^IEncounters with Kierkegaard^N is a collection of every known eyewitness account of the great Danish thinker. Often viewed by his contemporaries as a person who deliberately cultivated an air of mystery and eccentricity, S^D/ooren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) has continued to be a subject of great speculation. The observations of his contemporaries, maintains Bruce Kirmmse, are an indispensable path to understanding what he was like as a person. These accounts enable us to glimpse, among many other things, Kierkegaard's spiritual and intellectual development; to get a sense of what it was like to be the object of his friendship or his wrath; and to examine various persons' opinions about his relationship with his young fianc. "This book is not only a scholarly gem but also an amazingly good read.... It is hard to imagine a more valuable resource for understanding Kierkegaard's life and personality." --C. Stephen Evans "Kierkegaard left no memoirs or autobiography.... However, many of his contemporaries wrote down observations about him. All of these that are still available have been collected into this impressive volume. They cover all the major episodes of his life and provide an invaluable glimpse into his spiritual and intellectual development in all its agony and glory.... Meticulously researched and beautifully produced." --Peter C. Hodgson, Religious Studies Review