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aceface's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
richardwells's review against another edition
5.0
Living under the notion the Romantics were difficult to incomprehensibly archaic, I've been avoiding the boys ever since I first heard of them. I have a friend, though, who is quite taken by them - even to the point of walking through British countryside, more or less in their footsteps. So, I decided I'd give them a shot, and when this biography showed up in the NY Times I thought I'd jump in. I'm glad I did.
Lucasta Miller has chosen nine great works, each as a starting place into a period of Keats' short life. She's a close reader of the poetry without being overly academic, and is obviously fond of Keats as a young man and poet. She gives us all of Keats, cameos of Byron and Shelley, and others in Keats' more immediate circle, and makes this history and the London haunts of the poets as exciting as reading about a contemporary rock star.
As it turns out, the poems are not incomprehensible, especially as we're guided through any obscurities by Ms. Miller's grasp, and easy style.
I may have to move on to Shelley - from what I understand, a real bad boy.
Lucasta Miller has chosen nine great works, each as a starting place into a period of Keats' short life. She's a close reader of the poetry without being overly academic, and is obviously fond of Keats as a young man and poet. She gives us all of Keats, cameos of Byron and Shelley, and others in Keats' more immediate circle, and makes this history and the London haunts of the poets as exciting as reading about a contemporary rock star.
As it turns out, the poems are not incomprehensible, especially as we're guided through any obscurities by Ms. Miller's grasp, and easy style.
I may have to move on to Shelley - from what I understand, a real bad boy.
amycrea's review
4.0
I do love it when a biographer takes a not entirely traditional approach to writing a biography, as Miller does here.
zisi's review
5.0
Excellent. It's been awhile since I've read Romantic poetry, and the selected poems reminded me how quickly language changes over even just two centuries or so. So I kept looking up unfamiliar words and read closely Miller's own deep reading and insights into Keat's very short life. A very lively and nuanced account, as well as reintroducing me to the extraordinary depth and elegance of his language.
novelesque_life's review against another edition
4.0
RATING: 3.5 STARS
2022; Knopf/Penguin Random House
What I know about Keats can fit a doll-size thimble, but his name has been floating around throughout the years. When you love English class, reading and books he's bound to come up. I can't remember if I head/read "Ode to a Nightingale" or "Ode on a Grecian Urn" first but these two poems cemented in my brain. Not the lines, but the titles and that they are odes. Keats was just 25 years old when he dies, but his poetry and name is still famous today. What caught my attention with this book was that it looked at Keats life through nine of his poems and one epitaph (his). I recognized one other ode but the rest were new to me, and I am not sure if I am Keats fan. It is only nine poems after all. I don't know if it was the writing, or Keats himself, but I did not really get a sense of him. Sometimes, even though, I am reading a biography of someone long gone, you can't help but like them as you might get to know them. Having their writing definitely helps that. With Keats I could take or leave him as a possible fantasy dinner guest. I am happy I read this book, as I got a bit more information on Keats, and know I am good with what I know. I would like to read more of his poems. Side note, Shelley seems more like fuckboy than Byron (poor Mary).
***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
For more info and images:
My Novelesque Blog
2022; Knopf/Penguin Random House
What I know about Keats can fit a doll-size thimble, but his name has been floating around throughout the years. When you love English class, reading and books he's bound to come up. I can't remember if I head/read "Ode to a Nightingale" or "Ode on a Grecian Urn" first but these two poems cemented in my brain. Not the lines, but the titles and that they are odes. Keats was just 25 years old when he dies, but his poetry and name is still famous today. What caught my attention with this book was that it looked at Keats life through nine of his poems and one epitaph (his). I recognized one other ode but the rest were new to me, and I am not sure if I am Keats fan. It is only nine poems after all. I don't know if it was the writing, or Keats himself, but I did not really get a sense of him. Sometimes, even though, I am reading a biography of someone long gone, you can't help but like them as you might get to know them. Having their writing definitely helps that. With Keats I could take or leave him as a possible fantasy dinner guest. I am happy I read this book, as I got a bit more information on Keats, and know I am good with what I know. I would like to read more of his poems. Side note, Shelley seems more like fuckboy than Byron (poor Mary).
***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
For more info and images:
My Novelesque Blog