Came across this little book at the library and was taken by the art in it as well as by its non-descriptive title. The book is a compilation of quotaCame across this little book at the library and was taken by the art in it as well as by its non-descriptive title. The book is a compilation of quotations and maxims of several personalities (writers, scientists, politicians, etcetera) on the subject of dreams. The word dreams is approached in different ways, ranging from oneiric experiences to objectives and goals. The book is pleasing to the eye, its quotes are mostly interesting. It would make a good coffee table book....more
This book is beautiful to look at and I admit that was the main reason that got me to buy it. It being not very expensive also helped; otherwise I wouThis book is beautiful to look at and I admit that was the main reason that got me to buy it. It being not very expensive also helped; otherwise I wouldn't go for poetry on my own accord.
It's a very, very short text, basically only a few lines long, but there is beauty on their simplicity and they are hand in hand with elegant, ethereal illustrations.
I found to be very enticing the fact that there’s only one line per page but that they are translated into three other languages. I would have loved to get my hands on the original version of this book since I think it had a different selection of languages than the one I got in Spanish.
You may not think much of this book on the beginning and as you read along you kind of breeze through it without connecting any dots but in the end you suddenly get it and, in my experience, it leaves you thinking.
Lovely book, an approachable and clever take on poetry. I’m glad with adding this one to my library. ...more
"How unpleasant to meet Mr. Eliot!" reads a line from Five-finger exercises at the end of the book. Shame that I have to agree with such statement. I�"How unpleasant to meet Mr. Eliot!" reads a line from Five-finger exercises at the end of the book. Shame that I have to agree with such statement. I’ve never been a fan or poetry but I had heard so many good things about T. S. Eliot and his importance of his work on modern literature, so I had to give it a shot.
Well, I took a gamble and Lady Luck was not on my side this time. Getting through this book was hard. Everything seemed to be written in code, like you’re not supposed to get the text unless you’re one of the selected few that have the answer key. That’s probably one of the reasons people rave about Eliot: it makes them seem so intellectual and educated (although I’m sure not everyone who likes Eliot are like that at all). I don’t think it’s a matter of being cultured enough or not; I got the biblical and mythological references alright and that didn’t do much for my understanding of the poems. I read many of the lines aloud and, as much as it brings out the musicality of the text, it does not help with uncovering the meaning behind Eliot’s words.
I would recommend this to people very well into poetry or someone that is willing to do a good amount of online research to find the meaning of the poems. Maybe a version with a heavy load of footnotes could be good, too....more
Rating translated versions of books is complicated for me, even more when the original work is old (Basho lived on the 1600s) and the language so diffRating translated versions of books is complicated for me, even more when the original work is old (Basho lived on the 1600s) and the language so different (Japanese) in structure from the translation I read (Spanish).
Did I like it? I did. Can't say I was blown away by the poems, even though some were very pleasant. I know poetry is not my favorite reading subject and that could affect my judgment of this book, yet I did remember being very moved by some poems by Ariwara Narihira, which read last year. So, maybe there was someting too solemn about Basho that rubbed me the wrong way? I suspect that he was too much into nature, maybe, and not human-oriented enough for me.
I found myself wondering more abot the people Basho mentioned meeting on the road, the brief glimpses of old Japanese customs (view spoiler)[(like Basho's opinion of an abandoned baby on the road and the tradition of abandoning old folks to their deaths on Mount Obabute (hide spoiler)] and legends brought up on the side of the narrative....more
Rubén Darío is one of those authors that you have to read at some point if you want to call yourself a knowledgeable reader. I was very hesitant aboutRubén Darío is one of those authors that you have to read at some point if you want to call yourself a knowledgeable reader. I was very hesitant about buying this book but the cover and description enticed me enough to give it a try. The description in the back is highly misleading, citing vampirism, ancient gods and necrophilia as subjects of the stories, and while there were certain hints about them at times there wasn’t much dwelling in them in fact.
This being a collection of short stories I had some I liked and some that I wished I could have skipped (but didn’t). The writing style is over-the-top, snobbish and outdated. Darío goes on and on about paintings and robes for entire paragraphs, throwing at you all the foreign words and phrases he can think of without ever providing a translation. And don't get me started on the constant listing of philosophers and ancient Greek artists.
As for plot, most of the stories just drift without much sense of purpose. There seems to be more interest in how things are said than what is actually being said. As a result, I didn’t enjoy most of the stories. I needed more substance. However, since this edition is organized chronologically, I did notice that there was a change in Darío’s prose after 1893, like some themes being darker and the narration less rambling.
In conclusion, I don't think modernism is my kind of literature. It reminds me of poetry too much....more
I'm finally done with this book. It took me several years to pick it up again and now that I did it still put up a fight. Pindar's victory poems were I'm finally done with this book. It took me several years to pick it up again and now that I did it still put up a fight. Pindar's victory poems were my favorite in this compilation, even if they could get a bit tiring if read one after another, that being because they can be very similar in structure and even themes. You've got to know your Greek myths well in order to get most of what Pindar writes, for there can be up to two or more heroic stories per poem. At first I wasn't so thrilled about the nature of Pindar's works since they were commissioned poems, making them seem a bit false to me. But I found some very quotable verses and interesting points in his verses. The second part of the book was a compilation of other Greek writers' works. I was put down by the fact that the translation was made to rhyme. It's nice that the translators made the effort of trying to emulate the original poems' musicality, but I would have liked it better to be able to have the exact translation of what was originally written. It makes me uneasy to think that the meaning could get lost in translation just 'cause the translators wanted to keep things melodious. ...more
A very short compilation of poems and brief stories. The main themes in this book are religion, nature... and madness. Most of them are about how 'othA very short compilation of poems and brief stories. The main themes in this book are religion, nature... and madness. Most of them are about how 'others' do not understand the sight, thought process, and lifestyle of 'mad people'. It's a peculiar read that gives off a cryptic feeling. A few of the stories didn't make too much sense to me, but that might mean I'm not mad enough....more
Egads, reading Burns makes Shakespeare look like a stroll in the park. So many unknown words! I had to have a dictionary by my side at all times and, Egads, reading Burns makes Shakespeare look like a stroll in the park. So many unknown words! I had to have a dictionary by my side at all times and, even if I got the hang of most words 'cause they were constantly repeated, for if I put the book down for a day or so I would go back to square one. Finally I had to rely on reading it out loud to make some sense out of some words, and though it worked most of the time, some terms were too archaic or too obscure for me. And, after making sense out of the poems, most of them were related to social or politic events that I knew nothing about... ...more
I loved the Wordsworth Edition of this book, it has an amazing introduction (and notes) by Owen Knowles. The poems are ordered chronologically so you I loved the Wordsworth Edition of this book, it has an amazing introduction (and notes) by Owen Knowles. The poems are ordered chronologically so you can see the changes in Wilfred Owen's writings, especially after his enlistment. The fact that he wanted his poems to include and be also understandable by his fellow soldiers make his writing easy to read and emotive. I loved this book, but going through it is a very taxing experience, every stanza is full of sadness and reality. Yes, 'Dulce et Decorum Est' is one of Owen's most known poems, but there are many other with such powerful situations, like the aftermath of war (as expressed on 'Disabled') and shell-shock....more
Great compilation, going from the the Late Middle Ages to the 1950s. I love the way how the chronological arrangement of the poems allow you to see thGreat compilation, going from the the Late Middle Ages to the 1950s. I love the way how the chronological arrangement of the poems allow you to see the development of English poetry (it's got a couple of Irish, Scottish and Welsh writers too, but very few). Every poems has a few lines describing the most important aspect of the authors and the name of the era they belong to. A very digestible introduction to English poetry....more
A great collection of poems about traveling. Trains, cars, ships, planes, chariots, and so many other types of vehicles are mentioned in this book. ItA great collection of poems about traveling. Trains, cars, ships, planes, chariots, and so many other types of vehicles are mentioned in this book. It's got a wide range of topics, such homesickness, life at sea, Greek myths... there's even one poem about fairies! My favorite ones were by Robert Frost and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, but there were so many great authors beside them. By the end of the book you'll be yearning for new places and adventure....more
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