The Journal of Henry David Thoreau, 1837-1861 (New York Review Books Classics)
Thoreau began keeping a journal at age 20, ultimately filling 14 notebooks and a collection he titled “Gleanings; or, What Time Has Not Reaped of My Journal.” Writer, editor, and translator Searls selected passages from this vast sea of words to create the largest and most cohesive one-volume reader’s edition ever published. Thoreau’s journal was the wellspring for all his books, and Searls is acutely attuned to its grand continuity and “synthesizing quality,” ensuring that readers will be able to fully appreciate Thoreau’s sustained contemplation of the cycles, patterns, and interconnectivity of nature. What is also apparent is how the rhythms and revelations of Thoreau’s long walks inspired the flow and radiance of his poetic prose. Searls’ sensitive editing casts new light on Thoreau’s abiding fascination with weather, trees, turtles, the moon, birds, berries, and, of course, human nature. Observant, philosophical, and rhapsodic, Thoreau parses his own moods, portrays friends and neighbors, decries slavery and the destruction of the living world, and rejoices in beauty. This is a superb and uniquely accessible edition of an essential American masterpiece. --Donna Seaman