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Trees were central to Henry David Thoreau's creativity as a writer, his work as a naturalist, his...
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Rachel King (13 KP) rated Thumbing Through Thoreau: A Book of Quotations by Henry David Thoreau in Books
Feb 11, 2019
The book is divided into three sections that each of the quotes could be filed under: "Society & Government", "Spirituality & Nature", and "Love." The quotes that Kenny Luck compiled were indeed thought-provoking. When examining the collection as a whole, I could imagine the kind of man that wrote these words day in and day out. As Luck states: "This book... is my attempt to bring together the best pieces of Thoreau's writings in one collection." Before reading this book, I was not overly familiar with Thoreau's work, and afterwards I realized that the man Thoreau has much in common with my own husband. But I digress.
Some quotes were familiar, such as this one:
"The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation."
Many more quotes were unfamiliar, but quite profound:
"I am convinced, that if all men were to live as simply as I then did, thieving and robbery would be unknown."
"What is it [to] be born free and equal, and not to live? What is the value of any political freedom, but as a means to moral freedom?"
"A written word is the choicest of relics."
"The day is an epitome of the year. The night is the winter, the morning and evening are the spring and fall, and the noon is the summer."
"I suspect that the child plucks its first flower awith an insight into its beauty and significance which the subsequent botanist never retains."
"To be married at least should be the one poetical act of a man's life."
"Love is a severe critic."
"The only way to speak the truth is to speak lovingly; only the lover's words are heard."
What I found especially distracting was how the words within each quote varied in font size and color, almost as if Luck did not trust the reader enough to know how to read the work and felt he had to dictate to the reader where the emphasis lay in each quote. While I can not say for sure if this was the aim, I felt like my intelligence was being belittled and undervalued as I flipped through the pages. Plus, these words are Thoreau's, not Kenny Luck's, and only Thoreau would be able to truly say where the emphasis within each sentence should be. Luck is only presuming to make intelligent guesses. While I respect Luck's obsession, which he describes in his introduction, I think he should allow for the words of Thoreau to stand alone, so that each reader can appreciate Thoreau through his or her own interpretation.
"The fact is I am a mystic, a transcendentalist, and a natural philosopher to boot."
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2086 KP) rated Crimes and Covers in Books
Jan 28, 2022
I don’t tend to read supernatural tinged cozies, but I’ve made an exception for this. Honestly, what reader can resist a magical bookstore? Between that and Violet’s pets, there is plenty to charm fans once again here. Likewise, the characters are strong, and it is great to spend time with them again. Christmas gets a light touch in this book, but I enjoyed getting to indulge my love of Christmas just a bit longer. It’s the plot where this book really struggles. I was willing to forgive the slow start given everything else happening early in the book. Once it got going, I definitely got caught up in it even though I figured out the big brushstrokes early on. However, the climax left me with a couple of rather big questions that really should have been resolved. Fans of the series will enjoy it, but I do wish this visit had been stronger.
Thoreau's Wildflowers
Henry D. Thoreau, Geoff Wisner and Barry Moser
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The first collection of Thoreau's writings on the flowering plants of Concord, with more than 200...