Under the Maples

Burroughs, John, 1837-1921Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.8

Word count: 302K words
Chapters: 31

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Under the Maples by John BurroughsAuthor: Burroughs, John, 1837-1921,Language: English, Class: QH: Science: Natural history, Release Date: Oct 13, 2009

Editor's review

Under the Maples is one of John Burroughs's representative collections of nature essays. A lifelong observer of the countryside, Burroughs takes familiar sights such as maples as his starting point, writing about birds, plants, and the changing seasons with precision and without dullness. His prose is restrained and genial, combining naturalist observation with gentle reflection on the relationship between nature and human life. As a public-domain ebook, its greatest value lies in offering a slow-paced reading experience: readers can follow the author's gaze and rediscover the natural details around them that are easily overlooked. It suits reading in short stretches on a quiet afternoon or before bed; there is no plot to pursue, so treat it as a portable nature notebook and let the words restore your sensitivity to the seasons and to trees and plants.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy nature essays and naturalist writing, and who welcome the pleasure of observing nature through prose
Urban readers who want to slow down their reading pace and relax with words
Students interested in the English and American nature-writing tradition who want to understand Burroughs's style
Readers with enough English to read the original text who prefer public-domain ebooks

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting tight plotting or strong dramatic conflict; this book consists mainly of essayistic observation
Readers seeking systematic scientific knowledge or field-survey methods; this is literary essay writing
Readers who want only a Chinese translation and are not comfortable with the English original

Reading tips

Read one or two pieces a day, pairing the reading with a walk or with observing the trees outside your window, so the words and the scene before you illuminate each other
Mark unfamiliar plant and animal names as you go rather than looking them up constantly, to keep the reading flowing
Keep a short notebook of the natural details you read about and what you see in the current season, building a personal record of observation
If your English is limited, read through once for the gist, then return to key passages

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a novel or a nature essay collection?

It is a collection of nature essays by John Burroughs, using maples and other rural sights as its thread and writing about birds, plants, and the changing seasons. It is not a plot-driven novel and is better read slowly in short stretches.

Is the English original difficult to read?

Burroughs's prose is generally plain, and the sentences are not especially difficult, though it includes some plant and animal names and rural vocabulary. Readers with basic English can read through with a dictionary; the point is to absorb his way of observing rather than to grasp every word exactly.

Why is it recommended for reading while walking or outdoors?

The book's value lies in prompting readers to notice natural details around them. Reading while comparing the text with the trees, birdsong, and seasonal changes before you makes it easier to enter the author's rhythm of observation and turns the reading into your own experience.

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About the author

Burroughs, John, 1837-1921 Author

John Burroughs (1837-1921) was an American nature writer. A lifelong observer of rural plants, birds, and animals, he recorded the changing seasons and his experiences in the field in essays and sketches. His style is plain and delicate, combining the accuracy of natural history with literary readability. The library holds 25 of his works, including Wake-Robin, A Year in the Fields, Riverby, Ways of Nature, Fresh Fields, Birds and Bees, Sharp Eyes, and Other Papers, and Camping with President Roosevelt. These works mostly concern birds, insects, country life, and nature observation. He often begins with ordinary natural scenes and blends personal experience with reflection on nature, in language that is simple yet warm. His writing has influenced later nature essays and ecological writing. Public information on his education, posts, and specific experiences is limited, so no speculation is offered here.