christinecc's review
3.0
The poetry is fun, it brims with Byron and his sense of humor. At times, you glimpse something still, some pause in the whirlwind of eccentricity and teasing, and those are my favourite parts. That is when Byron shines at his best, although Byron always stays true to himself (or at least, his image) throughout the poem. But every person has different sides, and so Byron's take on Don Juan is that of a man who falls in love, is seduced, reacts more than he acts, and ultimately ends without an end (because, as you may know, Byron never finished the poem).
My only regret is that I always knew the poem had no end. I know this knowledge coloured my view of the poem and marred my enjoyment. But it is such a good read! Yes, I'm sure a lot of the political or social jabs went over my head (those kinds of jokes age very quickly, unless you have a nicely annotated version). Yes, it seems Byron loves the sound of his own voice (or the look of his hand). Still, if you have the time to travel a little way with his Don Juan, you might gain some kind of peace and perspective. Nothing much has changed since Byron published this. Chaos continues, Love continues, War and Gossip and Food and Rebellion and Family Feuds persist. There is something reassuring in that.
Don Juan the poem is as versatile as Don Juan (or Byron?) the man. Recommended for people with patience who enjoy listening to their more verbose friends joke and make them laugh and think (but mostly make them smirk in understanding).
My only regret is that I always knew the poem had no end. I know this knowledge coloured my view of the poem and marred my enjoyment. But it is such a good read! Yes, I'm sure a lot of the political or social jabs went over my head (those kinds of jokes age very quickly, unless you have a nicely annotated version). Yes, it seems Byron loves the sound of his own voice (or the look of his hand). Still, if you have the time to travel a little way with his Don Juan, you might gain some kind of peace and perspective. Nothing much has changed since Byron published this. Chaos continues, Love continues, War and Gossip and Food and Rebellion and Family Feuds persist. There is something reassuring in that.
Don Juan the poem is as versatile as Don Juan (or Byron?) the man. Recommended for people with patience who enjoy listening to their more verbose friends joke and make them laugh and think (but mostly make them smirk in understanding).
idreamwords's review
2.0
This was certainly something I would have never picked up by my self, but I glad taking an English reading paper has allowed me to expand outside my usual reads. The poetic style was first a bit hard to grasp onto but once you do the story does start flowing. Though some of the references made cannot be understood by today's audience. What I liked was how Byron weaved himself in the story, it almost seemed like he was another person pushing pass the narrator. The story telling style was definaitly unique, and just the first canto gives hints to what is to come ahead.
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