Customer Reviews

100 Love Sonnets: Cien sonetos de amor

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Neruda's poetry is passionate and rich, nostalgic and deep, he moves you from the core of your soul to the tip of the universe; he makes you feel the kind of love that most of us never find or are able to experience while we are alive; his writings make you dream and anyone who enjoys good poetry would not be dissapointed with him!
In my personal opinnion he is the best romantic poet ever!
Just exquisite!

I am very sad to report that this volume, the only volume I know of the 100 Love Sonnets, is poorly translated. I've owned it for a while, and always wondered why it never seemed powerful like Neruda's other works. So, I started translating them myself, and realized that Tapscott made some remarkable errors, and seems always to have chosen the least likely translation of words and idioms, and the least poetic phrasing. In many poems the sense is so far removed from the original, that I am reminded of those one-page instruction manuals that used to come with Chinese-manufactured products many years ago.

For example: A trail crossing a meteor shower becomes "a streak of a meteor through rain."

"Through that name run wooden vessels" (think of a play on veins, and ships, which later pour into his heart) becomes "Wooden ships sail through that name."

"but leave me there in your name to sail and to sleep," becomes "only let me steer like a ship through your name; let me rest there."

"the lonely trains follow rolling down with the rain" becomes "rolling with the rain we follow the tracks alone."

These are not isolated occurances; this is a pattern that seems to prevail throughout every poem I've checked so far. Poetry is complex. Words are often used to mean many things at once. Tapscott, presumably a poet himself, should know this, but he makes choices that block most of the view, or which simply substitute another image altogether. That is often necessary in translations, but this goes way beyond artistic license. This is the product of simply not "getting it." In addition, his subjects often do not agree with verbs, or worse, he pairs the verb with the wrong subject.

I wish I could support this book. It should be a very important one, but it sadly misrepresents Neruda's poetry. It makes me wonder about so many of the translations I read, and it makes me wonder if publishers accept any responsibility for the accuracy of a translated work. I commend Tapscott for having the fortitude to attempt this work and carry it out, but I don't believe he was really up to the task. Sorry, but only one star for this.

Shooshie

In my list of six favorite books for "The Week" magazine, I wrote: "I turned to this collection for a reading at my mother's funeral and again at the marriage of my son. "If I die, survive me with such a pure force you make the pallor and the coldness rage," one poem begins. Neruda paints emotion that takes my breath away."

I am a huge fan of Pablo's and have 7 of his books, his love poems are second to none, he writes with such emotion, his way with words is breathtaking and he writes with passion and his poems are sensual, romantic and beautiful. He is a huge inspiration to me.

Other reviewrs have said the translation isn't very good but if you can't read the Spanish version the English version is beautiful in it's own right.

With lines like "Your body is smooth as stones in the water;
your kisses are clusters of fruit, fresh with dew" you will be transported into dreamland!

I highly recommend his love poems and this is one of my favourite books of his along with "love poems" and 20 love poems and a song of despair"

Review by Juliette Westbrook-Finch, author of "The Poetry of Passion (for People with a Pulse)"

Pablo's love poems are beautiful, descriptive and sensual and I highly recommend this book. It is dedicated to his wife Matilde and the dedication paragraph he's written for her at the front of the book is beautiful and poetic even though it's not a poem, he has a wonderful way of putting things, like no one else can.

There is an index of 1st lines at the back of the book and everything is in both English and Spanish.

The book is divided into chapters: Morning, Afternoon, Evening and Night and as always his poems are influenced by nature and love, a beautiful combination!

Other love poetry books I recommend are "The Poetry of Passion (for People with a Pulse)" by Juliette Westbrook-Finch which contains some sensual poems and some humorous in a rhyming style and I also recommend 2 other books of Pablo's (Links below)

The Poetry of Passion (for People with a Pulse)

Love Poems

Twenty Love Poems

not one of neruda's favorite books to begin with, although there are some gems, these translations are not worthy of the original poems.

That's just it. Pablo Neruda's words are beautiful whether read in Spanish or translated into English. My Significant Other always enjoys hearing verse from him, he's Her favorite. And one of mine too....

It's been said, but bears repeating; the sonnets are amazing. The translation is not. Some of these works are more complex than many of Neruda's other love poems (twenty love poems and captain's verses) which contribute, I'm sure, to the translation troubles, but still. There's an ongoing project now to re-translate them well which probably violates copyright law, but look around for it if you're curious. Otherwise, just read the spanish version.

This book has served many purposes for me. It was a Valentine's Day present for my fiance (then my boyfriend of 3 months). I chose a poem to read at our wedding. I read it for pleasure. I read it to renew my interest in Spanish. I recommended it to everyone and anyone.

Neruda's poetry is nothing short of astounding. This book is perfect, since a lot of people prefer love poetry if they do not normally read poetry. It has the Spanish version on one side of the page, and the English translation on the other.

The poems range from touching to angry to erotic to mournful to playful. Neruda's descriptions will make you look at the world with new eyes. Neruda is one of the only poets I have come across who approached love like Shakespeare: with a variety of emotions and perspectives. Another refreshing thing is that Neruda is very passionate and worshipful of women, never spiteful or cruel. His poetry is also very personal, as much of it seems to be directed toward his wife.

Buy this to find a perfect poem for a reading or speech. Buy it as a gift for a lover or loved one, or a romantic friend. Please, just buy it to have on your library shelf, for your friends and your children to pick up and discover.

Neruda's poetry is passionate and rich, nostalgic and deep, he moves you from the core of your soul to the tip of the universe; he makes you feel the kind of love that most of us never find or are able to experience while we are alive; his writings make you dream and anyone who enjoys good poetry would not be dissapointed with him!
In my personal opinnion he is the best romantic poet ever!
Just exquisite!