5 comments about A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers (Dover Thrift Editions).

1. Lately, I've come to really like the writings of Thoreau. It has taken me several years to return to this author...after being forced to read excerpts from Thoreau at a ridiculously fast pace during high school. Little time to read and less time for reflection left a bad impression of Thoreau in my mind that has, as I said, only recently been overcome.

   But now, upon my return, I have found "A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers" by Henry David Thoreau to be a very invigorating book...one to be savored and not read too quickly. Taken at a good pace, it has been a joy.

   While transcendentalism still strikes me as a rather facile and egotistical philosophy, I have really come to see and appreciate the mystical quality in Thoreau's works. Like most mystical authors, Thoreau is not always engrossing--he is actually rather tedious in points, but his work is punctuated by passages of sheer brilliance.

   Seeing nature through Henry's eyes has been a wake up call to me personally. This book breathes excitement and lust for life upon the reader. Even his long winded discussions of different kinds of fish serve to alert me to my own lack of wonder. This world, even in its current subjection to futility , is still a wonderful creation. Nature (and Thoreau's picture of these rivers especially) echo the declaration of the Psalmist: "The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands" (Psalm 19:1).

   I highly recommend this wonderful book.




2. [From Boating on the Catawba...in the
   "Musketaquid"]

   I will take the definite role of the
   Nay-Sayer in the long line of aficianados
   and idolators who insist that *Walden* is
   Henry David Thoreau's masterpiece...
   I will simply state that this work and
   "Life Without Principle" are his great
   contributions to literature, thought, and
   value...

   Take this quote from "Life Without Principle"
   (before I get to 'A Week...'):
   "To speak impartially, the best men that
   I know are not serene, a world in themselves.
   For the most part, they dwell in forms, and
   flatter and study effect only more finely
   than the rest. We select granite for the
   underpinning of our houses and barns; we
   build fences of stone; but we do not ourselves
   rest on an underpinning of granite.
   we do not teach one another the lessons of
   honesty and sincerity that the brutes do, or
   of steadiness and solidity that the rocks
   do. The fault is commonly mutual, however;
   for we do not habitually demand any more of
   each other."

   If that is not "preaching," but in the
   sense of a prophet, not a mere sermonizer,
   then there hasn't been any in a long time.
   But Father Mapple's sermon in 'Moby-Dick' is
   right up there with it.
   
   If I had only known of Thoreau [and I had
   not read much of him (and little then)except
   at the University] and had to believe that
   Thoreau was just what he seems to be in
   'Walden,' then I would have given the man
   short shrift...because there is not enough
   of any sort of heart or soul in that work
   to believe that he is even human. But
   fortunately, a Thoreau worshipper (or rather,
   *Walden* worshipper) forced me, by his own
   imperious egotism, to try to understand this
   man Thoreau and his views. It is fortunate
   that I did, for I discovered 'A Week....'
   
   This Penguin Classics edition is excellent
   in a number of ways -- the two most important
   being the notes in the back which explain the
   allusions, and ancient Latin and Greek sources
   and excerpts(for those who might not know them)
   which Thoreau quotes and sometimes translates;
   and the incredible "Introduction" by the editor,
   H. Daniel Peck.
   He can say his wondrous words himself:

   "There is good reason for 'A Week's open
   acknowledgment of the attritions of time
   and loss. Conceived initially as a travel
   book, 'A Week' was immeasurably deepened into
   an elegiac account of experience by a tragic
   event that occurrred in Thoreau's life in
   the period following the 1839 voyage. In
   1842, Thoreau's companion on that voyage,
   his brother John, died suddenly, and in
   agonizing pain, from lockjaw.
   Without question this was the greatest loss
   that Thoreau ever was to suffer. (He seems
   to have undergone, in the aftermath of his
   brother's death, a sympathetic case of the
   illness that caused John's death, and the few
   entries that appear in his journal in this
   period are desperately mournful.) Interestingly,
   though the pronoun 'we' characterizes the
   narrator often in the book, the brother's
   name is never mentioned -- an indication perhaps
   of Thoreau's enduring need to distance himself
   from this loss. there is nothing in 'A Week'
   that directly refers to the death of John Thoreau.
   Instead, his memory is evoked through various
   symbolic strategies. For example, the long
   digression on friendship in the chaper
   'Wednesday' surely is intended to reflect the
   intimacy Thoreau shared with his brother. Even
   the ubiquitious 'we' of the narrator's voice
   speaks to this intimacy. So intertwined are
   the two brothers' identities in this pronoun
   that it is often difficult to tell whether a
   given action has been taken by Henry or John,
   or both at once."
   
   "To emphasize the elegiac aspects of 'A Week'
   is to remind ourselves that throughout Western
   history, rivers -- and voyages upon them --
   have served as metaphors of transience and
   mortality. Yet, as I indicated earlier,
   'A Week' is not solely a mournful book. Its
   rivers also support a spiritual buoyancy, and
   provide the setting for exploration and adventure.
   Most important, however, the book's larger
   structure enables it to 'transcend and redeem'
   the individual losses that it recounts."
   
   [wonderful writing here!]
   "In general, the outward-bound voyage of 'A Week'
   dramatizes the writer's encounter with time and
   its losses; on that voyage, he pays close
   attention to the shore -- which, in its discreet
   scenes of spoliation and historical change,
   symbolizes the passage of time. The homeward
   voyage, on the other hand, suggests assimilation,
   resolution, and renewal. If the primary mode of
   perception on the outward voyage had been
   observation (of the shore), then the primary
   mode of the return voyage is contemplation.
   Now we are involved in an inward exploration,
   and, symbolically, our vision leaves the shore
   and returns to the river and the flow of
   consciousness that it represents."
   -- H. Daniel Peck; "Introduction."
   




3. Thoreau sought the seclusion of the pond to write *this* book, not _Walden_. In 19th-century terms, this treatise is a modified travelogue based on a 13-day boat trip that Henry and his brother John took in 1839. By today's standards, contemporary editors and many an English teacher would decorate this manuscript with red ink and admonish the author that he strays too often and too far from the main subject. Bill Bryson's essays wander too, but he doesn't usually reach back and quote the Bhagavad-Gita, Homer, Chaucer, or Shakespeare. But whenever Henry takes in his surroundings, he is reminded of something else, and before you know it a serious discourse is off and running, and it has nothing to do with floating upstream or down. He expresses his opinions or offers his knowledge about fish, mythology, religion, poetry, reading, writing, history, government, traveling, waterfalls, friendship, love, life, nature, art, dreams, and science. He reminisces about a previous trip to the Berkshires and a sail down the Connecticut River. He breaks into poetry at whim -- sometimes his own words, more often someone else's. Along the way, the brothers paddle from Concord, Massachusetts, to the area around Concord, New Hampshire, and then turn around and go home. We meet some of the people they encounter along the way and get a glimpse of New England life during that time period. In some respects, the people and the land haven't changed much at all. We can see Thoreau's environmentalism when he talks about dams and their effects on the habits and habitats of fish -- concerns that are still with us today. We can laugh at his puns and enjoy his wordplay (i.e., "The shallowest still water is unfathomable" and Man needs "not only to be spiritualized, but *naturalized*, on the soil of earth.") Above all, we can explore these rivers and shorelines during a time period that we will never see personally, with the aid of a native naturalist who's in the habit of sharing his observations and thoughts.

   Read _Walden_ first. And if you find you enjoy Henry's take on nature and civilization and life and living, pick up _A Week_. There are a few gems lurking in here that you might connect with.




4. This book is a record of a trip that Thoreau took with his brother, John, on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers in 1839. Although it certainly contains commentary about what the two brothers saw and did during the trip, this is hardly a travelogue. The book was written not immediately after the journey, but 7 years later, following the death of John. Indeed, it was written while Thoreau was living in his cabin on Walden Pond, as a kind of memorial. But even as a memorial, it's a bit odd, in that Thoreau is extremely careful to keep John's identity anonymous throughout the book.
   
   The brothers took their leave of Concord one Saturday afternoon in 1839, in a small rowboat. They rowed down the Concord River to Lowell, then turned up the Merrimack, where they commenced to row up river as far as Hookset. Upon reaching Hookset, they visited for a week (a week whose events are not discussed in this book), then turned around and retraced their route to Concord. Thoreau provides a detailed account of how they spent their days. However, since much of the days were spent rowing, they had plenty of time for silent contemplation, so much of Thoreau's material presented here are the thoughts that came into his head as they rowed. The topics covered were quite varied, ranging from fishes, literature, poetry, the Bhagavad Gita, philosophy of history, King Philip's War, climbing expeditions in the Berkshires, New Hampshire geography and history, morality, natural philosophy, Goethe, and Chaucer. There are also extensive essays on friendship and religion.
   
   This is the most explicitly philosophical of Thoreau's books. Nevertheless, naturalists and those interested in local New Hampshire history will also find material of interest. I found Thoreau's excursis on his personal religious beliefs (which he presents as a quasi-Sunday sermon) to be highly engaging.



5. I am as big a fan of Thoreau as there is (I've given 5 stars to 3 of his other books), but I am sorry, this one is just a bit too wordy. Thoreau rambles a lot in this book, there are places where a few paragraphs of descriptions of his trip are followed by pages of wandering thoughts. Maybe I am not at the point to truly appreciate his writing yet, but I do think this book does have its weakness. Written before Walden and other volumes, I think at the time Thoreau hadn't yet mastered the craft of seamlessly blending his thoughts and philosophies with narratives and descriptions. If the relative weights of the actual trip narrative and his rambling thoughts were reversed, I think this would have been a much better book (and he would have sold a few more in his lifetime too!)

3 comments about 50 Hikes in the White Mountains: Hikes and Backpacking Trips in the High Peaks Region of New Hampshire, Sixth Edition.

1. This book is a font of information -- everything you need to know about hiking in New Hampshire! The hiking trails have been well-researched, and the author evaluates the difficulty of each trail. Makes a great gift for the adventurer in your family!



2. Living in California, I don't get a chance to hike in New Hampshire as often as I would like. But when I do, I always take this lightweight guide along in my car and in the pack. The best part about the guide is that hikes are described in detail and directions to each trailhead are given in exhaustive detail. This is especially important for out-of-towners who aren't familiar with the back country roads. The authors have hiked each of the trails and they offer pithy comments on trail conditions, the possibility of seeing wildlife and other pertinent information.

   There is a separate section on the magnificent Cosos Trail, the 200+ mile hike which runs from the border of NH to he Canadian border. My one slight criticism is the maps, which could be of better quality, but the text, route descriptions and ancillary material are of high quality. The descriptions of day hikes around Pinkham Notch are excellent!




3. I used this book last weekend. The trail descriptions are very easy to follow, and the introductory write-ups make it easy to select appropriate trails for your skill/desired effort level.

2 comments about 50 More Hikes in New Hampshire: Day Hikes and Backpacking Trips from Mount Monadnock to Mount Magalloway, Fifth Edition (50 Hikes).

1. I found this book to be extremely helpful. It makes planning a hiking agenda easy. Great maps and detailed overviews. This book gives you the confidence to allow you to explore more of New Hampshire. No matter which trail you decide to take on...you will know what to expect. Even gives guides to "rainy day" hikes. The only drawback is that you will want to pack it with you!



2. I have over a dozen books on hiking in New Hampshire (my favorite state and place to climb) but this has to be one of the few that really gets detailed on the trail's good points and bad ones and what to watch for.
   The trails are varied, some long and more of 'getting there' attitude and some short but very scenic. The authors really let you know about spots to stop at and why and other neat things to watch for.
   I have done at least 12 of the 50 and plan on all if I am able in this short life, lol. No complaints about the descriptions. Also very pleased with the accurate info on parking and directions to the trailhead, which is confusing in some other books.
   This is the second book to the 50 Hikes series for New Hampshire, both are unbelievable and invaluable in their information. This one takes us from Barrett Mountain in Southern NH (which by the way is impossible to find informative hiking information on)through the Whites and even one in the Far North. There are quite a few essential 4,000 footers in here, so don't miss out!
   
   Tracy Talley~@

3 comments about Trout Streams of Northern New England: A Guide to the Best Fly-Fishing in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, First Edition.

1. A nice collection of maps and general info, however, this title doesn't supply much more information than the NH Gazetteer. Can't speak as specifically to the VT and ME sections. Little info on when to fish, just general descriptions of how to get there and what may or may not be stocked. Really just a surface survey.



2. Actually, I would normally rate this book a 4 but I thought the previous rating showing a 2 was too low. I found the book to be very helpful. Not being familar with Maine, VT, or NH, I was able to quicky determine not just where to fish but where not to fish. The book is targeted more toward fly fishermen (I am one of those) and it lists what hatches are on the stream. A familar fly fisherman knows roughly what month such hatches are around. I would highly recommend this book over a Maine Gazette map which will not give you the detailed directions to some popular fishing spots.



3. Looking through the Book, I will keep it with me while on road trips and when planning camping trips. I bought the book to see if I could learn anything more about my area central & northern New Hampshire. It only dedicates about 10 pages to Northern NH and everything that is listed on central NH I already knew.

No comments about Rand McNally New Hampshire and Vermont: Highways & Interstates (Rand McNally Folded Map: States).

No comments about Seacoast Region Atlas: New Hampshire Plus Kittery & York, Maine (Official Arrow Street Atlas).

3 comments about Hiking New Hampshire, 2nd (State Hiking Series).

1. This is a fine book, with much to offer the novice and dedicated hiker alike. Pletcher's work offers guidance for hiking throughout the state of NH. He has somehow managed to narrow his analysis to 100 fine hikes, which promise adventure into all levels of hiking. While it in no way matches the depth of pure trail knowledge one finds in the AMC guide, it instead offers unique, intimate and eloquent analysis of 100 hikes. Each hike is highlighted with its own map, as well as a chart to graph elevation gains. Also, each trail's difficulty and length are assessed and special attractions unique to the hike are noted. Pletcher is clearly proficient in his knowledge of these trails and, more importantly, adept at putting that knowledge into compact summaries for the benefit of would-be hikers. A must addition to one's hiking library. Ernest M. Berube



2. Living in California, I don't get a chance to hike in New Hampshire as often as I would like. But when I do, I always take this lightweight guide along in my car and in the pack. The best part about the guide is that hikes are described in detail and directions to each trailhead are given in exhaustive detail. This is especially important for out-of-towners who aren't familiar with the back country roads. The authors have hiked each of the trails and they offer pithy comments on trail conditions, the possibility of seeing wildlife and other pertinent information.

   There is a separate section on the magnificent Cohos Trail, the 200+ mile hike which runs the length of the state. My one slight criticism is the photos, which could be of better quality, but the text, route descriptions and ancillary material are of high quality.




3. The author's descriptions of the hikes and directions to the trailheads are very good. He also has done a good job narrowing down New Hampshire's many hikes to the 100 best but you need to supplement the book with a topographical map. A few times, distances were inaccurate and the elevation changes are misleading. Also, the photos could be better.

2 comments about Among the Isles of Shoals (Revisiting New England).

1. I had trouble putting this book down. I only did to make it last longer.
   Celia totally loved her garden. She wrote about the flowers she planted, the birds who came to visit, and her battle with slugs. How I pulled for her to defeat those slugs!
   This book had me itching to work in my own garden. I plan to read it every spring.
   If you find it interesting reading about other people's exploits with their own gardens then you should enjoy this delightful book.



2. Well written. had to keep reminding myself this was written in the 1800's. Good overview of the islands and reflections of life in those times.

No comments about Portsmouth & Coastal New Hampshire: A Photographic Portrait.

1 comments about Best Hikes With Children Vermont, New Hampshire & Maine (Best Hikes with Children).

1. A good book which largely delivers what it promises. However, it is best used in conjunction with a more comprehensive map and/or guide, if you're visiting a particular region. Give it 4.5 stars.

   Good Points: 1) The author points out "kid-friendly" features on hikes and gives good descriptions. 2) Most of the hikes have pretty good thumbnail maps

   Drawbacks: 1) Introductory map could be better (more detailed) to help reader find trails 2) Some hikes lack thumbnail maps. Why? 3) Abilities of children vary wildly. We found that a "moderate" hike can be strenuous for an inexperienced or out-of-shape child (or adult, for that matter).