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A review by christinecc
Lord Byron's Don Juan by Allan Cunningham, Lord Byron
3.0
The poetry is fun, it brims with Byron and his sense of humor. At times, you glimpse something still, some pause in the whirlwind of eccentricity and teasing, and those are my favourite parts. That is when Byron shines at his best, although Byron always stays true to himself (or at least, his image) throughout the poem. But every person has different sides, and so Byron's take on Don Juan is that of a man who falls in love, is seduced, reacts more than he acts, and ultimately ends without an end (because, as you may know, Byron never finished the poem).
My only regret is that I always knew the poem had no end. I know this knowledge coloured my view of the poem and marred my enjoyment. But it is such a good read! Yes, I'm sure a lot of the political or social jabs went over my head (those kinds of jokes age very quickly, unless you have a nicely annotated version). Yes, it seems Byron loves the sound of his own voice (or the look of his hand). Still, if you have the time to travel a little way with his Don Juan, you might gain some kind of peace and perspective. Nothing much has changed since Byron published this. Chaos continues, Love continues, War and Gossip and Food and Rebellion and Family Feuds persist. There is something reassuring in that.
Don Juan the poem is as versatile as Don Juan (or Byron?) the man. Recommended for people with patience who enjoy listening to their more verbose friends joke and make them laugh and think (but mostly make them smirk in understanding).
My only regret is that I always knew the poem had no end. I know this knowledge coloured my view of the poem and marred my enjoyment. But it is such a good read! Yes, I'm sure a lot of the political or social jabs went over my head (those kinds of jokes age very quickly, unless you have a nicely annotated version). Yes, it seems Byron loves the sound of his own voice (or the look of his hand). Still, if you have the time to travel a little way with his Don Juan, you might gain some kind of peace and perspective. Nothing much has changed since Byron published this. Chaos continues, Love continues, War and Gossip and Food and Rebellion and Family Feuds persist. There is something reassuring in that.
Don Juan the poem is as versatile as Don Juan (or Byron?) the man. Recommended for people with patience who enjoy listening to their more verbose friends joke and make them laugh and think (but mostly make them smirk in understanding).