The Book of Gods and Devils [Paperback]

Charles Simic (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 30, 1990

Loneliness, loss, sadness, and mystery mark this wonderful volume of forty-nine poems by Charles Simic, winner of the 1990 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and praised as “one of the truly imaginative writers of our time” by the Los Angeles Times.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

While Simic's terse, enigmatic poems have always expressed metaphysical concerns, this volume's title might suggest he is moving in an overtly religious, even visionary, direction. This expectation is only partially fulfilled by the poems. They largely represent a further exploration of styles and themes he has employed the past few years. The dualism implied by the title is played out in the way the poems balance existential dread with the possibility of hope, the way they explore both the world's "terror and luster." Still, the only certainty is uncertainty. Simic creates a world of signs--"the blue and gold Madonna in the window," a "single ceiling fan barely turning"--that point toward a mysterious, ever-elusive meaning. Simic was awarded the 1990 Pulitzer Prize for his collection of prose poems, The World Doesn't End ( LJ 3/15/89).
- Lawrence Rungren, Bedford Free P.L., Mass.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

While Simic's terse, enigmatic poems have always expressed metaphysical concerns, this volume's title might suggest he is moving in an overtly religious, even visionary, direction. This expectation is only partially fulfilled by the poems. They largely represent a further exploration of styles and themes he has employed the past few years. The dualism implied by the title is played out in the way the poems balance existential dread with the possibility of hope, the way they explore both the world's "terror and luster." Still, the only certainty is uncertainty. Simic creates a world of signs--"the blue and gold Madonna in the window," a "single ceiling fan barely turning"--that point toward a mysterious, ever-elusive meaning. Simic was awarded the 1990 Pulitzer Prize for his collection of prose poems, The World Doesn't End ( LJ 3/15/89).
- Lawrence Rungren, Bedford Free P.L., Mass. (Library Journal )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books; 1 edition (November 30, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0156135469
• ISBN-13: 978-0156135467
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,279,355 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Inspiration, June 2, 2000

By 

Meghan (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Book of Gods and Devils (Paperback)

The Book of Gods and Devils is one of my favorite books of poetry... It's absolutely fabulous! It has a touch of melancholy, humor, to be sure, and wonderful imagery... we dance with religious icons shamelessly! Wonderful!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another great piece of Simic., June 7, 2004

By 

Robert P. Beveridge "xterminal" (Lakewood, OH) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Book of Gods and Devils (Hardcover)

Charles Simic, The Book of Gods and Devils (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1990)

Another fine piece of work from Mr. Simic, but this one seems the smallest of cuts below his best efforts (The World Doesn't End, Return to a Place Lit by a Glass of Milk, et al). Hard to explain why this is; I want to say it's more in the confessional mode than most of his work, but if this is the case, it's by an infinitesimal amount and would not otherwise be worth noting. Problem is, I can't put my finger on anything else.

Still, when Simic is in the zone, his writing eclipses most others who have worked in the medium in the twentieth century. Take, for example, pieces from the brilliant "The Great War":

"...You never saw anything as beautiful
As those clay regiments; I used to lie on the floor
For hours, staring them in the eyes.
I remember them staring back at me in wonder.

How strange they must have felt
Standing stiffly at attention
Before a large, incomprehending creature
With a moustache made of milk...."

Definitely another worthwhile contribution to the canon, but there are better places for the neophyte to begin. ****