- Paperback: 112 pages
- Publisher: Bloodaxe Books Ltd (Dec 7 1991)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1852241969
- ISBN-13: 978-1852241964
- Product Dimensions: 22.4 x 15.2 x 1 cm
- Shipping Weight: 163 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Line breaks notwithstanding, Dobyns's sixth volume of poetryhe is also author of the praised Saratoga series of detective novelshas the structure of a self-contained collection of prose poems. Not strictly linked, they comprise a mythology of Dobyn's own creation. Some recurrent characters include: the dead, angels and devils of questionable competence, God and a variety of faceless creatures meant to designate Everyman. The poet and his family put in appearances in several parable-like stories, and Dobyns reworks myths in stories about Midas, Orpheus, Odysseus and Theseus. Throughout his work, there is a disturbing amount of pessimism. The extent of random evil in his universe outdoes even the dourest of existential philosophers. Yet such is the power of Dobyns's conviction and his art that these poems have enormous staying power, challenging the reader to refute, if pos-sible, their nightmare vision.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
Dobyns is a born fabulator, a spinner of macabre or sardonic tales all turning on the ancient theme of memento mori. Stylistically, he recalls Aesop, Poe, Borges, Clemensand Stephen King. In some poems, Dobyns retells classical myths (Apollo, Orpheus, Odysseus); in others he draws moral lessons from bizarre situations (a child with a third eye, a man transformed into a mermaid). The book is held together by five poems, "Cemetery Nights, I-V," scattered throughout. In each, "the dead pretend they're still alive." The half-lives of these ghosts are shown to co-exist (often humorously) with our own, as Dobyns eloquently reveals what it means to be "most human/ lost in the country between Want To and Can't." A fascinating, disturbing book; strongly recommended for all larger poetry collections. Daniel L. Guillory, English Dept., Millikin Univ., Decatur, Ill.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Mature Work,
By Karin Partsch-Teiml (Vienna, Vienna Austria) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Cemetery Nights (Mass Market Paperback)
This collection of poems that give you the feel of very short short stories from time to time, is a remarkable, respectable piece of work. Stephen Dobyns who's maybe known for his Saratoga crime series and recent successes like "Boy In The Water" or "The Church Of Dead Girls" is two things at one time: a writer of mystery and crime stories ... and a poet. The beautiful, astounding way of Dobyns is how he interconnects those two styles, that give his words not only imaginary power when it comes to good fiction but also deep insight and a very dark touch that makes the hairs on the back of your neck step up and cold water running down your back while the somkey winds of apocalypse and doom caress your face. Cemetery Nights is the evidence for everybody that SD has become a master of these two styles, his vivid imagination and that dark feel his work produces. It is a mature work, a comforting refuge for those of you who seek literary pleasure. His words are powerful, like ice-cold fingers prying gripholds into your memory so that they will remain there for ever, verbal fingerprints engraved in your mind, like letters hatched in the stone of a grave ... on a gloomey cemetery night. Stroll through hidden paths of darkness, desire, longing, death as well as life and maybe, if the moon shines just right and there are no gray clouds torn in front of the night's only light, you see a reflection of yourself in the smooth surface of a gravestone ... but beware of the dead, they don't pass away erverytime, because in death everything is contrary to life - so death means life and life is death. An Advice: because this book is unavailable here that does positively not mean that there is no way to lay your hands on it. This book is a literary milestone, something everybody who treasures reading has to leaf through at least once.
5.0 out of 5 stars
quite an amazing piece of work.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Cemetery Nights (Mass Market Paperback)
These poems are packed with emotion and are able to eerily cut to the heart of many issues of society and humanity (especially those of the human spirit and condition in the modern world) that bear examining. The writing itself is simple yet complex. accessable, yet in many ways riveting... check this one out!
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews) 4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Mature Work,
By Karin Partsch-Teiml - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Cemetery Nights (Mass Market Paperback)
This collection of poems that give you the feel of very short short stories from time to time, is a remarkable, respectable piece of work. Stephen Dobyns who's maybe known for his Saratoga crime series and recent successes like "Boy In The Water" or "The Church Of Dead Girls" is two things at one time: a writer of mystery and crime stories ... and a poet. The beautiful, astounding way of Dobyns is how he interconnects those two styles, that give his words not only imaginary power when it comes to good fiction but also deep insight and a very dark touch that makes the hairs on the back of your neck step up and cold water running down your back while the somkey winds of apocalypse and doom caress your face. Cemetery Nights is the evidence for everybody that SD has become a master of these two styles, his vivid imagination and that dark feel his work produces. It is a mature work, a comforting refuge for those of you who seek literary pleasure. His words are powerful, like ice-cold fingers prying gripholds into your memory so that they will remain there for ever, verbal fingerprints engraved in your mind, like letters hatched in the stone of a grave ... on a gloomey cemetery night. Stroll through hidden paths of darkness, desire, longing, death as well as life and maybe, if the moon shines just right and there are no gray clouds torn in front of the night's only light, you see a reflection of yourself in the smooth surface of a gravestone ... but beware of the dead, they don't pass away erverytime, because in death everything is contrary to life - so death means life and life is death. An Advice: because this book is unavailable here that does positively not mean that there is no way to lay your hands on it. This book is a literary milestone, something everybody who treasures reading has to leaf through at least once. 4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
quite an amazing piece of work.,
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Cemetery Nights (Mass Market Paperback)
These poems are packed with emotion and are able to eerily cut to the heart of many issues of society and humanity (especially those of the human spirit and condition in the modern world) that bear examining. The writing itself is simple yet complex. accessable, yet in many ways riveting... check this one out!
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