Jeffrey S. Cramer Explores the Fascinating Life and Ideas of Thoreau
Jeffrey S. Cramer, award-winning editor of six previous volumes of works by Henry D. Thoreau, offers yet another insightful look into Thoreau’s life and writings in Essays: A Fully Annotated Edition. This rich volume chronologically traces Thoreau’s contributions to periodicals, newspapers, and compendiums as well as his lectures. It recreates for modern readers the experience Thoreau’s readers had following his writings and development of ideas over time. Cramer’s abundant on-page annotations help guide the reader through the text, providing for even further insight into Thoreau’s writings.
Fans of Essays or Thoreau in general will also enjoy other works edited by Cramer. I To Myself: An Annotated Selection from the Journal of Henry D. Thoreau presents all aspects of Thoreau’s life; from writer, thinker, and social reformer, to friend and neighbor. Cramer’s careful selection of passages taken from Thoreau’s journals spanning twenty-five years paired with helpful annotations, connect the journal passages to work published in Thoreau’s lifetime.
The Maine Woods: A Fully Annotated Edition tells the story of Thoreau’s journey from Concord to Bangor as he explores nature and wildlife and muses on the vulnerability of solitude in the wilderness. Thoreau’s interest in nature is further explored in Walden which records Thoreau’s experiment in simple living. In both volumes Cramer’s annotations once again help enrich the reader’s experience, allowing them to fully immerse themselves into Thoreau’s world.
So whether you are a die-hard Thoreau fan or just discovering his writings, Essays: A Fully Annotated Edition or any other Thoreau works edited by Jeffrey S. Cramer make great additions to any library.
Featured Image: “House belonging to family of Henry David Thoreau in Concord, Massachusetts,” 1860 licensed for use on the public domain by Life.
Reading Walden, annotated by Jeffrey Cramer was an amazingly positive experience. I now better understand Thoreau’s words. The reading experience was so very meaningful. I have just purchased Cramer’s newest work on Thoreau, Essays. I know reading Thoreau with Jeffrey Cramer’s guidance will be memorable.