Portland Public Library

A Yankee in Canada, Henry David Thoreau ; foreword by Richard F. Fleck

eng

contains biographical information

no index present

non fiction

A Yankee in Canada

910091206

Henry David Thoreau ; foreword by Richard F. Fleck

The literary naturalist series

"In the fall of 1850 Henry Thoreau embarked upon an excursion into the French-Canadian province of Quebec, with stops in Montreal and Quebec City. His reactions to the foreign country are mixed and ambivalent: he is critical of Canada's Old World Catholicism, feudalism, and an alien British military presence while most of his references to America and Americans are favorable. But if one looks closely, positive reactions to Canadian society and negative reactions to American society do exist within the essay. A Yankee in Canada is a study in paradox, the paradox being due to a man stunned by his only international experience. In this sense A Yankee in Canada parallels Mark Twain's Innocents abroad in that both authors are experiencing culture shock expressed with all the elements of a mental twilight zone of grays, not just black and white. Unlike the many facsimile reproductions available, this edition features a modern design that enhances readability. A Yankee in Canada is now part of the Literary Naturalist Series and features a new foreword noted literary scholar Richard F. Fleck"--Provided by publisher

Foreword / by Richard F. Fleck -- Concord to Montreal -- Quebec and Montmorenci -- St. Anne -- The walls of Quebec -- The scenery of Quebec and the River St. Lawrence