andrewmerritt00's review against another edition
Beautiful prose, hard to put down. Will return in the future for further, closer reading
zlaza's review against another edition
4.0
This is a beautifully translated edition of Rainer Maria Rilke's Duino Elegies.
It is a Pushkin Press reissue of an English-language version by writer Vita Sackville-West and her cousin Edward. The first English translation was published in 1931.
Rilke began writing the Duino Elegies in 1912, but they weren't published until 1923. Rilke spent years sporadically writing these elegies. The elegies are all connected and they explore the themes of humanity, beauty and suffering.
There are a lot of footnotes in this book which is something a lot of readers will appreciate, and the original translator's note can be found at the end of the book.
The footnotes and the translator's note offer us a very brief insight into Rilke's life. My only complaint is the lack of explanations about Rilke's ideas and philosophy in the notes.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
It is a Pushkin Press reissue of an English-language version by writer Vita Sackville-West and her cousin Edward. The first English translation was published in 1931.
Rilke began writing the Duino Elegies in 1912, but they weren't published until 1923. Rilke spent years sporadically writing these elegies. The elegies are all connected and they explore the themes of humanity, beauty and suffering.
There are a lot of footnotes in this book which is something a lot of readers will appreciate, and the original translator's note can be found at the end of the book.
The footnotes and the translator's note offer us a very brief insight into Rilke's life. My only complaint is the lack of explanations about Rilke's ideas and philosophy in the notes.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
gracietomasweetie's review against another edition
4.0
I won’t pretend I fully understood this. Rilke’s poems were slightly giving me whiplash wondering what exactly he was talking about & why he was mentioning beasts & chieftans & other things while talking about something else entirely before…& yet I still give 4 stars cause it’s beautiful & I love the vibes of thinking of death & life & the strangeness of it all. 8 & 9 were my faves for sure. I just love Rilke’s thoughtfulness & the consistency in all of his work—he’s so true to himself. Though this was semi-confusing & not my favorite piece of his, I certainly always appreciate him & the way that he sees the world. Maybe I’ll do some more research on these to understand them more, too.
saff24's review against another edition
challenging
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
lux13's review against another edition
5.0
I don’t know what I read…..it blew my mind .
So basically , this is life altering advice .Things that make you realize how inconsequential yet inevitable you are to the fabric of the universe. It changed my perspective on a lot of things. Made me cry because I felt so seen within these beautiful words.
These elegies are indescribable. I read the Vita and Edward Sackville translation and the Stephen Mitchell translation and combining them was certainly the best decision. I slightly preferred the Sackville one for enjoyment but the Mitchell one helped with grasping the full extent of the concepts.(which I don’t think I’ll ever be able to)
So basically , this is life altering advice .Things that make you realize how inconsequential yet inevitable you are to the fabric of the universe. It changed my perspective on a lot of things. Made me cry because I felt so seen within these beautiful words.
These elegies are indescribable. I read the Vita and Edward Sackville translation and the Stephen Mitchell translation and combining them was certainly the best decision. I slightly preferred the Sackville one for enjoyment but the Mitchell one helped with grasping the full extent of the concepts.(which I don’t think I’ll ever be able to)
seherina's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
5.0
Beautiful!
lottpoet's review against another edition
informative
reflective
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