The Journal

“My journal is that portion of me which would otherwise spill over and be wasted.” American writer and naturalist Henry David Thoreau kept a journal for twenty-four years. This first Czech selection from his extensive work reveals the full breadth of the author’s personality. Alongside reflections on nature, art, history, politics, religion, and even sex, it also contains glimpses into Thoreau’s private life, “incorrect” observations about women, and amusing anecdotes. With their intellectual depth, engaging style, and literary quality, these entries are a significant addition to Thoreau's previously translated works. This is their first publication in a Czech selection.

Selected from the fourteen-volume 1906 edition, with reference to the manuscripts and their transcriptions, translated, and provided with notes and an afterword by Jan Hokeš. The graphic design, cover, and illustrations were created by František Štorm using a harmonograph.