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sidharthvardhan's review
5.0
"In the night we shall go in
up to its trembling firmament,
and your little hands and mine
will steal the stars."
(Before reading this one, I would frown on reviews that are no more than quotes from the book but this one has left me speechless.)
"I could not walk
except with you,
...I could not sing
except when you sing."
up to its trembling firmament,
and your little hands and mine
will steal the stars."
(Before reading this one, I would frown on reviews that are no more than quotes from the book but this one has left me speechless.)
"I could not walk
except with you,
...I could not sing
except when you sing."
whimsicalmeerkat's review
4.0
Beautiful, of course, as Neruda inevitably is, this collection of verses is full of love and the sea and the earth in a tender, timeless way.
frankiepooh's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
5.0
theflamingopriss's review
medium-paced
2.75
Some good stuff here, a good deal of triteness too. Not sure how icky I feel (def at least a bit) about Neruda’s use of his amore as running symbol rather than person. Lot of the poems are about how he woke her up, how she waited for him, how she maintains the homestead for his weary soldier’s breast.
I’m sure Bolaño would disagree, but I preferred the poems that were more politically minded and about Chile and Neruda’s exile, than his super heterosexual normative “love” poems.
Also, a tooooon of redundancies. And not for repetition’s sake. The dude wrote about nature like a city boy who knows zilch about flowers, trees, et cetera.
I’m sure Bolaño would disagree, but I preferred the poems that were more politically minded and about Chile and Neruda’s exile, than his super heterosexual normative “love” poems.
Also, a tooooon of redundancies. And not for repetition’s sake. The dude wrote about nature like a city boy who knows zilch about flowers, trees, et cetera.
jbogerhawkins's review
I really like most of Neruda's other love poems, but these were so creepy and possessive? It makes sense that they were originally published in 1952, because even by the 70s I think lines like "I am your master" would have been poorly received by leftist readers.
magicgardener's review
3.0
2021 (5stars), Neruda says it how it is, he falls in love deeply. You can see how certain he is by how he does not shy to describe every enchanting feature and fault of the person he loves.
Edit: 2023 (3 stars), I actually don't love this so much anymore, I find it repetative and not really describing the realities of love, just the idealised version of a woman he doesn't seem to fully flesh out. There is some good imagery in there, but it gets repetative and doesn't offer many new ideas. Just a man desperate for 'love' or whatever he thinks that is. I get it, love does feel like dying sometimes, but the key word is sometimes. Neruda explores the nuance of his relationships, only in terms of extreme obsession or hatred (furies). 'The Wrong Step' remains to be as clever as always. I want to read poerty about the mundainities of life and sharing them with another. I believe "The Whistler" by Mary Oliver is a great example.
Edit: 2023 (3 stars), I actually don't love this so much anymore, I find it repetative and not really describing the realities of love, just the idealised version of a woman he doesn't seem to fully flesh out. There is some good imagery in there, but it gets repetative and doesn't offer many new ideas. Just a man desperate for 'love' or whatever he thinks that is. I get it, love does feel like dying sometimes, but the key word is sometimes. Neruda explores the nuance of his relationships, only in terms of extreme obsession or hatred (furies). 'The Wrong Step' remains to be as clever as always. I want to read poerty about the mundainities of life and sharing them with another. I believe "The Whistler" by Mary Oliver is a great example.