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jhadler's review against another edition
4.0
It is hard to weigh the separate reasons for liking this book. Is it the way the author wove together letters, journal entries, and straight prose to create a surprisingly readable 600+ page biography? Or is it the person of Edna Millay herself, so uniquely creative and effervescent? Not to mention the sonnet and partial poem inclusions that leave a person breathless with wonder.
This book was a challenge to read due to its sheer volume of characters who Millay impacted and impacted her across five decades, but it was worth the effort.
This book was a challenge to read due to its sheer volume of characters who Millay impacted and impacted her across five decades, but it was worth the effort.
margaret_j_c's review against another edition
This is everything that a biography should be. Tragic and lovely and positively perverse in places, like Vincent herself. I do not like the majority of Millay's poetry, almost to the point of "can't stand it," and I picked this brick up anyway. Gents, Nancy Milford knows how to dress a book.
A good biographer is always a little in love with their subject. Milford gives Vincent the kind of rapt attention that she probably would have wanted, and consequently Savage Beauty is a thing of wonder. The story of Edna St. Vincent Millay is as fascinating as any novel I've read, and among that distinct class of books that actually makes one want to write when one reads it. I have been a conscious writer of bad poetry for years and I'm sure that tendency won't disappear anytime soon, but this biography makes it clear that a poet - a real, true, set-apart poet - is quite a different thing from someone who takes up verse as a hobby. There can be no doubt that Edna worked for poetry, and suffered for it, and as a reward for her pain it remained with her, her sole companion in death. Edna died the way that she lived - heedlessly, violently, wholeheartedly. Through her the acts of living and dying became poems within themselves, wrought with a savage beauty.
I will control myself, or go inside.
I will not flaw perfection with my grief.
Handsome, this day: no matter who has died.
A good biographer is always a little in love with their subject. Milford gives Vincent the kind of rapt attention that she probably would have wanted, and consequently Savage Beauty is a thing of wonder. The story of Edna St. Vincent Millay is as fascinating as any novel I've read, and among that distinct class of books that actually makes one want to write when one reads it. I have been a conscious writer of bad poetry for years and I'm sure that tendency won't disappear anytime soon, but this biography makes it clear that a poet - a real, true, set-apart poet - is quite a different thing from someone who takes up verse as a hobby. There can be no doubt that Edna worked for poetry, and suffered for it, and as a reward for her pain it remained with her, her sole companion in death. Edna died the way that she lived - heedlessly, violently, wholeheartedly. Through her the acts of living and dying became poems within themselves, wrought with a savage beauty.
I will control myself, or go inside.
I will not flaw perfection with my grief.
Handsome, this day: no matter who has died.
wildflowerz76's review against another edition
1.0
This felt like it was all over the place. There were so many names and the time jump from person to person confused me. I needed a family try to refer to to keep it straight. But I found that I just didn't care that much, so I'm lemming it.
adamcarrico91's review against another edition
4.0
This book is very long and exhausting, but for good reason. The author does an amazing job of encapsulating intricate details of Millay’s life through the use of interviews, poetry, and most of all letters/correspondence. The length is intimidating, but it’s broken down into sections to make it very readable.
As far as content, it’s obvious that Millay led a super interesting life outside of her immaculate poetry. The book successfully fleshes out each part of her life and influences. I can’t imagine that there is another Millay biography that has near this level of detail. Even though at times it can feel like a textbook study into the life of genius, it scarcely gets boring. I definitely recommend this for anyone who loves Millay’s work and wants to know more about the life of a rebellious, strong willed, poetic genius.
As far as content, it’s obvious that Millay led a super interesting life outside of her immaculate poetry. The book successfully fleshes out each part of her life and influences. I can’t imagine that there is another Millay biography that has near this level of detail. Even though at times it can feel like a textbook study into the life of genius, it scarcely gets boring. I definitely recommend this for anyone who loves Millay’s work and wants to know more about the life of a rebellious, strong willed, poetic genius.
bowienerd_82's review against another edition
This was a gossipy mess of a book, and not a good biography.
shs111's review against another edition
4.0
If you're accustomed to Nancy Milford's writing, you won't have a problem with this. But at times it does get to be a bit of a long and complicated trudge. With that said, it was fascinating to better understand a poet whose name I'd always known, whose poetry I'd known, but whose life story I never knew.