Among the awesome Christmas presents I received this year, I had requested this new volume of selections from Thoreau’s journal. I own the only complete edition currently available (the huge ones from Dover), which were birthday presents from my wife and from my parents five years or so ago. I’m infinitely fond of them, but they are a bit…unwieldy. I have a few of the selections, including the Odell Shepard edition (excellent) and the Dover Thrift edition (which I bought after a thunderstorm in July 2003, at Walden Pond, the day before we moved away from Boston). These make great gifts, great reading on a camping trip or train ride. But they can be so short! I’m hoping this new volume is as great as it sounds. It’s on my nightstand right now, though I’m well into The Road to Oxiana right now.
The Road to Oxiana sounds very interesting. I’m in the middle of Greg Mortensen’s second book, Stones to Schools, which tells the continuing story of his work building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It’d be a cool contrast to read of Byron’s travels in an earlier period.
Thanks for giving me yet one more book on my list… ;)
It was Bruce Chatwin’s BIBLE, and I can see why. :)
Ok, I wasn’t familiar with Chatwin, either, so that’s more on the list.
LOL, check out The Songlines, with mention of my favorite notebook. :)