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Best French Poetry

Dance Me to the End of Love (Art & Poetry)
10 years ago, Welcome Books published the star of its Art & Poetry Series, Dance Me to the End of Love , a deliriously romantic song by Leonard Cohen that was brilliantly visualized through the sensual paintings of Henri Matisse. He has published two novels, The Favourite Gam e and Beautiful Losers , and ten books of poetry, most recently Stranger Music: Selected Poems and Songs and Book of Longing .
Reviews
"Beautiful book that artfully depicts one of my favorite songs from Leonard Cohen."
"LOVELY BOOK MELDING OF TWO FAVORITES."
"Lovely pairing of song lyrics with paintings."
"I was hoping there will be many more songs!"
"great together as book!"
"My daughters favorite story time book."
"Beautiful book for the whole family ."
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The Flowers of Evil (Oxford World's Classics) (English and French Edition)
Eliot called the greatest example of modern poetry in any language, shocked the literary world of nineteenth century France with its outspoken portrayal of lesbian love, its linking of sexuality and death, its unremitting irony, and its unflinching celebration of the seamy side of urban life. 'Jonathan Culler's 24 page introduction is thoughtful and informative; and the editorial apparatus of bibliography, chronology and notes on the text are up to the high standard of the series.'. A scrupulous and sensitive poet has made the whole of Baudelaire's poetry in verse available in English so that the unique quality of the original consistently survives.'.
Reviews
"Mad I was reading a biography recently, this poet's work was noted within the story, as well as bibliography."
"I purchased this book for my daughter and she loved it."
"This translation is pretty good compared to another version I had and didn't like."
"Keith Waldrop is a brilliant translator, because he is a brilliant writer himself."
"I’ve been wanting another copy of this book since I read it years ago and gave it off."
"A very nicely presented book, binding and typographically."
"Used to read this in Chinese, bought this Kindle Edition especially trying to read the English version."
"The book itself does not even list the translator, or the publisher, and the text on the back has nothing to do with the book."
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The Lais of Marie de France (Penguin Classics)
De France takes a subtle and complex view of courtly love, whether telling the story of the knight who betrays his fairy mistress or describing the noblewoman who embroiders her sad tale on the shroud for a nightingale killed by a jealous and suspicious husband. Glyn S. Burgess is currently Professor of French and Head of Department at the University of Liverpool.
Reviews
"It's very easy to read and I found the stories quite enjoyable."
"Amazing book."
"I bought this for my mother and she loved it!"
"Has very useful analysis after each poem."
"Many of the stories are fun to read and entertaining in their own right."
"Good prices and good condition!"
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Best Spanish Poetry

The Essential Neruda: Selected Poems (Bilingual Edition) (English and Spanish Edition)
An impressive group of translators that includes Alastair Reid, Stephen Mitchell, Robert Hass, Stephen Kessler and Jack Hirschman, have come together to revisit or completely retranslate the poems; and a handful of previously untranslated works are included as well. Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1971, his breadth of vision and wide range of themes are extraordinary, and his work continues to inspire new generations of readers and writers.
Reviews
"EXCELLENT poems."
"Adds to my romantic side; spouse appreciates."
"Me encanta!"
"HE writes about my lover."
"was i supposed to receive 4 copies?"
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Best German Poetry

The Poetic Edda: Stories of the Norse Gods and Heroes (Hackett Classics)
"The poems of the Poetic Edda have waited a long time for a Modern English translation that would do them justice. Jackson Crawford earned his Ph.D. in Scandinavian Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and an M.A.
Reviews
"There's a difference... actually, there's an abyss between a translation and a true, high quality social localization."
"One of the best translations I've seen."
"This is a beautiful translation and interpretation of the Poetic Edda."
"Great translation, I'd recommend to anyone interested in the subject matter."
"Clear, easily readable texts; good background and notes; works well as an introductory text for Norse mythology to undergraduates."
"Excellent work by an excellent Professor."
"Great book."
"Can't wait to dig in."
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Best Italian Poetry

The Divine Comedy (The Inferno, The Purgatorio, and The Paradiso)
The authoritative translations of The Inferno , The Purgatorio , and The Paradiso —together in one volume. “I think [Ciardi’s] version of Dante will be in many respects the best we have seen.”—John Crowe Ransom.
Reviews
"I have the Kindle and paperback versions and both are excellent."
"I'm happy to report that Clive James has made even this abstract exploration of light and doctrine (and, I might add, occasionally smug self-righteousness on Dante's part) a fascinating journey. James has chosen an unusual verse form - quatrains, with an abab rhyme scheme - to translate this, but it works well: it moves quickly and smoothly, each line pulling you forward to the next. For example, the "one who made the great refusal" is identified in the verse as Pope Celestine: if you have to pick one among many, that IS the closest to a scholarly consensus; but purists would argue against closing off other possibilities."
"One of the best; I always enjoyed reading it; over and over."
"I wish the verses were numbered as well, but with the Kindle you can search by word and the results give you ample clues as to which canto the word on which the search was performed is located."
"His style is both poetic and dramatic, and while he strives to make the text accessible to a modern reader, he does not make the mistake of cheapening the genius of Dante by making a "modern" translation. And, of course, all the various characters and personalities that Dante encounters in his journey toward and into Heaven are explained (if the reader does not have an extremely solid grasp of Medieval European politics (and how many of us do?"
"But while the architecture of the work was amazing, line by line it was often a hard slog."
"I bought these 3 volumes for a course, which was then postponed indefinitely."
"I buy these books for the cover--the goal is to have all of them--exquisite cloth bound covers by Coralie Bickford Smith--she was featured years ago in Fine Books and her books are worth collecting."
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Best Norse & Icelandic Sagas

The Poetic Edda: Stories of the Norse Gods and Heroes (Hackett Classics)
"The poems of the Poetic Edda have waited a long time for a Modern English translation that would do them justice. Jackson Crawford earned his Ph.D. in Scandinavian Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and an M.A.
Reviews
"There's a difference... actually, there's an abyss between a translation and a true, high quality social localization."
"One of the best translations I've seen."
"This is a beautiful translation and interpretation of the Poetic Edda."
"Great translation, I'd recommend to anyone interested in the subject matter."
"Clear, easily readable texts; good background and notes; works well as an introductory text for Norse mythology to undergraduates."
"Excellent work by an excellent Professor."
"Great book."
"Can't wait to dig in."
Find Best Price at Amazon