A Familiar Study of Men and Books

by Robert Louis Stevenson

THESE studies are collected from the monthly press. One appeared in the NEW QUARTERLY, one in MACMILLAN'S, and the rest in the CORNHILL MAGAZINE. To the CORNHILL I owe a double debt of thanks; first, that I was received there in the very best society, and under the eye of the very best of editors; and second, that the proprietors have allowed me to republish so considerable an amount of copy. These nine worthies have been brought together from many different ages and countries. Not the most erudite of men could be perfectly prepared to deal with so many and such various sides of human life and manners. To pass a true judgment upon Knox and Burns implies a grasp upon the very deepest strain of thought in Scotland, - a country far more essentially different from England than many parts of America; for, in a sense, the first of these men re-created Scotland, and the second is its most essentially national production. To treat fitly of Hugo and Villon would involve yet wider knowledge, not only of a country foreign to the author by race, history, and religion, but of the growth and liberties of art. Of the two Americans, Whitman and Thoreau, each is the type of something not so much realised as widely sought after among the late generations of their countrymen; and to see them clearly in a nice relation to the society that brought them forth, an author would require a large habit of life among modern Americans. As for Yoshida, I have already disclaimed responsibility; it was but my hand that held the pen.

Genres: Essays, Books About Books, Nonfiction

328 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1882

About the author

Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, and travel writer, and a leading representative of English literature. He was greatly admired by many authors, including Jorge Luis Borges, Ernest Hemingway, Rudyard Kipling and Vladimir Nabokov.

Most modernist writers dismissed him, however, because he was popular and did not write within their narrow definition of literature. It is only recently that critics have begun to look beyond Stevenson's popularity and allow him a place in the Western canon.

Reviews

[Neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, engaging essays by Stevenson about a variety of Scottish, French, American, and Japanese writers / figures (as well as Samuel Pepys--the one Englishman to slip by). The ones about French medieval writers Charles of Orleans and Francois Villon are especially good, as are the ones on Hugo, Whitman, and Pepys. One might not always agree with Stevenson's neglect of the works for the men or, alternatively, his conclusions about these writers, but the essays provide a fascinating glimpse of how Stevenson negotiates literary history. Most of these essays started as periodical articles from the 1870s and 1880s in journals such as the Cornhill, and the entire collection was published in 1882.

Note that I did not read the edition I have marked here. The first English edition of Familiar Studies is available on Google Books and archive.org for free. That's where i read it.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

The section on Knox is biased to the point of slander. Thankfully, both Knox and I are way past caring.

[Martyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall a rather dull read, and much of it indeed, to me, incomprehensible. I didn't understand half of what Stevenson was going on about. But in amongst all the incomprehension and tedium I did learn things about all of these men which I never knew before (I didn't really know anything much about any of them before). It was interesting in parts. The British characters were those I found most interesting – Burns, Pepys and Knox. I was glad the Knox article was last. It made me press on to get to it as that was the section I was most keen to read. But I approached it with a degree of trepidation, expecting Stevenson to demolish Knox and ride roughshod over his character. But I was actually pleasantly surprised at how sympathetically or considerately Stevenson seemed to deal with him and speak of him, with a mixture of praise and admiration - and of criticism. I can't imagine ever desiring to read this book again, but it has given me an introduction to all of these men which I think I am thankful for.

[Booksnpieces · Rating 1 out of 5]

I normally like reading Stevenson but I found this hard work.

[Francisca · Rating 2 out of 5]

*2,75 or something like that*

This book was not as interesting as I expected it to be.

Initially, I thought it would give me a inside look on Robert Louis Stevenson's literary tastes, but it turned out to be a dry history lesson about people I could not care about (except Whitman.)