margu's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
spacestationtrustfund's review against another edition
2.0
The poems in this collection were translated by D.M. Thomas. I haven't read many English translations of Akhmatova's poetry that I felt came close to capturing the nuance and emotion of the original Russian, and this is no exception; overall the translations felt like a "dumbed down" version of Akhmatova. As an example, here's one of my favourites of her poems, in Russian:
And Thomas's translation:К СМЕРТЬТы всё равно придёшь. Зачем же не теперь?
Я жду тебя. Мне очень трудно.
Я потушила свет и отворила дверь
Тебе, такой простой и чудной.
Прими для этого какой угодно вид,
Ворвись отравленным снарядом
Иль с гирькой подкрадись, как опытный бандит,
Иль отрави тифозным чадом,
Иль сказочкой, придуманной тобой
И всем до тошноты знакомой,—
Чтоб я увидела верх шапки голубой
И бледного от страха управдома.
Мне всё равно теперь. Струится Енисей,
Звезда полярная сияет.
И синий блеск возлюбленных очей
Последний ужас затмевает.
You will come in any case, so why not now?It could be worse.
Life is very hard: I'm waiting for you.
I have turned off the lights and thrown the door wide open
For you, so simple and so marvellous.
Take on any form you like.
Why not burst in like a poisoned shell,
Or steal in like a bandit with his kunckleduster,
Or like a typhus-germ?
Or like fairy-tale of your own invention—
Stolen from you and loathsomely repeated,
Where I can see, behind you in the doorway,
The police-cap and the white-faced concierge?
I don't care how. The Yenisei is swirling,
The Pole Star glittering. And eyes
I love are closing on the final horror.
asterionsiren's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
meowlvika's review against another edition
2.0
"I write down happy verses
about life's decay, decay and beauty."
about life's decay, decay and beauty."
sydneyzahradka's review against another edition
And the just man trailed God's messenger,
His huge, light shape devoured the black hill.
But uneasiness shadowed his wife and spoke to her:
'It's not too late, you can turn back still
At the red towers of Sodom, the place that bore you,
The square in which you sang, the spinning-shed,
At the empty windows of that upper storey
Where children blessed your happy marriage-bed.'
Her eyes that were still turning when a bolt
Of pain shot through them, were instantly blind;
Her body turned into transparent salt,
And her swift legs were rooted to the ground.
Who mourns one woman in a holocaust?
Surely her death has no significance?
Yet in my heart she will never be lost,
She who gave up her life to steal once glance.
His huge, light shape devoured the black hill.
But uneasiness shadowed his wife and spoke to her:
'It's not too late, you can turn back still
At the red towers of Sodom, the place that bore you,
The square in which you sang, the spinning-shed,
At the empty windows of that upper storey
Where children blessed your happy marriage-bed.'
Her eyes that were still turning when a bolt
Of pain shot through them, were instantly blind;
Her body turned into transparent salt,
And her swift legs were rooted to the ground.
Who mourns one woman in a holocaust?
Surely her death has no significance?
Yet in my heart she will never be lost,
She who gave up her life to steal once glance.
scarletsereia's review against another edition
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.5
grumpwizard's review against another edition
4.0
I do not know if it was myself opening to these poems or a growth in her skill, but as I worked through this collection, Akhmatova’s verse became more and more astounding to me. I had never heard of her before and was delighted to experience this beautiful poetry. As the book goes on through her younger, bolder years, we hear insights from a poet in a country whose voice has been quieted. Her lines become more and more steely as she faces and writes about waiting in line and hoping to see her son outside of the prison the Gestapo has again taken him to. It is beautiful and sad truth.
maraxioana's review against another edition
2.0
i'm sure i would like it more if i read it in its original language...