Customer Reviews

Bright Star: Love Letters and Poems of John Keats to Fanny Brawne

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Published as a companion to the motion picture of the same name directed by Jane Campion [The Piano], this is a collection of the love letters and poems written by John Keats to his beloved Fanny Brawne. For anyone who enjoyed the film, as I did, the book provides a glimpse at the inspiration and source material for Campion's work. Campion's introduction to the collection gives a history of Keats and Brawne's intense love for each other. The love letters are delightful, touching, painful and the poems are amongst the greatest of the Romantic era. One inexplicable exclusion from the collection is "Ode to a Nightingale," a poem of Keats' that figures in the film. The recitation of "Ode to a Nightingale" during the final credits by the actor who portrays Keats, Ben Whishaw, is reason enough to go see the film. Though readily available in poetry collections and on the internet, the absence of this beautiful and key poem from a collection centered around this tragic love story is a shortcoming and may disappoint those who want to savor its words in print.

I'm not fond of painful, tortured love stories in fiction, but when faced with someone's actual painful love story, I'm devastated. John Keats has been one of my favorite poets since forever, but this is the first time I've read any of his writing other than poetry. Keats died when he was only 25, and he died without getting to marry his only love, Fanny Brawne. This short volume contains his love letters to Fanny and concludes with several of his love-related poems.

In the letters, Keats keeps saying that he knows Fanny can't feel the same toward him as he does toward her. I haven't read enough of his biography to know if he's being coy and encouraging her to write more about her feelings, or if he actually doesn't think she cares as much for him. Mostly, it seems that he was very much concerned that she would fall for someone who had greater claims to prosperity and respectability. He was poor and without any real hope of advancement because, during his lifetime, his poetry was poorly received and didn't sell. One of the problems the letters keep bringing up is Keats' failing health. He spends so much of his time sick, and while he's convalescing he doesn't know if it would be better to see Fanny or not. Her presence encourages him, but it also saddens him because even if he were to recover, their situation is still hopeless.

Keats is not an entirely perfect man in his letters. He comes across as a bit proud; he's glad that the trifling cares of the world don't matter at all to him, but frustrated because he has to give some thought to worldly provisions if he's ever going to be with his beloved. He himself says that he knows he's not writing proper love-letters, and that he's being "ungallant". Though to a modern reader, his lovely articulate letters seem awe inspiring when we're used to text messages. "I consider it no mean Happiness to have lov'd you thus far" still sounds better than "I miss u, lol, kthxbye!"

After reading these heartbreaking letters, I have to think about their value outside of plain biography. Other than admiring the letters as historical documents or perhaps enjoying them as a tragic love story (again, I don't enjoy tragic love) what can we readers take away from them? First, I think about how John Keats labored in obscurity and wasn't able to make enough money to marry Fanny while they still had the time. I also think about how we should applaud and support excellence and beauty whenever we find them--if some influential patron had decided to support Keats and spread the word about his poetry, who knows how this story might have ended? The other more important lesson I glean from the Bright Star story is how we should appreciate our loved ones fully while we have them--we never have them as long as we think.


This book is a decent introduction to Keats himself, a perfect companion to the film, and a very good introduction to a famous literary love story.

This slim 132 page book was published as a companion to the film "Bright Star" (2009) directed by Jane Campion, who also wrote the introduction. I did not see the movie, as it was shown in only a few theaters in this area for a brief period of time, and hardly any word of it was mentioned in the local newspapers. I understand that it will be out in DVD in January 2010.

Anyone who loves the poetry of the English Romantic Writers, e.g., Byron, Coleridge, Wordsworth, Shelley, et al, is already familiar with the poems of John Keats. It is interesting, though, that these poems and letters were the product of Keats's intense love for Fanny Brawne. Written in the last few years of his life, they are honest, open, touching, and full of life, love, and youthful optimism. They also hint of the tragedy yet to come.

A letter written on 27 February 1821 by Joseph Severn, the friend who accompanied Keats to Rome, recalls Keats's last moments:

"He is gone-he died with the most perfect ease-he seemed to go to sleep. On the 23rd, about 4, the approaches of death came on, 'Severn-I-lift me up-I am dying-I shall die easy-don't be frightened-be firm, and thank God it has come!' I lifted him up in my arms...he gradually sunk into death-so quiet-that I still thought he slept. I cannot say now-I am broken down from four nights' watching, and no sleep since, and my poor Keats gone."
(ENGLISH ROMANTIC WRITERS - David Perkins, Ed. p.1263)

How could I give anything less than 5 stars?

* The first line of "When I Have Fears" by John Keats (1818)

Keats love letters the Fanny are so emotional. I loved reading them. It's like he his drawn to her in ways he cannot explain in the beginning and then develops an endless love for her. At times he in enveloped in this feeling and embraces it and other times he is afraid of losing her, and the fear of his own demise. I wish the letters Fanny had written him had also survived, it would have been amazing to read what she had written him as well. I absolutely loved the movie. Keats definitely has a way with words!

Bright Star, the story of the doomed love story of Romantic poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne, was my favorite film of 2009, and this slim volume is an excellent companion to it. The book contains an introduction by director Jane Campion, all of Keats' letter to his beloved Fanny, and the poems that were inspired by her. If you are new to Keats or want to learn more about the man behind the movie, this is a good place to start. If you're already familiar with Keats' work, this volume may not satisfy you, and I would recommend his Collected Poems.

This book is worth adding to your library for the beautifully written letters to Fanny. In his letters, Keats is passionate, sad, occasionally desperate, and very aware of his own mortality. Unfortunately, we don't have the other side of the story; Fanny's letters to Keats were destroyed (at his request). (Fanny did correspond in later years with Keats' sister, so we know something of her thoughts on the relationship.) But even on their own, Keats' letters are wonderful to read and add another dimension to the experience of the film.

"Bright Star," showcases the love letters and poems written by John Keats to Fanny Brawne.

Although Keats died when he was just 25, he left behind some of the most amazing poetry ever written. He also left a tender collection of love letters, inspired by his great love for Fanny Brawne. They knew each other only a few short years and spent much of this time apart due to Keats' worsening illness.

Keats writes again and again about Fanny. In fact, the last poem of this book is called, "To Fanny," and he wrote love letters to her constantly. (Oh, swoon! And get this - she wore the ring he had given her until her death, almost 45 years after he passed away.)

The movie itself Bright Star is a treat to watch. Picture it: The setting is London, and the year is 1818. A secret love affair begins between 23 year-old English poet, John Keats (played by Ben Whishaw), and the girl next door, Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish), who is an out-spoken student of high fashion. This unlikely duo begins their friendship by butting heads. He thinks she's stylish, but too much of a flirt, while she is unimpressed with literature in general.

When Fanny hears that Keats is nursing his seriously ill younger brother, she offers to help. Keats is touched by her efforts and shares his poetry with her. The poetry soon becomes a romantic remedy that works not only to sort their differences, but also to fuel their love for one another.

Fanny's mother becomes alarmed by this friendship (typical, huh?), but by then their relationship has an unstoppable momentum. Intensely and helplessly absorbed in each other, the young lovers are swept up in the tide of their emotions. Keats wrote to Brawne, "I have the feeling as if we're dissolving." (ooh la la!)

When Keats fell ill a year later, the two young lovers were separated. Keats needed to travel abroad to warmer clients due to health reasons, and Brawne remained in their home country, without her love. In Keats' own poignant words, "forever panting and forever young."

I recently saw this movie and was hoping for an indepth story behind the movie.......the introduction was really just a little bit more than the movie but did help out and the selections of Keats poetry is nice to have and very insiteful about where Keats was coming from

Companion piece with the film but released a bit too late and very small volume. Like the other reviewer said, I'm uncertain why there's the absence of Ode to a Nightingale. Also, it would have been wonderful to have had this volume with glossy pages with pictures from the film as well. Nice introduction by director Jane Campion is included though.

"Write the softest words and kiss them that I may at least
touch my lips where yours have been." ~ John Keats

"Ode on a Grecian Urn" is my favorite John Keats poem and sadly it is not included in this book. In fact I will admit that most of the poems in "Bright Star" are extremely long and went right over my head. The beauty of this book is mainly in the letters from Keats to Fanny Brawne. He expresses so many of the thoughts we have all considered when totally in love. And I mean, hopelessly surrendered to love. Yes, Keats tries to avoid falling deeper into the abyss and yet he can't help himself. From the letters in this book you may conclude that his death was accelerated due to the obsession he had with Fanny Brawne.

"You cannot conceive how I ache to be with you: how I would die for one hour..." ~ John Keats

For the most part, this book made me think that Keats was mature beyond his years. From some of the letters it would seem Fanny was a bit fickle and may not have been strong enough to handle the depth of Keats emotions. She seems to at times object to his sentimentality. But how would you handle a dying man who says "I cannot exist without you." What a burden to bear and also what a privilege to be so loved.

The letters show Keats vulnerability while his poems show more of his intelligence. Just be prepared for some melancholy love letters that are filled with intense desire and hope for a better future.

Unfortunately this book does not contain any of the replies by Fanny. This is sad and apparently some of her letters were buried with Keats completely unopened! What I liked most about the book was how the letters ended with "yours for ever" and "love me forever." This to me at least showed the utter depth of feeling Keats had for Fanny even though she eventually did get married to another man and lived out her life as best she could. I think many people will be able to relate to that situation.

~The Rebecca Review

John Keats is one of the best poets I have ever had the honor to read. Having died at the age of 25, John Keats may have lived a short life but his poetry and letters show he knew much more about love and life than most of us today. This book, in particular, serves as a companion to the 2009 movie "Bright Star", staring Abbie Cornish and Ben Whishaw. As the movie focuses on the doomed romantic relationship between John Keats and Fanny Brawne, this book offers selected poetry and letters that John Keats wrote to Fanny. Unfortunately, none of Fanny Brawne's letters have survived.

Despite the fact that all the letters included in this book are all from John Keats, you still are given a glance into his heart. After reading this book I was in awe at how deep and personal his letters and poems were. A few tears were shed, both of sadness and happiness. Even though Fannny Brawne did finally marry six years after Keats death you can not believe anything but that these two were soul mates in the highest sense of the word.