The Complete Personal Essays of Robert Louis Stevenson

Expanded Second Edition

Robert Louis Stevenson, Trenton B Olsen

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English

Bell Rock Books
06 June 2024

Dictionaries of biography (Who's Who)

For all of Robert Louis Stevenson's achievements in fiction, most famously Treasure Island and Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, many of his contemporaries thought of him primarily as an essayist. His essays, known for their intellectual substance, emotional force, and stylistic vitality, were widely considered the best of their time. Despite the importance of Stevenson's nonfiction, his personal essays-80 in total-have never been printed together in a single volume until now.

Stevenson explores a range of topics from illness and evolution to marriage and dreams, and from literal and literary travel to the behavior of children and the character of dogs in essays that are both playful and profound. Along the way, he outlines his own colorful life story from Scotland to Samoa and unique approach to ""the art of living.""

Originally published by Routledge, The Complete Personal Essays of Robert Louis Stevenson,

now in its second edition, has been expanded to include the best of his critical writing. This volume presents Stevenson's essays, carefully restored to their authorized versions, along with an introduction and notes to assist in a rereading and reappreciation that is long overdue.

Editor Biography

Trenton B. Olsen, PhD is the author of WORDSWORTH AND EVOLUTION IN VICTORIAN LITERATURE (Routledge, 2019) and Associate Professor of English at Brigham Young University-Idaho. He is President of the Stevenson Society of America (est. 1915), which owns and operates the Robert Louis Stevenson Cottage Museum in Saranac Lake, New York.

REVIEWS

""Let us be grateful for Olsen's collection, which offers more than enough evidence of this profoundly likable practitioner's achievements in the essay form."" -The New York Review of Books

""What a joy to get this complete edition of Stevenson's personal essays! -Phillip Lopate, Editor of The Art of the Personal Essay

""For decades I've wanted this book to exist."" -Patrick Madden, Editor of Fourth Genre: Explorations in Nonfiction

""What Stevenson said of Montaigne, that he 'retained, after death, the art of making friends, ' applies equally to himself in these personal essay . . . [which both] stimulate thought and give pleasure."" -Richard Dury, General Editor of The New Edinburgh Edition of the Works of Robert Louis Stevenson

""It only takes a reading of the essay 'On Falling in Love' to fall in love with the essayist."" -Nancy Horan, Author of Under the Wide and Starry Sky

""Highly recommended."" -The American Library Association's CHOICE, Top 75 Title, May, 2022

By: Robert Louis Stevenson
Edited by: Trenton B Olsen
Imprint: Bell Rock Books
Edition: 2nd ed.
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 43mm
Weight: 1.107kg
ISBN: 9798990802117
Pages: 768
Publication Date: 06 June 2024
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

The Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) is best remembered today for such classics as TREASURE ISLAND, STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE, KIDNAPPED, and A CHILD'S GARDEN OF VERSES. In addition to these well-known works, he was widely considered one of the nineteenth century's leading essayists. Suffering from chronic pulmonary illness, Stevenson's search for health and adventure led him to live in England, France, Switzerland, New York's Adirondacks, California, Hawaii, and Samoa, where he died at age 44. Trenton B. Olsen, PhD is the editor of THE COMPLETE PERSONAL ESSAYS OF ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON, author of WORDSWORTH AND EVOLUTION IN VICTORIAN LITERATURE (Routledge, 2019) and Associate Professor of English at Brigham Young University-Idaho. He is President of the Stevenson Society of America (est. 1915), which owns and operates the Robert Louis Stevenson Cottage Museum in Saranac Lake, New York.

Reviews for The Complete Personal Essays of Robert Louis Stevenson: Expanded Second Edition

Reviews""Let us be grateful for Olsen's collection, which offers more than enough evidence of this profoundly likable practitioner's achievements in the essay form."" -The New York Review of Books ""What a joy to get this complete edition of Stevenson's personal essays! In addition to the great ones all aficionados of the form know and love, there are many treats which show the freedom and flow of this master essayist's prose, as well as the capaciousness of his interests. Thanks to the intrepid digging and skillful assemblage of editor Trenton Olsen, lovers of belles lettres are enriched by this long-overdue and much appreciated collection."" -Phillip Lopate, Author of A Year and a Day: An Experiment in Essays and Editor of The Art of the Personal Essay ""For decades I've wanted this book to exist: all of Robert Louis Stevenson's essays in one place, with helpful notes to round out my understanding, and Trenton B. Olsen has graciously done the gathering and noting, including nearly three dozen previously uncollected or unpublished works. In reading Stevenson's essays we resurrect a noble friend who teaches and inspires, opening us to ideas and experiences we hadn't considered, showing us goodness and light and a generous eternal spirit."" -Patrick Madden, Editor of Fourth Genre: Explorations in Nonfiction ""What Stevenson said of Montaigne, that he 'retained, after death, the art of making friends, ' applies equally to himself in these personal essays . . . [which both] stimulate thought and give pleasure."" -Richard Dury, General Editor of The New Edinburgh Edition of the Works of Robert Louis Stevenson ""It only takes a reading of the essay 'On Falling in Love' to fall in love with the essayist. Robert Louis Stevenson is still alive and offering up his wry insights in these pages. It is a cause for celebration that we have all of his personal essays gathered together in this volume."" -Nancy Horan, Author of Under the Wide and Starry Sky ""Highly recommended."" -The American Library Association's CHOICE, Top 75 Title, May, 2022