologically to trace the development of a writer and thinker. From Eiseley's early years the selections include poetry, tapes of hoboing during the Depression and stories of archeological digs that border on the supernatural. The middle section presents the author of The Immense Journey, with reflections on nature and mankind. In the last decade of his life, Eiseley was widely recognized both for his prose and poetry; the final section includes representative examples of both, plus his observations on the world of nature around him. As this posthumous collection verifies, Eiseley has rightly been called "the modern Thoreau." Nature Book Society alternate.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

In addition to prose and poetry by acclaimed naturalist-writer Eiseley (1907-77), this contains letters to him from W.H. Auden, Ray Bradbury, and others. Among these writings selected from Eiseley's personal notebooks and files are childhood reminiscences, nature writings, and portions of an unfinished novel. Photographs (not seen) and sketches accompany the text. Parts of this book are reminiscent of Eiseley's previous works, but here the selections are less polished and the book is less coherent. However, his fans are sure to welcome this collection of "lost" writings. Joseph Hannibal, Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 285 pages
• Publisher: University of Nebraska Press (May 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803267479
• ISBN-13: 978-0803267473
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #803,021 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mainly for Eiseley enthusiasts, April 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Lost Notebooks of Loren Eiseley (Hardcover)

While I think this is a very good book, I would not recommend it to someone who has not read much of Eiseley's work. There are fabulous essays in this volume; on the other hand, some are not so good and some are unfinished. If you want to get acquainted with Eiseley's work I'd recommend "The Star Thrower" before you read anything else. If you become a real Eiseley enthusiast, then this book will be worthwhile to you.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good book for Eiseley fans, April 25, 2009

By 

D. Dodd (coastal GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Lost Notebooks of Loren Eiseley (Paperback)

This is a lovely book - if you are an Eisely fan. I agree with the previous reviewer that this should not be the first book you select if you've never read Eiseley. (Start with The Immense Journey or The Star Thrower.) However, if you are a fan, this is a nice book to add to your collection. This book contains snippits of things from Eiseley's notes, presented as a collection. It doesn't flow like his other books, but there are things here that would be difficult to find outside of library archives.