Best Ancient, Classical & Medieval Poetry
A lean, fleet-footed translation that recaptures Homer’s “nimble gallop” and brings an ancient epic to new life. “A staggeringly superior translation―true, poetic, lively and readable, and always closely engaged with the original Greek―that brings to life the fascinating variety of voices in Homer’s great epic.”. - Richard F. Thomas, Harvard University. Emily Wilson has convincingly answered this call: hers is a vital Odyssey for the twenty-first century that brings into rhythmic English the power, dignity, variety, and immediacy of this great poem.”. - Laura Slatkin, New York University. Ever readable but endlessly surprising, this translation redefines the terms of modern engagement with Homer’s poetry.”. - Tim Whitmarsh, author of Battling the Gods.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"More than in other translations, the Odyssey comes across here strongly as a historical document, the product of a culture from a particular time and place. Muse, tell me how he wandered and was lost. when he had wrecked the holy town of Troy, and where he went, and who he met, the pain. he suffered in the storms at sea, and how. he worked to save his life and bring his men. back home. Compare Wilson's language with that of the opening of Robert Fitzgerald's translation: "Sing in me, Muse, and through me tell the story. of that man skilled in all ways of contending, the wanderer, harried for years on end, after he plundered the stronghold. on the proud height of Troy. He saw the townlands. and learned the minds of many distant men, and weathered many bitter nights and days. in his deep heart at sea, while he fought only. to save his life, to bring his shipmates home. Fitzgerald translates it as "skilled in all ways of contending," and Fagles as "the man of twists and turns.""
"I have read and taught the Odyssey at least five times over the past twenty years. And Emily Wilson's version is a godsend."
"The first stanzas will make you perk up and realize that this is the most interesting translation of the Odyssey for our time."
"but at age 81 I consider The Odyssey the greatest book I have ever read, for itself and for its influence on my ways of thinking and of living. The main reason is that, in comparison to the others, it is best at creating the mood of an ancient, epic, poem. I love it when he repeats, for the nth time, "Son of Laertes and the Gods of old, Odysseus, master of land ways and sea ways..." and other such formulaic hints that we are not reading a James Bond or even a Scott Fitzgerald, nor Salinger, nor McEwan, nor certainly a Hemingway novel -- the content should perhaps be enough to distinguish Odyssey as the great epic it is, but I like the complementing embellishments of Fitzgerald's version. For a more important difference, compare the climax, as Odysseus is about to slaughter the suitors: Fitzgerald has him say: "You yellow dogs, you thought I'd never make it. home from the land of Troy. But Fitzgerald focuses on breaking the rules, on disrespecting the mores of their time: the suitors were contemptuous of both the gods, and the opinions of their fellow men."
It's a rollicking good read' The Independent. _________ No one loves and quarrels, desires and deceives as boldly and brilliantly as Greek gods and goddesses. From the birth of the universe to the creation of humankind, Stephen Fry - who fell in love with these stories as a child - retells these myths for our tragic, comic, fateful age. Experience the terrible and endless fate of Prometheus after his betrayal of Zeus and shiver as Pandora opens her jar of evil torments. Arguably the greatest living Englishman * Independent on Sunday * The patron saint of British intelligence * Daily Telegraph * National Treasure: noun - someone or something regarded as emblematic of a nation's cultural heritage, such as Stephen Fry * Oxford English Dictionary * Stephen Fry is an award-winning comedian, actor, presenter and director.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It's been a very long time since I've enjoyed a book as much I have this one."
"Stephen Fry never disappoints."
"It's very exciting and suspenseful, watching the world come into being."
"Love the book."
"Easy reading of many slightly familiar stories."
"Highly recommend."
"Well, now that I've read it - and you have read this threadbare review - you and I can say it, too, but believing in fair play, we should always credit Stephen Fry."
The Essential Rumi continues to be the bestselling of all Rumi books, and the definitive selection of his beautiful, mystical poetry. -- Huston Smith, author of "The World's Religions""In this.delightful treasury, Barks sparklingly demonstratesonce again why his free-form interpretations of [Rumi's] poetryhave been a major impetus for the current Rumi vogue."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"One of best book of great Rumi."
"In September of 2012, I created a photographic gallery of Rumi quotations and used a few of the quotes from Coleman Bark's book with direct permission from the author - I thought it was so cool that he emailed me back and was gracious about it. The translation is great but the content is very hard to put into context.... it's like reading about another person's dreams.... they make very little sense except a few moments in time when something clarifying and brilliant happens."
"Great poetry that inspires and is easily relate able to modern times."
"One of my all-time favorite books which I can and will read over and over."
"I read this book daily."
"I have had this in book form and I need something I can just carry with me anywhere I go."
"Coleman Barks is one of the best for bringing Rumi to the 21st century!..not literal translations from Persian, I've heard, but renderings that do capture the taste of Rumi's message."
"Wanted it to go to when I wanted/needed his wonderful words to center and quiet me."
Best Ancient & Classical Poetry
A lean, fleet-footed translation that recaptures Homer’s “nimble gallop” and brings an ancient epic to new life. “A staggeringly superior translation―true, poetic, lively and readable, and always closely engaged with the original Greek―that brings to life the fascinating variety of voices in Homer’s great epic.”. - Richard F. Thomas, Harvard University. “Emily Wilson has produced a clear, vigorous, sensitive Odyssey that conveys both the grand scale and the individual pathos of this foundational story. Emily Wilson has convincingly answered this call: hers is a vital Odyssey for the twenty-first century that brings into rhythmic English the power, dignity, variety, and immediacy of this great poem.”. - Laura Slatkin, New York University.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"More than in other translations, the Odyssey comes across here strongly as a historical document, the product of a culture from a particular time and place. Muse, tell me how he wandered and was lost. when he had wrecked the holy town of Troy, and where he went, and who he met, the pain. he suffered in the storms at sea, and how. he worked to save his life and bring his men. back home. Compare Wilson's language with that of the opening of Robert Fitzgerald's translation: "Sing in me, Muse, and through me tell the story. of that man skilled in all ways of contending, the wanderer, harried for years on end, after he plundered the stronghold. on the proud height of Troy. He saw the townlands. and learned the minds of many distant men, and weathered many bitter nights and days. in his deep heart at sea, while he fought only. to save his life, to bring his shipmates home. Fitzgerald translates it as "skilled in all ways of contending," and Fagles as "the man of twists and turns.""
"I have read and taught the Odyssey at least five times over the past twenty years. And Emily Wilson's version is a godsend."
"The first stanzas will make you perk up and realize that this is the most interesting translation of the Odyssey for our time."
"but at age 81 I consider The Odyssey the greatest book I have ever read, for itself and for its influence on my ways of thinking and of living. The main reason is that, in comparison to the others, it is best at creating the mood of an ancient, epic, poem. I love it when he repeats, for the nth time, "Son of Laertes and the Gods of old, Odysseus, master of land ways and sea ways..." and other such formulaic hints that we are not reading a James Bond or even a Scott Fitzgerald, nor Salinger, nor McEwan, nor certainly a Hemingway novel -- the content should perhaps be enough to distinguish Odyssey as the great epic it is, but I like the complementing embellishments of Fitzgerald's version. For a more important difference, compare the climax, as Odysseus is about to slaughter the suitors: Fitzgerald has him say: "You yellow dogs, you thought I'd never make it. home from the land of Troy. But Fitzgerald focuses on breaking the rules, on disrespecting the mores of their time: the suitors were contemptuous of both the gods, and the opinions of their fellow men."
"I was struck by how this version lays out the moral ambiguity of Odysseus, the haplessness of Telemachus, the decadence of the suitors and the extreme violence of the conclusion (Peckinpah came to mind as I read)."
"The introduction was informative, the translation compellingly lyrical."
Best Ancient Greek History
It's a rollicking good read' The Independent. _________ No one loves and quarrels, desires and deceives as boldly and brilliantly as Greek gods and goddesses. From the birth of the universe to the creation of humankind, Stephen Fry - who fell in love with these stories as a child - retells these myths for our tragic, comic, fateful age. Experience the terrible and endless fate of Prometheus after his betrayal of Zeus and shiver as Pandora opens her jar of evil torments. Arguably the greatest living Englishman * Independent on Sunday * The patron saint of British intelligence * Daily Telegraph * National Treasure: noun - someone or something regarded as emblematic of a nation's cultural heritage, such as Stephen Fry * Oxford English Dictionary * Stephen Fry is an award-winning comedian, actor, presenter and director.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It's been a very long time since I've enjoyed a book as much I have this one."
"Stephen Fry never disappoints."
"It's very exciting and suspenseful, watching the world come into being."
"Love the book."
"Easy reading of many slightly familiar stories."
"Highly recommend."
"Well, now that I've read it - and you have read this threadbare review - you and I can say it, too, but believing in fair play, we should always credit Stephen Fry."
Best Greek & Roman Literature
Homer’s great epic The Odyssey —one of Western literature’s most enduring and important works—translated by Richmond Lattimore. The most eloquent translation of Homer's epic chronicle of the Greek hero Odysseus and his arduous journey home after the Trojan War.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Peter Green states in the introduction that he is following in the footsteps of Lattimore, to preserve as much of the poem in Greek--wording, sentence structure, meter, and so on--in English, but to also make it declaimable. There is the Fagles translation, in modern free verse, is wonderful to read aloud. The Fagles Odyssey was on Selected Shorts once, and for a long time after I insisted that there was no other worthwhile contemporary translation of Homer. Lombardo's translation is pretty common in colleges because of the price and the slangy presentation. In the Greek, the Iliad has "μῆνιν ἄειδε θεὰ Πηληϊάδεω Ἀχιλῆος" Quite literally, "Rage! The first word is the theme of the poem, the way it is directed first against Agamemnon, then toward the Trojans, and then tempered for a common moment of humanity, is the internal trajectory of the whole epic. Make it into readable English, and you wind up with a host of compromises where thousands of close translations might do. Go far enough you wind up with Girardoux's "The Trojan War Will Not Take Place," worthwhile on its own, but not really a "translation." The introduction includes a plot summary of the whole Trojan War, of which the Iliad only covers a small portion. There is also a synopsis of the poem keyed to the poem in the back matter to help find your place, an enlightening glossary of names and concepts to help you through your first read, and footnotes to inform the reader of context that has since been lost."
"With many books, translations are negligible, with two obvious exceptions, one is the Bible, and surprisingly the other is The Iliad. -Translated by Robert Fagles, 1990. “Sing, O Goddess, the anger of Achilles, son of Peleus, that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans. Many a brave soul did it send hurrying down to Hades, and many a heroes did it yield a prey to dogs and vultures for so were the counsels of Zeus fulfilled from the day on which the son of Atreus, king of men, and great Achilles first fell out with one another.”. -Translated by Samuel Butler, 1888. “Rage: Sing, Goddess, Achilles’ rage, Black and murderous, that cost the Greeks. Incalculable pain pitched countless souls. Of heroes into Hades’ dark, And let their bodies rot as feasts. For dogs and birds, as Zeus’ will was done. Begin with the clash between Agamemnon—. The Greek Warlord—and godlike Achilles.”. -Translated by Stanley Lombardo, 1997. “Anger be now your song, immortal one, Akhilleus’ anger, doomed and ruinous, that caused the Akhaians loss on bitter loss. and crowded brave souls into the undergloom, leaving so many dead men—carrion. for dogs and birds; and the will of Zeus was done. Begin it when the two men first contending. broke with one another—. the Lord Marshal Agamémnon, Atreus’ son, and Prince Akhilleus.”. -Translated by Translated by Robert Fitzgerald, 1963. “Sing, goddess, the anger of Peleus’ son of Achilleus and its devastation, which puts pains thousandfold upon the Achains, hurled in the multitudes to the house of Hades strong souls of heroes, but gave their bodies to be the delicate feasting of dogs, of all birds, and the will of Zeus was accomplished since that time when first there stood the division of conflict Atrecus’ son the lord of men and brilliant Achilleus.”. –Translated by Richmond Lattimore, 1951. “Sing, goddess, of Peleus’ son Achilles’ anger, ruinous, that caused the Greeks untold ordeals, consigned to Hades countless valiant souls, heroes, and left their bodies prey for dogs or feast for vultures. Zeus’s will was done from when those two first quarreled and split apart, the king, Agamemnon, and matchless Achilles.”. -Translated by Herbert Jordan, 2008. “An angry man-there is my story: the bitter rancor of Achillês, prince of the house of Peleus, which brought a thousand troubles upon the Achaian host. Many a strong soul it sent down to Hadês, and left the heroes themselves a prey to the dogs and carrion birds, while the will of God moved on to fulfillment.”. -Translated and transliterated by W.H.D. Rouse, 1950. “Achilles’ wrath, to Greece the direful spring. Of woes unnumber’d, heavenly goddess, sing! That wrath which hurl’d to Pluto’s gloomy reign. The souls of mighty chiefs untimely slain; Whose limbs unburied on the naked shore, Devouring dogs and hungry vultures tore. Peleus’ son; His wrath pernicious, who ten thousand woes. Caused to Achaia’s host, sent many a soul. Illustrious into Ades premature, And Heroes gave (so stood the will of Jove). To dogs and to all ravening fowls a prey, When fierce dispute had separated once. The noble Chief Achilles from the son. Of Atreus, Agamemnon, King of men.”. -Translated by William Cowper, London 1791. “Achilles’ baneful wrath – resound, O goddess – that impos’d. Infinite sorrow on the Greeks, and the brave souls loos’d. From beasts heroic; sent them far, to that invisible cave*. That no light comforts; and their limbs to dogs and vultures gave: To all which Jove’s will give effect; from whom the first strife begun. Betwixt Atrides, king of men, and Thetis’ godlike son*”. -Translated by George Chapman, 1616. “The Rage of Achilles—sing it now, goddess, sing through me. the deadly rage that caused the Achaeans such grief. and hurled down to Hades the souls of so many fighters, leaving their naked flesh to be eaten by dogs. and carrion birds, as the will of Zeus was accomplished. Begin at the time when bitter words first divided. that king of men, Agamemnon, and godlike Achilles.”. -Translated by Stephen Mitchell. “Sing now, goddess, the wrath of Achilles the scion of Peleus, ruinous rage which brought the Achaians uncounted afflictions; many of the powerful souls it sent to the dwelling of Hades, those of the heroes, and spoil for the dogs it made it their bodies, plunder for the birds, and the purpose of Zeus was accomplished__”. -Translated by Rodney Merrill. “Sing, goddess, the anger of Achilles, Peleus’ son, the accused anger which brought the Achaeans countless. agonies and hurled many mighty shades of heroes into Hades, causing them to become the prey of dogs. and all kinds of birds; and the plan of Zeus was fulfilled.”. -Translated by Anthony Verity. Antony does not attempt to be poetic. “Of Peleus’ son, Achilles, sing, O Muse, The vengeance, deep and deadly; whence to Greece. Unnumbered ills arose; which many a soul. Of mighty warriors to the viewless shades. Ultimately sent; they on the battle plain. Unburied lay, to rav’ning dogs, And carrion birds; but had Jove decreed,”. -Translated by Edward Smith-Stanly 1862. “Sing, Goddess of the rage of Achilles, son of Peleus-. that murderous anger witch condemned Achaeans. to countless agonies and threw many warrior souls. deep into Hades, leaving their dead bodies. carrion food for dogs and birds-. all in the fulfillment of the will of Zeus”. - Translated by Professor Ian Johnston, British Columbia 2006. “The rage, sing O goddess, of Achilles, son of Peleus, The destructive anger that brought ten-thousand pains to the. Achaeans and sent many brave souls of fighting men to the house. of Hades and made their bodies a feast for dogs. and all kinds of birds. For such was the will of Zeus.”. - Translated by Barry B. Powell. “Wrath, goddess, sing of Achilles Pēleus’s son’s calamitous wrath, which hit the Achaians countless ills many the valiant souls it saw off down to Hādēs, souls of heroes, their selves left as carrion for dogs and all birds of prey, and the plan of Zeus was fulfilled from the first moment those two men parted in fury, Atreus’s son, king of men, and the godlike Achilles.”. -Translated by Peter Green. “Sing, goddess, the wrath of Achilles Peleus' son, the ruinous wrath that brought on the Achaians woes innumerable, and hurled down into Hades many strong souls of heroes, and gave their bodies to be a prey to dogs and all winged fowls; and so the counsel of Zeus wrought out its accomplishment from the day when first strife parted Atreides king of men and noble Achilles.”. - Translated by Andrew Lang, M.A., Walter Leaf, Litt.D., And Ernest Myers, M.A. --------. Wrath–sing, goddess, of the ruinous wrath of Peleus’ son Achilles, that inflicted woes without number upon the Achaeans, hurled fourth to Hades many strong souls of warriors. and rendered their bodies prey for the dogs, for all birds, and the will of Zeus was accomplished; sing from when they to first stood in conflict-. Ateus’ son, lord of men, and godlike Achilles. We have the wide conflict between the Trojans and Achaeans over a matter of pride; the gods get to take sides and many times direct spears and shields. That of Achilles, son of Peleus and the greatest individual warrior and that of Agamemnon, lord of men, whose power comes form position."
Best Australian & Oceanian Poetry
This book is the product of a collecting effort that was begun by Mrs. Pukui at about the age of fifteen, around 1910, and continued throughout her long and honored career as a translator and collector of historic Hawaiian materials and as a teacher and lecturer on the language, music, and dance of traditional Hawaii. Text: English (translation).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The phrases are available online at several websites, but many more are available in the book and it is really easy to use as a reference since I don't have to spend all that time online looking for just the right phrase. I also found myself getting caught up in the book and reading way beyond the phrase chosen for each month and enjoying it very much."
"This book is a collection of Hawaiian Proverbs and sayings, and each proverb is listed in its traditional Hawaiian followed by the literal translation, then a short summary of the significance of the proverb."
"Quality of the item is choice and perfect to hand down for generations."
"This well-worn book is in Hawaiian Hall at Bishop Museum."
"I have owned many copies of this book over the years as it often disappeared from my office library."
"Glad it was available as an ebook so I could search for specifics when I needed to."
"This is a most informative book that explains why Hawaiian language is so tricky to learn."
"If you love the poetry of language and the Hawaiian language, this is a great book to read or just flip through from time to time."
Best Religious & Inspirational Poetry
The Essential Rumi continues to be the bestselling of all Rumi books, and the definitive selection of his beautiful, mystical poetry. -- Huston Smith, author of "The World's Religions""In this.delightful treasury, Barks sparklingly demonstratesonce again why his free-form interpretations of [Rumi's] poetryhave been a major impetus for the current Rumi vogue."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"One can pick up this volume and turn to any page for a shot of verbal adrenaline, for Rumi talks about everything under the sun and is completely free of puritanical shame - so very refreshing. In fact, he writes as if the listener is on the same level and can ignite the identical inner spark that Rumi has through some kind of spontaneous combustion. I'd also like to see a few hundred copies of Rumi circulated at our nation's capitol, since it's hard to imagine anyone there having read something even as basic and moral as "A Thousand and One Nights," either as a child or by their parents, to expand their perspective on the world as an adult - and unfortunately this contracted and limited view of life really really shows and the rest of us have to suffer for it... Free copies for everyone paid out of the military budget."
"One of best book of great Rumi."
"In September of 2012, I created a photographic gallery of Rumi quotations and used a few of the quotes from Coleman Bark's book with direct permission from the author - I thought it was so cool that he emailed me back and was gracious about it. The translation is great but the content is very hard to put into context.... it's like reading about another person's dreams.... they make very little sense except a few moments in time when something clarifying and brilliant happens."
"Great poetry that inspires and is easily relate able to modern times."
"One of my all-time favorite books which I can and will read over and over."
"I read this book daily."
"I have had this in book form and I need something I can just carry with me anywhere I go."
"Coleman Barks is one of the best for bringing Rumi to the 21st century!..not literal translations from Persian, I've heard, but renderings that do capture the taste of Rumi's message."
Best Caribbean & Latin American Poetry
Every woman should know the feelings of being loved and radiating those feelings back to her mate.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"What a captivating caption and equally captivating words inside."
"My girl loved it, read the whole thing in 5 days."
"this is a great book and i think all women will love it."
"Great book."
"Bought as a gift."
"I love this book so much that I bought a second one for a friend as a gift."
"I'm a sucker for good poetry read it in a day literally!!"
"Great book really encouraging."
Best American Poetry
The book is divided into four chapters, and each chapter serves a different purpose. (USA Today). “Rupi Kaur has vision beyond her years … Her work is simply but powerfully expressed, and viscerally captures both universal human experience and the particular struggles of a young woman today." Rupi Kaur's first book, Milk and Honey is the poetry collection every woman needs on her nightstand or coffee table. Rupi Kaur’s writing echoes of artistry and wisdom which is seen in the work of those that have been writing for years. rupi kaur is a bestselling author and illustrator of two collections of poetry. while studying at the university of waterloo rupi self-published her first collection milk and honey in 2014. milk and honey became an international phenomenon that's been translated into over 30 languages and sold over 2.5 million copies. through her poetry rupi explores a variety of themes ranging from love.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I would've maybe given it two stars if I checked it out at the local library for free, but I'm annoyed I invested my hard earned American dollars into this book. I seriously don't understand if everyone is just reading into the completely non-thought provoking "poems" in this book and making up their own deep meaning or if I'm just totally missing the boat on this one. If you told me my 9-year-old nephew and 6-month-old niece collabed on this book, with him covering the poetry while she handled the artwork, I would fully believe you. If you're a 10th grader who just got dumped by Jimmy from home room and you wanna post a snapchat of one of these heart wrenching break up poems to express how angsty you are, you'll love it."
"I found Rupi Kaur (after hearing her name drifting about) when I saw a breathtaking piece by her (starting with "let me tell you about a selfish person..."). I love poetry. I love traditional poetry, struxtured poetry, unstructured poetry, modern poetry, stand up poetry, you name it. My shelves are lined with just as much edgy, modern, is-this-even-poetry books from up-and-coming poets as they are lined with TS Elliot and Tennyson."
"I have been seeing this at all of the bookstores and decided to give it a read based on the brilliant cover design and book description. It has been a while since I have read a book of poetry, but I have to say I don't feel like I just read one."
"This is some of the most trite poetry I have ever read, and exemplifies zero skill of poetic craft."
"I had so much hope for this book since it had become so popular so I was of course eager to read it."
Best African Poetry
is the debut collection of prose and poetry by Malawian writer, Upile Chisala.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"You can't read this set of poems and then just put them away."
"Perfect."
"wow this book was exactly what i needed."
"Abosolutely lovely!"
"A fantastic collection of poems!"
"There is hope for poetry, for words without fear of criticism, for thoughts with heart, for sharing with fearless compassion."
"Profoundly magical."
Best Asian Poetry
Chuang Tzu, who wrote in the fourth and third centuries B.C., is the chief authentic historical spokesperson for Taoism and its founder Lao Tzu (a legendary character known largely through Chuang Tzu’s writings). (Alan Watts, The New York Times Book Review) Thomas Merton is the saintly man who caused the Dalai Lama to come to admire Christianity as the equal of his beloved Buddhism. (Thich Nhat Hanh) ". Thomas Merton is the saintly man who caused the Dalai Lama to come to admire Christianity as the equal of his beloved Buddhism.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"wonderful quotes from old school Chinese soul challenging."
"Merton in his opening puts the books poem in a Christian context that makes them more relevant to my journey."
"There is something so mesmerizing about Chuang Tzu, so loving and necessary."
"Chuang Tzu."
"This is an amazing book about understanding the Tao by a Christian monk."
"Scalpel like, yet accessible, this collection of thoughts serve as a wonderful guide and reminder of many of the core principles of The Tao."
"Love this."
"I used this book for spiritual reading."
Best Love & Erotic Poetry
Divided into five chapters and illustrated by Kaur, the sun and her flowers is a journey of wilting, falling, rooting, rising, and blooming. [She’s] perhaps the best-known poet in the English-speaking world at this point.” (Bustle). “Rupi Kaur is kicking down the doors of publishing.” (The New York Times (Style)). “The poet who touched a nerve.” (The Times (London)). “Her work is human experience, tidily aestheticized and monetized, rendered inspirational and relatable in perfect balance.” (The Cut). “At once simple, current and hard-hitting.” (The Guardian (London)). “One of the most popular writers in the world, full stop.” (The Globe and Mail). “The line drawings that accompany her poems are raw, evocative and utterly striking.” (Toronto Star). “Rupi Kaur reinvents poetry.” (The Economist). “Rupi Kaur sits atop a new wave in poetry.” (The Wall Street Journal). “At age 24, Rupi Kaur has been called the voice of her generation (move over, Lena Dunham).” (USA Today). “There’s no denying that Rupi Kaur is currently one of the most — if not the most — popular poets in America.” (Boston Globe). “Rupi Kaur is a rock star.” (Kansas City Star).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I did not think she could equal Milk and Honey, but The Sun and Her Flowers has blown me away, and more than lived up to my expectations."
"i can't count how many times I cried while reading this set of poetry."
"She includes a lot about self-love and the abuse she has faced in the past."
"A beautiful read for hurting souls."
"“The Sun and Her Flowers” was even better than “Milk and Honey”."
"I really love her Milk and Honey book and relate to a lot of the poems in that one."
"Sexually explicit poems and drawings not suitable for the 80 year-old woman we purchased it for."
"i really enjoyed milk and honey so i preordered this thinking it would be equally enjoyable."
Best Russian & Former Soviet Union Poetry
Engaging, full of suspense, and varied in tone, it contains a large cast of characters and offers the reader many literary, philosophical, and autobiographical digressions, often in a highly satirical vein. Given a sinecure in the Foreign Office, he spent three dissipated years in St Petersburg writing light, erotic and highly polished verse. In 1824 he was transferred to his parents’ estate at Mikhaylovskoe in north-west Russia, where he spent two solitary but fruitful years during which he wrote his historical drama Boris Godunov , continued Eugene Onegin and finished The Gipsies . In 1829 he went with the Russian army to Transcaucasia, and the following year, stranded by a cholera outbreak at the small family estate of Boldino, he wrote his experimental Little Tragedies in blank verse and The Tales of Belkin in prose, and virtually completed Eugene Onegin .
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Enjoyed this very much."
"Onegin is a 5 star story but this is hardly annotated- it had only 3 endnotes!"
"Needed for a report."
"Definitely the most poetic and beautiful translation I've read of Eugene Onegin, though less "accurate" than the Nabokov translation."
"since then, there have been several good new poetic translations into english, and this is one of them."
"For asn English scvore it was fine,however many companies are now performing this in Russian and I expected Schirmer editions to have included the Russian text by now."
"It is important to read the works of major writers from different cultures and if you are unfamiliar with Russian literature this is a good place to begin."
"I fully understand what Hofstadter meant when he said that after reading Falen's translation one gets the true sense of having read the original (this despite my not reading Russian)."
Best Middle Eastern Poetry
The Prophet is a book of 26 poetic essays written in English in 1923 by the Lebanese-American artist, philosopher and writer Khalil Gibran. The people gather round, each asks a question of the heart, and the man's wisdom is his gift.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I bought this to replenish my lending library."
"The seller was very prompt, and even agreed to add a birthday note with the shipment."
"Must read before you Die."
"It seems to be one of those books you keep passing forward, like Gift From the Sea. All I can say, at the time is, to continue maintaining your amazing customer service."
"This was given to me as a gift so I purchased one to give as a gift."
"It has helped to replace the many dysfunctional premises my sociopathic parents modeled!"
"This is my favorite gift for graduating seniors."
"This is a classic."
Best Chinese Poetry
storied cliffs were the fortune I cast. bird trails beyond human tracks. what surrounds my yard. white clouds nesting dark rocks. I've lived here quite a few years. and always seen the spring-water change. tell those people with tripods and bells. empty names are no damn good. my place is on Cold Mountain. perched on a cliff beyond the circuit of affliction. images leave no trace when they vanish. I roam the whole galaxy from here. lights and shadows flash across my mind. not one dharma comes before me. since I found the magic pearl. I can go anywhere everywhere it's perfect. The Poems Of Big Stick: 1. The Poems Of Big Stick: 2. The Poems Of Big Stick: 3. The Poems Of Big Stick: 4. The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 1. The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 10. The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 100. The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 101. The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 102. The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 103. The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 104. The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 105. The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 106. 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The Poems Of Pickup: 6. The Poems Of Pickup: 7. The Poems Of Pickup: 8. The Poems Of Pickup: 9. -- Table of Poems from Poem Finder® Text: English, Chinese (translation).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Han Shan was a medieval Chinese poet, often considered part of the Ch'an (Zen) Buddhist tradition. The poems are short, but the book is long, containing 307 poems by Han Shan, 49 by Shih Te, and four by Feng Kan. Han Shan's style is simple and straightforward, lyrical at times and rhetorical, even invective, at others."
"I have an old addition with about a third of the poems, so it was great to get the complete work."
"Book is in new condition."
"These mostly short thoughts set life into perspective in a satisfying way."
"Elegant words from a master poet."
"Hanshan, Cold Mountain, is a great poet who's work remains interesting and inviting in any age."
"Beautiful and provocative."
"The history was better than I expected and he (Han Shan) has such succinct poems."
Best Italian Poetry
The authoritative translations of The Inferno , The Purgatorio , and The Paradiso —together in one volume. Critic extraordinaire James (Cultural Amnesia, 2007) is also a poet (Opal Sunset: Selected Poems, 2008), and he has been working his way to this daring project ever since he was in Florence in the mid-1960s while studying at Cambridge, as he explains in his rousing introduction. James’ revitalizing translation allows this endlessly analyzed, epic, archetypal “journey to salvation” to once again stride, whirl, blaze, and sing. Anyone heretofore reluctant to pick up The Divine Comedy will discover that James’ bold, earthy, rhythmic and rhyming, all-the-way live English translation fulsomely and brilliantly liberates the profound humanity of Dante’s timeless masterpiece.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
"Not being a fan of Italian material, or ancient poetry, this attempt, although no doubt brilliant, is still not going to put Dante front and center in our time."
"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."
"Dante is part of my "Life Curriculum," books that I read and reread throughout my years, inorder to establish a good basis for thinking and believing."
"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?"
"I read a different version that had extensive use of very fancy words which made keeping up with the story line a bit difficult."
Best Contemporary Poetry
For the first time—the first six explosive novels in Lee Child's #1 New York Times bestselling Jack Reacher series—now together in one e-book package! KILLING FLOOR Ex-military policeman Jack Reacher isn’t in the small town of Margrave, Georgia for less than an hour before he’s arrested for murder. DIE TRYING When a woman is kidnapped off a Chicago street in broad daylight, Jack Reacher is unlucky enough to be taken with her. RUNNING BLIND Across the country, women are being murdered, victims of a disciplined and clever killer who leaves no evidence, no fatal wounds, no signs of struggle, and no apparent motive. WITHOUT FAIL Skilled, cautious, and anonymous, Jack Reacher is perfect for the job: assassinate the vice president of the United States. A female Secret Service agent wants Reacher to find the holes in her system, and fast—because a covert group already has the vice president in their sights. “A riveting thriller, brought to life with well-observed detail and paced with taut, evocative prose. “Child presents his tense, action-packed adventure in vivid prose, as lean and capable as his central character.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Fine source of early Reacher in case you missed the first ones."
"My favourite author & I love all the Jack Reacher books."
"My fiance couldnt put these down."
"Action and adventure at its finest!"
"I enjoyed the hell out of these books."
"My husband has thoroughly enjoyed reading all these books."
Best Epic Poetry
A lean, fleet-footed translation that recaptures Homer’s “nimble gallop” and brings an ancient epic to new life. “A staggeringly superior translation―true, poetic, lively and readable, and always closely engaged with the original Greek―that brings to life the fascinating variety of voices in Homer’s great epic.”. - Richard F. Thomas, Harvard University. Emily Wilson has convincingly answered this call: hers is a vital Odyssey for the twenty-first century that brings into rhythmic English the power, dignity, variety, and immediacy of this great poem.”. - Laura Slatkin, New York University. Ever readable but endlessly surprising, this translation redefines the terms of modern engagement with Homer’s poetry.”. - Tim Whitmarsh, author of Battling the Gods.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"More than in other translations, the Odyssey comes across here strongly as a historical document, the product of a culture from a particular time and place. Muse, tell me how he wandered and was lost. when he had wrecked the holy town of Troy, and where he went, and who he met, the pain. he suffered in the storms at sea, and how. he worked to save his life and bring his men. back home. Compare Wilson's language with that of the opening of Robert Fitzgerald's translation: "Sing in me, Muse, and through me tell the story. of that man skilled in all ways of contending, the wanderer, harried for years on end, after he plundered the stronghold. on the proud height of Troy. He saw the townlands. and learned the minds of many distant men, and weathered many bitter nights and days. in his deep heart at sea, while he fought only. to save his life, to bring his shipmates home. Fitzgerald translates it as "skilled in all ways of contending," and Fagles as "the man of twists and turns.""
"I have read and taught the Odyssey at least five times over the past twenty years. And Emily Wilson's version is a godsend."
"The first stanzas will make you perk up and realize that this is the most interesting translation of the Odyssey for our time."
"but at age 81 I consider The Odyssey the greatest book I have ever read, for itself and for its influence on my ways of thinking and of living. The main reason is that, in comparison to the others, it is best at creating the mood of an ancient, epic, poem. I love it when he repeats, for the nth time, "Son of Laertes and the Gods of old, Odysseus, master of land ways and sea ways..." and other such formulaic hints that we are not reading a James Bond or even a Scott Fitzgerald, nor Salinger, nor McEwan, nor certainly a Hemingway novel -- the content should perhaps be enough to distinguish Odyssey as the great epic it is, but I like the complementing embellishments of Fitzgerald's version. For a more important difference, compare the climax, as Odysseus is about to slaughter the suitors: Fitzgerald has him say: "You yellow dogs, you thought I'd never make it. home from the land of Troy. But Fitzgerald focuses on breaking the rules, on disrespecting the mores of their time: the suitors were contemptuous of both the gods, and the opinions of their fellow men."
"And the Translator's Note will introduce current readers to Emily Wilson's point of view and focus as she translated Homer's lines."
Best Women's Poetry
The book is divided into four chapters, and each chapter serves a different purpose. (USA Today). “Rupi Kaur has vision beyond her years … Her work is simply but powerfully expressed, and viscerally captures both universal human experience and the particular struggles of a young woman today." Rupi Kaur's first book, Milk and Honey is the poetry collection every woman needs on her nightstand or coffee table. Rupi Kaur’s writing echoes of artistry and wisdom which is seen in the work of those that have been writing for years. rupi kaur is a bestselling author and illustrator of two collections of poetry. while studying at the university of waterloo rupi self-published her first collection milk and honey in 2014. milk and honey became an international phenomenon that's been translated into over 30 languages and sold over 2.5 million copies. through her poetry rupi explores a variety of themes ranging from love.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I would've maybe given it two stars if I checked it out at the local library for free, but I'm annoyed I invested my hard earned American dollars into this book. I seriously don't understand if everyone is just reading into the completely non-thought provoking "poems" in this book and making up their own deep meaning or if I'm just totally missing the boat on this one. If you told me my 9-year-old nephew and 6-month-old niece collabed on this book, with him covering the poetry while she handled the artwork, I would fully believe you. If you're a 10th grader who just got dumped by Jimmy from home room and you wanna post a snapchat of one of these heart wrenching break up poems to express how angsty you are, you'll love it."
"I found Rupi Kaur (after hearing her name drifting about) when I saw a breathtaking piece by her (starting with "let me tell you about a selfish person..."). I love poetry. I love traditional poetry, struxtured poetry, unstructured poetry, modern poetry, stand up poetry, you name it. My shelves are lined with just as much edgy, modern, is-this-even-poetry books from up-and-coming poets as they are lined with TS Elliot and Tennyson."
"This is some of the most trite poetry I have ever read, and exemplifies zero skill of poetic craft."
"I have been seeing this at all of the bookstores and decided to give it a read based on the brilliant cover design and book description. It has been a while since I have read a book of poetry, but I have to say I don't feel like I just read one."
"I had so much hope for this book since it had become so popular so I was of course eager to read it."
Best French Poetry
This Norton Critical Edition includes all of Marie’s lais (short narrative verse poems); selected fables; and a generous excerpt from Saint Patrick’s Purgatory , a long poem based on a well-known medieval legend. Topics include “The Supernatural,” “Love and Romance,” “Medical Traditions,” “Fable Sources and Analogues: Similar Themes,” and “Purgatory and the Afterlife.” Ovid, Chaucer, Andreas Capellanus, Boccaccio, Aristotle, and Bede are among the authors included. Dorothy Gilbert has served on the faculties of the University of California at Davis, Mills College, Merritt College, and the California State University, East Bay; since retiring from the California State University, she has taught in the Fall Program for Freshmen at the University of California, Berkeley.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Great collection of a very key player in Midieval Literature."
"While it is easy to find copies of MDF's lais, it was nice to find a book that contained the fables and St. Patrick's Purgatory as well."
"Dorothy Gilbert's translations of Marie de France's verse narratives are lucid and lovely."
Best German Poetry
Rilke's timeless letters about poetry, sensitive observation, and the complicated workings of the human heart. At the end of this millennium, his slender book holds everything a student of the century could want: the unedited thoughts of (arguably) the most important European poet of the modern age. Yet he spends most of the time encouraging the student in his own work, delivering a sublime, one-on-one equivalent of the modern writing workshop: --Jennifer Buckendorff "...I cannot think of a better book to put into the hands of any young would-be poet, as an inspirational guide to poetry and to surviving as a poet in a hostile world."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Beautiful, inspiring, poetic."
"The German language is so perfectly succinct that finding a translation that flows as lovely as Rilke is difficult."
"Great gift for aspiring poets."
"This is one of Rilke's most popular and accessible works, able to be appreciated by poets and the general reader equally well."
"I have wanted to get a sense of Rilke' s ideas/ philosophy."
"One of the most remarkable books I've read."
Best Spanish Poetry
Virgil's great epic transforms the Homeric tradition into a triumphal statement of the Roman civilizing mission. Long the bane of second-year Latin students thrust into a rhetoric of sweeping, seemingly endless sentences full of difficult verb forms and obscure words, Virgil's Aeneid finds a helpful translator in Robert Fitzgerald, who turns the lines into beautiful, accessible American English. “Fitzgerald’s is so decisively the best modern Aeneid that it is unthinkable anyone will want to use any other version for a long time to come.” – New York Review of Books “A rendering that is both marvelously readable and scrupulously faithful . Fitzgerald has managed, by a sensitive use of faintly archaic vocabulary and a keen ear for sound and rhythm, to suggest the solemnity and the movement of Virgil’s poetry as no previous translator has done . Fitzgerald hides his consummate artistry, effaces his own prodigious labor, until the text speaks to us directly, without foreignness of time or place.” – The Boston Review.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This is a superb translation by John Dryden (17th century English poet)."
"There are many good translations of Virgil's Aeneid, but Dryden's is special."
"This makes The Aeneid actually readable."
"A good translation."
"I had to read it for my humanities class at UCSD, and it was one of the better books to read."
"This is a good translation of Vergil's masterpiece: The Aeneid."
"It was sometimes hard to keep track of the same people or nations having 3 or 4 separate names, but this offered a quick reference and short description that I found invaluable."
Best Irish Poetry
Puckoon is Spike Milligan's classic slapstick novel, reissued for the first time since it was published in 1963. 'Bursts at the seams with superb comic characters involved in unbelievably likely troubles on the Irish border' Observer 'Our first comic philosopher' Eddie Izzard Spike Milligan was one of the greatest and most influential comedians of the twentieth century. Bursts at the seams with superb comic characters involved in unbelievably likely troubles on the Irish border * Observer * Pops with the erratic brilliance of a careless match in a box of fireworks * Daily Mail * Our first comic philosopher -- Eddie Izzard Milligan is the Great God to all of us -- John Cleese The legendary and iconic figure, Spike Milligan was born at Ahmednagar in India in 1918.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This is a classic Irish farce about the futility of the war between the IRA and the British."
"Spike Milligan appears to be a clever comic..but..in this book it is very clear that he was appalled by how easily girls (of the 1970's) found it to have an abortion..Apart from this coming over so clearly.the book is typically Spike Milligan at his funniest...I chuckled my way through it and, all too soon it was finished..please read it..Spike would be thrilled to pieces that you do.."
"I have a neighbor, born in England, came to the U.S. at the age of 19 as a nanny, married, had a family, and now, at 73, talks a lot about "growing up"."
"Everything was as should be."
"Spike Milligan's tale is one which allows his characters to give the reader a good chuckle throughout the story."
"I read this book years ago and it is still one of the funniest ones I have ever read!"
"Its an old book written in 1950's i think so some of the writing is less than PC."
"I have read this book seven times."
Best Japanese Poetry & Haiku
In your hands is a poetry journal written by an undead poet, recounting his firsthand experience during the zombie plague. Ryan Mecum has quite possibly found the only corner of entertainment not yet infected by the zombie plague--haiku--and made me wonder why it took this long, as the two seem to go together like zombies and brains. "The most inventive zombie book in years!" Ryan Mecum is the author of the adorably disgusting Horror Haiku series that includes Zombie Haiku , Vampire Haiku , Werewolf Haiku , and Dawn Of Zombie Haiku .
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Great read for everyone."
"At first I had no interest but after reading the first few pages I was hooked."
"This would make a perfect gift for that special someone with zombies on the brain!"
"I loved it so much I bought a few and passed them around as Christmas gifts this past year to anyone I knew that would appreciate this kind of humor."
"Book #1 Read in 2014. Zombie Haiku by Ryan Mecum. This was a quick read, told in haiku format, about the zombie uprising."
"Yes, sometimes repetitive and gory, with silly photos and no happy ending, nevertheless, a good addition to any haiku library."
"This is a fun haiku poetry book that is perfect for quick reading while waiting."
"My Son owns all the Haiku books by Ryan Mecum so I have read them all."
Best Norse & Icelandic Sagas
The refined Arab courtier Ibn Fadlan is accompanying a party of Viking warriors back to their home. This remarkable true story originated from actual journal entries of an Arab man who traveled with a group of Vikings throughout northern Europe. The unabridged story is read by actor Victor Garber ( Titanic ; The First Wives Club ), who brings life and a personality to the plot--convincingly portraying each character with appropriate accents. This engaging audio adaptation presents Crichton's (The Lost World) variation on the Beowulf tale from the perspective of a contemporary reporter. The narrator, Ahmad Ibn Fadlan, courtier in the court of the Caliph of Bagdad, is detoured from his diplomatic mission and joins a group of Vikings on a heroic quest.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Crichton is to be commended for his approach to the subject matter and the nerve to re-write the Beowulf story."
"Great book!"
"Although a little different than typical Crichton fare, I greatly enjoyed the book."
"A very nice book."
"About 2/5th of the book I think is about the journey but the rest is about his time with the Northmen and the Eaters of the Dead that they encountered."
"So happy with this find!"
"A lifelong fan of Crichton’s, this historical entry is interesting only for its juxtaposition of the narrator’s Muslim ways versus the heathen vikings’ wisdoms."
"Seems to me this is very like the movie "the thirteenth warrior" starring Antonio Banderos."