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Pedlar's Progress: The Life of Bronson Alcott
Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.
580 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1937
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 12, 2016
An open mindset is needed when reading Pedlar's Progress by Odell Shepherd -- do not expect a typical biography. In fact, this book on Amos Bronson Alcott is sometimes quite short of actual facts. It is also seriously lacking in objectivity; the biographer is so smitten with his subject that he excuses all of Alcott's fatal flaws, and there were many. Don’t expect to see a lot of mention of family members (in fact, I think Elizabeth was mentioned more than Louisa). And finally, Shepherd appears to be antagonistic towards women. He is markedly unsympathetic towards the beleaguered yet also very capable and loyal Mrs. Alcott. He is the same towards Elizabeth Peabody, Alcott's faithful (unpaid) teaching assistant at the Temple School in Boston.
And yet, I savored this book from beginning to end. Why? Because I realized this was in fact, a history of a remarkable mind, the process of its evolution. Beautifully written (albeit old-fashioned), this book has real heart; I was not only taught, I was moved. For the first time I came to understand and appreciate this conundrum that is Amos Bronson Alcott.
Shepherd was positively heroic (and perhaps obsessed) to read the voluminous papers of this man – fifty volumes of journals along with other manuscripts, written in long hand. Having read some of these pages myself, I can attest to the difficulty. Reading someone’s handwriting is hard until you figure out the pattern (and Alcott had several different styles of script!). He also was not a good writer and at times it is hard to understand his meaning. Shepherd did grasp it, all of it, and demonstrates his deep understanding in this book.
There is a companion volume of Alcott’s journal entries that Shepherd transcribed. While useful, it is frustrating that there is so much about what Alcott read and thought and yet so little about his family life. The former is of course very interesting but it is frustrating not having more of his thoughts on daily life with his family considering how prominently family figured into his philosophy of life.
There are sadly no footnotes in this book, a real impediment for scholars. Shepherd does provide a bibliography and I have found that reading Alcott’s journal entries along with the various chapters helps to nail down the specific passages from which Shepherd’s insights originate. But in the end it comes down to trust – is Shepherd authentic in his channeling of Alcott’s voice? Most scholars would say “yes,” and I would agree.
Pedlar's Progress, published in 1937, won the Pulitzer Prize and I can see why. Shepherd leads the reader through the evolution, the process of Alcott's unique way of thinking. Alcott was at times of man of extremes with his exceptionalism nearly cancelled out by his flaws; he is difficult to understand. If you are willing to read the 500+ pages of Pedlar's Progress and go through the process, you will come away with a deep understanding of Alcott's thinking and gain an appreciation with regards to his contributions to society.
He is, of course, the father of Louisa May Alcott whose Little Women is a classic -- this is his most obvious contribution. He was the best friend of Ralph Waldo Emerson; he thought of Henry David Thoreau as a son – both men show the imprint of Alcott in their writings. And there are many other notables upon which Alcott left his mark.
Many of his educational reforms, deemed radical for their time, have been put into place as well. He was a pioneer in educating the young and one of the first to take children out of the silent shadows and place them front and center where they belong. The remarkable achievements of his literary and artistic daughters along with the domestic success of his eldest show the results of the progressive child rearing of Alcott and his wife Abba.
I not only came away with a better understanding and appreciation of Bronson Alcott, but also of the time in which he lived. It is necessary to appreciate the religious atmosphere of Boston in the 1830s when Alcott came on the scene – only then can you perceive the radical nature of his ideas. Today many of his religious views are widely accepted but in 1830s New England, they were unheard of.
Many people do not like Bronson Alcott. They dismiss him as a crank, think of him as an irresponsible deadbeat, and see his conversations as full of hot air. I challenge any of you to immerse yourself in Pedlar's Progress with an open mind and see how you feel when you finish. It could transform your whole view. This book is a journey into an exceptional mind, warts and all.
I also recommend reading Frederick Dahlstrand’s Amos Bronson Alcott An Intellectual Biography for the more balanced and factual biography of Mr. Alcott.
And yet, I savored this book from beginning to end. Why? Because I realized this was in fact, a history of a remarkable mind, the process of its evolution. Beautifully written (albeit old-fashioned), this book has real heart; I was not only taught, I was moved. For the first time I came to understand and appreciate this conundrum that is Amos Bronson Alcott.
Shepherd was positively heroic (and perhaps obsessed) to read the voluminous papers of this man – fifty volumes of journals along with other manuscripts, written in long hand. Having read some of these pages myself, I can attest to the difficulty. Reading someone’s handwriting is hard until you figure out the pattern (and Alcott had several different styles of script!). He also was not a good writer and at times it is hard to understand his meaning. Shepherd did grasp it, all of it, and demonstrates his deep understanding in this book.
There is a companion volume of Alcott’s journal entries that Shepherd transcribed. While useful, it is frustrating that there is so much about what Alcott read and thought and yet so little about his family life. The former is of course very interesting but it is frustrating not having more of his thoughts on daily life with his family considering how prominently family figured into his philosophy of life.
There are sadly no footnotes in this book, a real impediment for scholars. Shepherd does provide a bibliography and I have found that reading Alcott’s journal entries along with the various chapters helps to nail down the specific passages from which Shepherd’s insights originate. But in the end it comes down to trust – is Shepherd authentic in his channeling of Alcott’s voice? Most scholars would say “yes,” and I would agree.
Pedlar's Progress, published in 1937, won the Pulitzer Prize and I can see why. Shepherd leads the reader through the evolution, the process of Alcott's unique way of thinking. Alcott was at times of man of extremes with his exceptionalism nearly cancelled out by his flaws; he is difficult to understand. If you are willing to read the 500+ pages of Pedlar's Progress and go through the process, you will come away with a deep understanding of Alcott's thinking and gain an appreciation with regards to his contributions to society.
He is, of course, the father of Louisa May Alcott whose Little Women is a classic -- this is his most obvious contribution. He was the best friend of Ralph Waldo Emerson; he thought of Henry David Thoreau as a son – both men show the imprint of Alcott in their writings. And there are many other notables upon which Alcott left his mark.
Many of his educational reforms, deemed radical for their time, have been put into place as well. He was a pioneer in educating the young and one of the first to take children out of the silent shadows and place them front and center where they belong. The remarkable achievements of his literary and artistic daughters along with the domestic success of his eldest show the results of the progressive child rearing of Alcott and his wife Abba.
I not only came away with a better understanding and appreciation of Bronson Alcott, but also of the time in which he lived. It is necessary to appreciate the religious atmosphere of Boston in the 1830s when Alcott came on the scene – only then can you perceive the radical nature of his ideas. Today many of his religious views are widely accepted but in 1830s New England, they were unheard of.
Many people do not like Bronson Alcott. They dismiss him as a crank, think of him as an irresponsible deadbeat, and see his conversations as full of hot air. I challenge any of you to immerse yourself in Pedlar's Progress with an open mind and see how you feel when you finish. It could transform your whole view. This book is a journey into an exceptional mind, warts and all.
I also recommend reading Frederick Dahlstrand’s Amos Bronson Alcott An Intellectual Biography for the more balanced and factual biography of Mr. Alcott.
December 18, 2011
don't miss this one; tells a lot about the whole Alcott family - not a boring person among them
July 17, 2015
I have always been inspired by some of the most wonderful artists that dwelled in Concord, Mass. These artists being Thoreau, Emerson, Hawthorne, and of course Bronson Alcott! A very interesting book about the father of Louisa May Acott, as well as being famous for his own speeches, writings, etc..Anyone interested in reading about such a great man will be happy to read this book!!!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews