Inthefallof1850HenryThoreauembarkeduponanexcursionintotheFrench-CanadianprovinceofQuebec,withstopsinMontrealandQuebecCity.Hisreactionstotheforeigncountryaremixedandambivalent:heiscriticalofCanada’sOldWorldCatholicism,feudalism,andanalienBritishmilitarypresencewhilemostofhisreferencestoAmericaandAmericansarefavorable.Butifonelooksclosely,positivereactionstoCanadiansocietyandnegativereactionstoAmericansocietydoexistwithintheessay.AYANKEEINCANADAisastudyinparadox,theparadoxbeingduetoamanstunnedbyhisonlyinternationalexperience.InthissenseAYANKEEINCANADAparallelsMarkTwain’sINNOCENTSABROADinthatbothauthorsareexperiencingcultureshockexpressedwithalltheelementsofamentaltwilightzoneofgrays,notjustblackandwhite.Unlikethemanyfacsimilereproductionsavailable,thiseditionfeaturesamoderndesignthatenhancesreadability.AYANKEEINCANADAisnowpartoftheLiteraryNaturalistSeriesandfeaturesanewforewordbynotedliteraryscholarRichardF.Fleck.
