Reviews

Versos Sencillos by Josa Marta, José Martí, José Martí

lorheim99's review against another edition

3.0

This book would probably have been more enjoyable for me if I didn't only read a section of it in Spanish class.

audreylee's review against another edition

inspiring slow-paced

3.0

I think some of the poems would have been more meaningful with some context. 

lindsayb's review against another edition

3.0

I have to say I had a little bit of a hard time with this. I particularly liked Martí's poetry that discussed his experiences with the fight for independence, but I felt like a lot was lost in translation. I don't read rhymed, metered poetry very well--I get hung up on the flow and rhythm, especially when it isn't right, and there were lots of inconsistencies in the English. I give translator Anne Fountain credit for the hard work--I know it's a mighty task; I'll just have to try the Spanish when I learn it one day. :)

eralon's review against another edition

4.0

Jose Marti was born in Havana, Cuba just 100 years before my mother was born there. Growing up, my mother jokingly referred to the hero of Cuban independence as "Joe Marty." The first poetry I ever memorized was the beginning of his most famous poem, "Yo soy un hombre sincero..." but mostly because Celia Cruz used the poem as her lyrics in the song Guantanamera which was constantly playing at my grandparents' dance parties.

I read this book in both the original Spanish and the English because my Spanish gets weak when I don't practice it and it's a relief to have the English as a crutch. The translator chose to make the translation rhyme which is more difficult than rhyming in Spanish so sometimes it feels strained. But the translator did a fair job of rewriting the poems if preserving the sound is your preference.