Scan barcode
jeffhall's review
4.0
Rimbaud is a poet who is growing on me, although his use of symbolism can be both perplexing and enriching all at the same time. The prose poems collected in Illuminations seem stronger to me than the verses included in A Season in Hell, but that may be a consequence of the order in which I read them, with his unusual approach to subject and meaning finally beginning to make more sense to me over time.
He is a poet that I will be reading again in the future, after I've had time to let his words sink in and begin to take root in my mind.
He is a poet that I will be reading again in the future, after I've had time to let his words sink in and begin to take root in my mind.
joeydetroit's review
5.0
Includes its share of not-so-great prose, but holy F! the good parts are really, really great.
ominousevent's review against another edition
2.0
This translation is pretty heinous. With luck I'll read a better one someday. Or learn more French.
levitybooks's review
4.0
A lively, colourful, surreal poetry. The amount of colours and imagery he creates with so few words is masterful. He also oddly likes using punctuation joined to EM dashes for irregular pauses (,—). The poems are largely 'physical' descriptions and so translate fairly well from French (as far as I can tell from John Ashbery's translation).
I can now better appreciate Patti Smith's obsession with him, and can see how these poems may have inspired some of Dali's paintings.
Favourite poems:
After The Flood > Winter Festival > Metropolitan > Dawn > City > Motion
"The morning when, with Her, you thrashed about amid shards of snow, your lips green, ice, black banners and blue rays, and the purple perfumes of the polar sun,—your strength."
(excerpt from Metropolitan)
I can now better appreciate Patti Smith's obsession with him, and can see how these poems may have inspired some of Dali's paintings.
Favourite poems:
After The Flood > Winter Festival > Metropolitan > Dawn > City > Motion
henrygravesprince's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
Rimbaud’s writing always fascinates me.
lindamoore's review
5.0
"un gros ours aux champs violettes et au poil chenu de chagrin,"
"Tout se fit ombre et aquarium ardent"
Something readjusts in my spine when I read stuff like this.
"Tout se fit ombre et aquarium ardent"
Something readjusts in my spine when I read stuff like this.