The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 18, No. 108, October, 1866 / A Magazine of Literature, Science, Art, and Politics

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

25216

Title

The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 18, No. 108, October, 1866 / A Magazine of Literature, Science, Art, and Politics

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

This October 1866 issue of The Atlantic Monthly features diverse essays on literature, science, and politics, alongside a poignant memoir of childhood solitude and a gripping review of an Englishman's captivity by Italian brigands. The collection balances reflective prose with urgent social commentary, offering readers a rich tapestry of 19th-century thought and narrative.

Summary up to 500 words

Published in October 1866, Volume 18, No. 108 of *The Atlantic Monthly* presents a curated collection of essays and narratives reflecting the era's intellectual and political discourse. The issue opens with Henry David Thoreau's deeply personal memoir, 'Childhood: A Study.' Thoreau reflects on his early years in Concord, critiquing the artificiality of conventional childhood innocence. He describes a sense of isolation caused by constant moving, which prevented the formation of deep local attachments. His recollections include dim memories of school, bullying by a local boy named Tom Reddiford, and a paralyzing fear of a vagrant known as 'Old Britt.' Thoreau details his discomfort in formal church settings, contrasting the silence of nature and the seasonal changes in his garden with the rigidities of social piety. He observes the resilience of weeds surviving harsh frosts and notes the peculiar beauty of gulls and blackbirds, using these natural observations to explore themes of solitude and the passage of time. Another significant section reviews W. J. C. Moens's account of his capture by Italian brigands near Battipaglia. The reviewer contextualizes brigandage in Southern Italy as a product of poverty, superstition, and weak governance, noting that the social conditions fostered a cycle of crime and fear. The narrative details the ransom negotiations involving international attention and the harsh conditions of Moens's captivity. Crucially, the reviewer contrasts the relative humanity of the Italian brigands—who shared their scanty fare with their prisoner—with the extreme cruelty practiced by Confederate prisoners of war in the American South. The reviewer argues that while the brigands were driven by necessity, the suffering of Union prisoners at camps like Andersonville was exacerbated by a system of slavery and treasonous indifference, where captives were left to starve or rot despite being in a region of plenty. The volume also includes reviews of George Eliot's novels, a scholarly study of the Norman Conquest, and various literary notices. Together, these pieces maintain the magazine's reputation for high-quality intellectual discourse, offering readers a diverse range of perspectives on literature, history, and the human condition during the Reconstruction era.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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