mixedblessings89's review against another edition
5.0
What a truly astonishing book... the man even predicted modern day incels, and incel adjacent men :/ but that is really the least of it.
Its a short book with barely a handful of pages, but it inspires such self reflection and requires such thoughtful and attentive reading that it took me a few days to finish it. Nor is it a book that can be read in a sitting, such is the kind of work it requires from the reader, but work in the gentlest, kindest way. This is also the first time someone, let alone a man who has never dreamed anyone like me could even exit, has given me permission to indulge in solitude. Perhaps the one thing I have craved since childhood. It feels radical, subversive, emancipatory, liberating.
I understand now why some people would wish to keep this with them at all times. I do too.
Its a short book with barely a handful of pages, but it inspires such self reflection and requires such thoughtful and attentive reading that it took me a few days to finish it. Nor is it a book that can be read in a sitting, such is the kind of work it requires from the reader, but work in the gentlest, kindest way. This is also the first time someone, let alone a man who has never dreamed anyone like me could even exit, has given me permission to indulge in solitude. Perhaps the one thing I have craved since childhood. It feels radical, subversive, emancipatory, liberating.
I understand now why some people would wish to keep this with them at all times. I do too.
niniane's review against another edition
4.0
I found the first letter vaguely interesting, and the other letters boring EXCEPT the eighth letter, which blew me away. I want to re-read the eighth letter frequently. Then it occurred to me that perhaps all the letters are wise, but I only have the right mental space to appreciate the eighth letter.
vasuki's review against another edition
5.0
"Allow life to happen to you. Believe me, life is right in all cases."
I wasn't planning to rate a book like this, but I couldn't believe how deeply enlightening and insightful every page was. So much of Rilke's words felt extraordinarily relevant to me, almost on a word by word basis, mirroring conversations I've had, journal entries I've written, or just thoughts I've lingered on for years. The themes of solitude, love, grief, innocence, trust... and the beauty of it all as a poet, as a creative in general, resonated so intimately to me.
I wasn't planning to rate a book like this, but I couldn't believe how deeply enlightening and insightful every page was. So much of Rilke's words felt extraordinarily relevant to me, almost on a word by word basis, mirroring conversations I've had, journal entries I've written, or just thoughts I've lingered on for years. The themes of solitude, love, grief, innocence, trust... and the beauty of it all as a poet, as a creative in general, resonated so intimately to me.