The Complete Personal Essays of Robert Louis Stevenson

by Trenton B Olsen (editor)

With an engaging and distinctive style, Robert Louis Stevenson's personal essays draw on his own experience and observations to explore a broad 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. Stevenson examines beggars and university students, immigrants and engineers, invalids and nurses. Grappling with many of the cultural, aesthetic, and ethical questions of his time, he draws conclusions while resisting dogma. Stevenson's personal essays are still widely considered classic models of the form, and in this volume, the Editor presents them alongside editorial introductions and notes in order to enrich the reader's experience.

Genres: Essays

Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2020

Reviews

[Ezekiel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this man, and I love this book. This is, admittedly, my first encounter with Robert Louis Stevenson, as I never had the pleasure of reading his novels (apart from abridged formats, that is). And what an introduction. Splendid examples of prose, each essay containing at least one sparkling, elaborately beautiful passage, and Stevenson's practical philosophy reaches a great climax with his early essay "Lay Morals" - the Scot's very own Sermon on the Mount, I dare say. Every page delivers a flurry of wisdom.

I definitely have more to say, and will definitely say more in another forum. For now, all I have to say is: read the man!