Reviews for Heretical Fictions: Religion in the Literature of Mark Twain

The average rating for Heretical Fictions: Religion in the Literature of Mark Twain based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2015-04-27 00:00:00 Daniel Ramirez Lawrence Buell's 2003 study of Emerson presents a dynamic reading of a dynamic figure in American literature. The study goes beyond the literary to consider Emerson in terms of religion, philosophy, and reform. Buell also looks at Emerson as a mentor--or as he terms it an "anti-mentor"--to figures as diverse as William James and Ralph Waldo Ellison--but especially Henry David Thoreau. Professor Buell's scholarship is immense, and I worried a little that the study might be over my head. But Buell's style is inviting and encouraging. I find myself re-reading Emerson essays and gaining new insights; that alone marks the book as a success. There is a great deal in both Buell and Emerson that I will probably never understand, but both writers offer powerful reading "Experience." Definitely a good read. [Posted to Goodreads 11/05/16.]

Review # 2 was written on 2017-11-05 00:00:00 Patrick Roan This is a fine book on R.W. Emerson by the distinguished Harvard scholar Lawrence Buell. THe book is especially strong on Emerson's relationship to his friend Henry David Thoreau. Definitely recommended to Emerson scholars.