Playful and insightful ... Marcus’s passion for his subject and his understanding of what makes a successful biography mean this book is delightful for any reader ... He provides deep analysis of the essays without ever lapsing into an academic tone.
Marcus’s writing is lively and precise, vigorously colloquial. It is full of knowledge and affection ... His portrait of Emerson, the man, is finely wrought ... It is not that Marcus does not see Emerson’s flaws; but at times it feels as though he softens them ... And while he excels at drawing the man’s rounded humanity, Marcus’s portrait of Emerson as a writer often disappoints.
Psychologically astute ... Marcus’ deeply personal interpretation illuminates an iconic prophet who discovered that seeking the meaning of life turns out to be the meaning of life.
