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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
So many quotable sentences that truly show how this man thought with his heart and humanity. A marvel read that deserves 5 stars and no less.
Rating: 10/10
Rilke is a writer I have kept coming across. He keeps being mentioned in other books I've read, or TV shows I've been watching, and I've kept meaning to read him. I was so taken with a passage from him I heard read in an old show I rewatched recently (the original '80s version of Beauty and the Beast for anyone interested) that I decided it was finally time to read something by him.
I think I settled on this book because that passage about the dragon who's really a princess intrigued me so much. I was surprised to find how short this book was when it arrived for me to pick up at the library, and I absolutely flew through it.
It spoke to me on so many levels. One: as a person who sometimes feels insecure. Two: as a writer who believes in following my gut and being in tune with my own inner life. Three: as someone who appreciates good writing, and Rilke is certainly a good letter writer, at the very least. He really does reveal his soul in these letters, and you see something of the man and the writer he was. I think he reveals so much of himself, and I appreciated seeing that vulnerability very much. I think it can be hard for men in particular to reveal that kind of vulnerability. Four: I appreciated the fact that he genuinely cared about and wanted to help this young man who had written to him. Five: connected to my interest in writing, I appreciated his insights on writing. This is as much a manual for writers as it is a collection of letters.
I also quite liked the fictional letter that was included here too. Rilke's thoughts on religion were interesting, and the letter from the young worker is incredibly passionate and well written.
I'm absolutely decided on getting my hands on some of Rilke's poetry soon. I'm so excited to read more from him, and I hope I'm going to love his poems as much as I loved this. I'll also be getting a copy of this for my shelves too.
Rilke is a writer I have kept coming across. He keeps being mentioned in other books I've read, or TV shows I've been watching, and I've kept meaning to read him. I was so taken with a passage from him I heard read in an old show I rewatched recently (the original '80s version of Beauty and the Beast for anyone interested) that I decided it was finally time to read something by him.
I think I settled on this book because that passage about the dragon who's really a princess intrigued me so much. I was surprised to find how short this book was when it arrived for me to pick up at the library, and I absolutely flew through it.
It spoke to me on so many levels. One: as a person who sometimes feels insecure. Two: as a writer who believes in following my gut and being in tune with my own inner life. Three: as someone who appreciates good writing, and Rilke is certainly a good letter writer, at the very least. He really does reveal his soul in these letters, and you see something of the man and the writer he was. I think he reveals so much of himself, and I appreciated seeing that vulnerability very much. I think it can be hard for men in particular to reveal that kind of vulnerability. Four: I appreciated the fact that he genuinely cared about and wanted to help this young man who had written to him. Five: connected to my interest in writing, I appreciated his insights on writing. This is as much a manual for writers as it is a collection of letters.
I also quite liked the fictional letter that was included here too. Rilke's thoughts on religion were interesting, and the letter from the young worker is incredibly passionate and well written.
I'm absolutely decided on getting my hands on some of Rilke's poetry soon. I'm so excited to read more from him, and I hope I'm going to love his poems as much as I loved this. I'll also be getting a copy of this for my shelves too.
My wife and I used some lines from one of these letters at our wedding, so I have quite a soft spot for this book. I don't completely agree with Rilke's philosophy of the creative life—my writing depends a great deal on engagement with the world, whereas he tends to advocate insularity and psychological withdrawal from society—but I'm fully in accord with the core of his advice: that some solitude and constant interior questioning are necessary to produce truly satisfying personal art. If it's not as universal to me as it apparently is to some people, it still is fascinating as a brief, beautifully written look at Rilke's own creative mind and worldview.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
This book is good for anyone who has no idea what they want from life. One of my all-time favorite quotes comes from this book. "Live the questions..."
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
I have had Letters To A Young Poet by R.M. Rilke with me since 1990 and I often suggest it for my students. It is invaluable.
short but that's what makes it better. straight to the point and no talking in circles