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Susan Cheever

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American Bloomsbury: Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Margaret Fuller, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Henry David Thoreau: Their Lives, Their Loves, Their Work Paperback – September 18, 2007

by Susan Cheever (Author)

4.4 169 ratings

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The 1850s were heady times in Concord, Massachusetts: in a town where a woman's petticoat drying on an outdoor line was enough to elicit scandal, some of the greatest minds of our nation's history were gathering in three of its wooden houses to establish a major American literary movement. The Transcendentalists, as these thinkers came to be called, challenged the norms of American society with essays, novels, and treatises whose beautifully rendered prose and groundbreaking assertions still resonate with readers today. Though noted contemporary author Susan Cheever stands in awe of the monumental achievements of such writers as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, and Louisa May Alcott, her personal, evocative narrative removes these figures from their dusty pedestals and provides a lively account of their longings, jealousies, and indiscretions. Thus, Cheever reminds us that the passion of Concord's ambitious and temperamental resident geniuses was by no means confined to the page....

Editorial Reviews

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"A very charming book.... Affectionate [and] lively....[Cheever] does an admirable job of bringing these long-dead Transcendentalists and abolitionists back to vivid life."

-- USA Today

"With affection, Cheever captures heavyweight writers Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Henry David Thoreau as they move in and out of each other's lives. Rich with charming anecdotes, the portrait is an undeniable winner."

-- Boston Magazine

"Literary history with a pinch of irreverent salt."

-- The Boston Globe

About the Author

Susan Cheever is the bestselling author of thirteen previous books, including five novels and the memoirs Note Found in a Bottle and Home Before Dark. Her work has been nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award and won the Boston Globe Winship Medal. She is a Guggenheim Fellow, a member of the Corporation of Yaddo, and a member of the Author's Guild Council. She teaches in the Bennington College M.F.A. program. She lives in New York City with her family.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster; Reprint edition (September 18, 2007)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0743264622
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0743264624
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.2 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.13 x 0.62 x 9.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #326,379 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #30 in New England U.S. Biographies
- #1,612 in Author Biographies
- #2,622 in United States Biographies

Customer Reviews:
4.4 169 ratings

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Susan Cheever

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I was born in New York City and have lived here on and off my entire life--in fact I went to nursery school a few blocks from where I write this. It took me a long time to admit I was a writer--I had a career as a teacher and I loved it. When I was married I couldn't get a teaching job so by an amazing stroke of luck I went to work for my local small town newspaper. After a long time as a newspaper and magazine journalist, I took off to write a novel when I was 35 and I haven't looked back.

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Customers say

Customers find the book enjoyable and interesting. They appreciate the historical figures and biographical details. The information is regarded as informative and a good introduction to the transcendentalists. Readers enjoy the storytelling and timeline provided. However, opinions differ on the writing quality - some find it well-written and easy to read, while others report typographical errors.

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Enjoyment History Information quality Storytelling Time line Writing quality

18 customers mention "Enjoyment"18 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it interesting and informative, with a lively and inventive design. The presentation of the transcendentalists is described as the best they have seen.

"...Cheever's writing is even and entertaining, and though not a scholarly work (I found a few errors with further research), she colorfully describes..." Read more

"...I loved this book. True or not (I really couldn't say), it's a fun read...." Read more

"...I loved the book. I am fascinated by genius clusters; and this provided another take on the concept." Read more

"It's a great read." Read more

14 customers mention "History"14 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's history. They find it interesting to read biographical details about historical figures like Thoreau and Hawthorne. The book provides a fascinating look at the history of the time period and the town itself. It brings the personalities to life with their strengths and weaknesses, making it a great read.

"...in the 1800's, Cheever brings to life many of the colorful and talented people who lived there and knew each other...." Read more

"...but American Bloomsbury has taught me that we also had some fascinating literary figures here in the US in the 19th century who wrote classics that..." Read more

"...a time line, plenty of research notes and citations and an extensive bibliography at the back of the book that help answer questions that may arise." Read more

"...The town is rich in history and was a wonderful place to grow up...." Read more

8 customers mention "Information quality"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book informative and a great addition to other readings of Emerson, Fuller, and the transcendentalists. They say it provides an interesting outlook on icons and is a good general introduction with lots of detail. However, some readers mention that it's not an exhaustive biography or history, but rather moves through it rather quickly.

"...She provides a time line, plenty of research notes and citations and an extensive bibliography at the back of the book that help answer questions..." Read more

"This book tells another story that augments both the literature and biographies written on some of the great American writers and thinkers in the..." Read more

"This presents an interesting outlook on some American Literature icons of history...." Read more

"Interesting, interesting, interesting... and for that reason I'm still glad I ordered it and read it...." Read more

3 customers mention "Storytelling"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the storytelling. They find the anecdotes interesting and say the book adds to the literature.

"This book tells another story that augments both the literature and biographies written on some of the great American writers and thinkers in the..." Read more

"...It is not horrible and it has some interesting anecdotes but it lacks "gravitas" for a group that clearly deserves it. David Mulligan" Read more

"Fascinating Tales of Interaction..." Read more

3 customers mention "Time line"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the timeline and research notes in this book. They find it a quick and enjoyable read that introduces a remarkable slice of time from the 1830s to 60s.

"...She provides a time line, plenty of research notes and citations and an extensive bibliography at the back of the book that help answer questions..." Read more

"...The best part: I learned a lot from a very fast and enjoyable read. The worst part: I wanted to know more...." Read more

"...the pages, but I highly recommend this as an intro to a remarkable slice of time - 1830s to 60s mostly - including the civil war which brought an..." Read more

12 customers mention "Writing quality"7 positive5 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing quality. Some find it well-written and easy to read, providing a human presentation of 19th century American writers. Others mention poor writing quality with typographical errors and overwriting on every page.

"...Cheever's writing is even and entertaining, and though not a scholarly work (I found a few errors with further research), she colorfully describes..." Read more

"...The quality of the writing is poor...." Read more

"...inspired by American Bloomsbury I will be reading these great 19th century American writers and thank you Susan Cheever for writing a wonderful book" Read more

"...It is full of uncorrected garbled-type typographical errors -- unpardonable in a retail ebook...." Read more

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kindle*lover
Fascinating historical figures, lots of detail and brings Conord to life
Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2024
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I really enjoyed this book. Focusing on the town of Concord, Mass., in the 1800's, Cheever brings to life many of the colorful and talented people who lived there and knew each other. Ralph Waldo Emerson, Louisa May Alcott, Henry David Thoreau, Henry James, and many other famous writers and philosphers lived there at the same time and influenced one another. Their unusual lives, quirks, secret loves, and often eccentric lifestyles are vividly portrayed. I especially loved the image of Alcott's father, whose family was in poverty, relaxing out front of his house, just waiting to provide free apples and lectures on educational philosophy to anyone passing by; meanwhile, young and plucky Louisa May worked inside, pounding out one blood and thunder story after another for the newspaper, just to keep the family alive. Cheever's writing is even and entertaining, and though not a scholarly work (I found a few errors with further research), she colorfully describes the individuals who greatly influenced American thought in the beautiful Concord of long ago. A lively and fun.

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Kathy Vullis
I Loved This Book
Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2022
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If I could somehow manage to move to Concord Massachusetts I would be packing my bags right now. That's how much I loved American Bloomsbury, a book that has given me a new appreciation for Louisa May Alcott, Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Margaret Fuller and Ralph Waldo Emerson. I confess that prior to reading Susan Cheever's book I hadn't read much by these authors. I had devoted my time to the great British novelists, particularly the Bronte sisters and I don't regret that but American Bloomsbury has taught me that we also had some fascinating literary figures here in the US in the 19th century who wrote classics that need to be read.

And Louisa May Alcott was a real revelation. I had discounted her somewhat due to my infatuation with the Brontes, the Moors, the difficult life the Brontes led and yet their perseverance despite death all around them to write their masterpieces. But now I know from American Bloomsbury that Louisa May Alcott was also a remarkable woman every bit the equal of the Brontes in terms of courage and perseverance. So inspired by American Bloomsbury I will be reading these great 19th century American writers and thank you Susan Cheever for writing a wonderful book

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C. Ebeling
Pleasant, gently informative reading
Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2008
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AMERICAN BLOOMSBURY is a study of the "genius cluster" centered in Concord, Massachusetts, 1835 - 1888, beginning with the arrival of Ralph Waldo Emerson and ending with the death of the last of the neighborhood's classic writers in the neighborhood. With the inheritance from a short-lived first wife from a wealthy family, Emerson largely supported friends like Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry David Thoreau, the Alcott family and Margaret Fuller as they launched their careers. They shared Transcendentalism and a passion for intellectual pursuit. As in most close-knit communities, they had their intrigues, jealousies and fall-outs. The hope and beauty of a New England spring day is reflected in their early ambitions and again in their salutes to one another at the end of their lives. The themes they drew on, the events they witnessed at home and abroad, and the impact of the Civil War articulate the greater American experience of the 19th century.

Though I'm very familiar with the writers' works, I hadn't studied their lives closely and this was a good general introduction, often full of surprises. Cheever vividly evokes the personages and setting with a storyteller's skill. I did not realize how fully she developed them until I felt the pang of loss as their mortality set in. This is by no means exhaustive biography or history; in fact, Cheever moves through it rather breathlessly. Her style is intended for a very general audience, not an academic one.

The book is not perfect. Although she moves from 1835 to the last death, of Louisa May Alcott who is only a child at the outset, Cheever chooses to order her information around themes or events in their lives, which do not necessarily flow chronologically. She kind of swirls around and around as she moves through the 19th century. In one chapter, even one paragraph, she may bounce back and forth between several years. The coming of the railroad is experienced more than once, though from slightly different perspectives. Poor Margaret Fuller drowns at least 3 times. Sometimes you are left asking, now when exactly is this happening? Her chapters are quite short, 3 - 5 pages, which makes for a rather breakneck pace through the facts. She provides a time line, plenty of research notes and citations and an extensive bibliography at the back of the book that help answer questions that may arise.

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14 people found this helpful

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Cam2
So interesting
Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2013
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I was born and raised in Concord, MA, less than a mile from the Alcott House. The town is rich in history and was a wonderful place to grow up. The perspective offered in this book is completely different from what we learned in school, that's for sure. I loved this book. True or not (I really couldn't say), it's a fun read. If you haven't been to Concord and enjoy American history, the literary world, and want a fun American experience, check it out. The Old North Bridge, Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, The Colonial Inn, and LOTS of other neat places to see. Enjoy.

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5 people found this helpful

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Deborah Llewellyn
The power of community to promote genius
Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2021
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This book tells another story that augments both the literature and biographies written on some of the great American writers and thinkers in the 1850s. It talks about the relationships among them and how this affected their life and writing. I had read biographies on all the featured characters and learned so much more about the. I loved the book. I am fascinated by genius clusters; and this provided another take on the concept.

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Vermont Buyer
19th century Peyton Place!
Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2023
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It's a great read.

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not happy
Very good
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 9, 2024
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Simple but thorough introduction to an important chunk of American Literature; linking up personalities, histories and philosophies.

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Alan
A vivid Account of the Background to Little Women
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 8, 2018
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The recent BBC adaptation of Little Women drew me to this book. The Alcott novel was clearly autobiographical to some degree and I wished to know more about the author. She was in fact a member of a family that lived for large parts of their lives around the 1840s to 1860s in the small town of Concord on the edge of Boston, forming part of a community of progressive writers and intellectuals. Beyond their names, most English readers will have little awareness of the various folk who figure in Cheever's fascinating reconstruction of their lives and times - Ralph Waldo Emerson (philosopher), Margaret Fuller (journalist and feminist), Nathaniel Hawthorne (novelist), Henry Thoreau ( pioneer environmentalist and author of Walden), with the poets Longfellow and Whitman hovering round the edges as well as Herman Melville (author of Moby Dick). A truly rich and varied network of talents. Cheever paints a a vivid picture of their lives and often fraught relationships against a backcloth of growing tensions in the young American society around issues such as slavery and urbanisation. Chapters are short and the book is very readable; I found it an excellent introduction to an era and place of which I knew virtually nothing. And it really does set Louisa May Alcott and her moving story about the joys and struggles of a New England family in context.

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MS D.
I have read just the first few pages so far ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 12, 2014
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I have read just the first few pages so far.but Susan Cheever's style is immediately engaging and full of enthusiasm for her subject.
I look forward to the rest..

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