Selections from the Journals (Dover Thrift Editions) [Paperback]

Henry David Thoreau (Author), Walter Harding (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2, 2011 | Series: Dover Thrift Editions

Noted Thoreau scholar offers rich selection of favorite excerpts from voluminous Journals. Masterly meditations on man, society, nature and many other subjects — expressed with verve and vigor in some of the most poetic prose in American literature. Perfect introduction to the great naturalist and his thought. Introduction.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (November 2, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486287602
• ISBN-13: 978-0486287607
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.2 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #571,075 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #61 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > Philosophy > Modern

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Essential Thoreau, April 9, 2010

By 

Bill R. Moore (New York, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Selections from the Journals (Dover Thrift Editions) (Paperback)

Encouraged by mentor Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau began a journal at age twenty just after returning to his native Concord after college. He kept it up for a quarter century, quitting shortly before his death; it eventually encompassed fourteen volumes and two million words. This is of course daunting, and only true hard-cores will want to read all, but a basic familiarity is essential for anyone interested in Thoreau. The journals have his books' building blocks, and it is fascinating to see how he refined and altered before publishing. It is often at least as interesting to see what he did not use as what he did. The journals are of course also valuable for the same reason any notable person's would be - they give an intimate, virtually day-by-day account of Thoreau's life and thought. They let us trace his philosophy and career as nothing else can - far more so, for instance, than an autobiography could, as it is direct and unpolished. That said, it is immediately clear that Thoreau's talent was so great that even his journals are eminently readable - remarkably well-written and simply engaging. They have a wealth of wisdom and even much that is very quotable.

This fills a very important role by letting the curious get familiar with the journals without having to delve into the monolith. It is bare bones to be sure - fifty-five pages - but quite representative. The selections are carefully made by Walter Harding, Founding Secretary of the Thoreau Society, who did a remarkable job. They range from across Thoreau's career, including the first entry and some of the last. Thoreau's brilliance, range, and depth come across clearly - as does his oft-overlooked humor. His love of nature makes itself felt in powerfully descriptive sketches of landscapes and animals, and his evolving thought is present in highly noteworthy reflective passages. The autobiographical material is perhaps most intriguing, especially when touching on interactions with others. My favorite entries include Thoreau's characteristically optimistic reflections on having stacks of his unsold books returned, a hilarious pig chase, and a forest fire recollection. These alone suggest the work's scope even in this greatly abbreviated form, and many other passages are nearly as good.

Anyone unsure about the journals should of course start here; the price is simply incredible. Many will of course want to go on, while those requiring only a primer will be well satisfied, but anyone keen on Thoreau in any way needs at least this.