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gellyreads's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
2.5
I think this is a really interesting concept, but I wish I connected more with it.
ktxx22's review against another edition
5.0
Classical poetry for my morbid soul! This collection of Delightfully written Eulogies is stunning 5/5 for me. It weaves a tale of humans in the town of Spoon River, Illinois who have died and are buried on a hill. It was written in the early 1900's but covers everything from civil war soldiers, to old crones, magistrates, doctors, town drunks, and daughters of the town. It's fantastic. The style of poetry changes for each eulogy. It's really magical. I can see this delivered on stage with minimal props and settings, but with maximum effect. If you're not familiar with this please get a copy and read it.
irereadsfantasy's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
4.75
scgerrish's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
thomasgoddard's review against another edition
5.0
I was given this book to read many years ago now. Since then, it has been a firm favourite and I read it every now and then in autumn and usually around Halloween specifically. It has a vibe to it. Why, you ask?
Because it is a bunch of dead people chattering to you from beyond the grave! This book is essentially the epitaphs of the residents of Spoon River. The collection includes 212 separate characters, in all providing 244 accounts of their lives, losses, and manner of death. Many of the poems contain cross-references that create an unabashed tapestry of the community.
And it feels so flawlessly honest. The characters are petty, cruel, meek, regretful, pained, mad, thankful... very seldom at peace. They linger, bound to the earth by life's misfortunes and misadventures.
Reading it again, I couldn't help noticing the similarities between this and Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas. So I did a bit of checking online and it is pretty well known that it was a major influence. That's the level of skill we're talking about. Masters inspiring other masters.
Apparently this book inspired the idea of the audiolog in video games. Where you pick up something that speaks with an absent character's voice to give you crucial or sometimes just incidental information about the world you're exploring. Which makes sense.
Because it's a spectacular collection. It holds this amazingly powerful veracity that turns each added stitch in the patchwork blanket of voices into a cautionary tale to live by.
Don't live a life you will come to regret. In the end, we only haunt ourselves.
Because it is a bunch of dead people chattering to you from beyond the grave! This book is essentially the epitaphs of the residents of Spoon River. The collection includes 212 separate characters, in all providing 244 accounts of their lives, losses, and manner of death. Many of the poems contain cross-references that create an unabashed tapestry of the community.
And it feels so flawlessly honest. The characters are petty, cruel, meek, regretful, pained, mad, thankful... very seldom at peace. They linger, bound to the earth by life's misfortunes and misadventures.
Reading it again, I couldn't help noticing the similarities between this and Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas. So I did a bit of checking online and it is pretty well known that it was a major influence. That's the level of skill we're talking about. Masters inspiring other masters.
Apparently this book inspired the idea of the audiolog in video games. Where you pick up something that speaks with an absent character's voice to give you crucial or sometimes just incidental information about the world you're exploring. Which makes sense.
Because it's a spectacular collection. It holds this amazingly powerful veracity that turns each added stitch in the patchwork blanket of voices into a cautionary tale to live by.
Don't live a life you will come to regret. In the end, we only haunt ourselves.
hollyrlandis's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
l_ornitorinco's review against another edition
Grazie Edgar Lee Masters. Grazie Faber.
Perchè se dietro ogni scemo c'é un villaggio, e dietro ogni blasfemo un giardino incantato, dietro ognuno di noi c'é un abitante di Spoon River con qualcosa da insegnarci.
La tua anima è viva? Allora nutrila!
Non rinunciare ai balconi che puoi scalare;
né ai biancolattei seni su cui riposare;
né a teste dorate con cui dividere il guanciale;
né a coppe di vino quando il vino è dolce;
né a estasi del corpo e dell'anima,
tu devi morire, non c'è dubbio, ma muori vivendo
nell'azzurro profondo, rapito nell'abbraccio amoroso,
baciando l'ape regina, la Vita!
Perchè se dietro ogni scemo c'é un villaggio, e dietro ogni blasfemo un giardino incantato, dietro ognuno di noi c'é un abitante di Spoon River con qualcosa da insegnarci.
La tua anima è viva? Allora nutrila!
Non rinunciare ai balconi che puoi scalare;
né ai biancolattei seni su cui riposare;
né a teste dorate con cui dividere il guanciale;
né a coppe di vino quando il vino è dolce;
né a estasi del corpo e dell'anima,
tu devi morire, non c'è dubbio, ma muori vivendo
nell'azzurro profondo, rapito nell'abbraccio amoroso,
baciando l'ape regina, la Vita!