Customer Reviews

The Folding Cliffs: A Narrative

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

 

 

I have just finished reading this delightful book. I am also a book editor and publisher, and would like to offer some suggestions should the book ever be reprinted or issued in a new edition. I am very aware of how errors creep in, and I have made a large number of bloopers myself, so no one is perfect, but I would hope a publisher with the vintage prestige of Knopf would make every effort to employ knowledgeable proofreaders. The book is very inconsistent in the spelling of Hawaiian words, with a large number of 'okina (apostrophes) and kahako (macrons) left out. There is at least one spelling error, the name of the newspaper Ka Leo o ka Lahui incorrectly spelled Ka Leo o ka Lauhui ("Voice of the Nation"). The list of personal and geograpnic names at the end is very useful, but far from complete, and it is very difficult to follow some of the text not knowing who some of these people or places are, or having to look back further in the text to identify them. Some of these may be misspelled, I don't know, although I am familiar with the island of Kaua'i (sometimes spelled Kauai in the book), its history and geography. I am also a friend of Frances Frazier, who very kindly recommended the book to me. I hope you give this book wide publicity, and that you have very successful sales. Best wishes,

Here is a story about Hawaii that attempts to capture the ancient oral tradition of 'oli chants within the confines of Euro-linguistics. The vast differences between Hawaiian and English are issues which Merwin confronted by creating a narrative poem; he drew from Western literature's own past--Homeric poems--for inspiration and guidance. Yet, he adds his modern touch (the missing punctuation marks). I found this a fascinating approach, and I appreciated his effort. The story of Pi'ilani and Ko'olau expresses the love and gentleness of the people, the communal values present in the Hawaiian culture, and the complicated social and political relationships responsible for the Hansen's disease mess. Merwin honored the truth without compromising his creativity. There are a few sections early in the novel, and a few near the end that seem redundant and tedious. I struggled through these parts, though early on I was rewarded with a beautifully wrought account of the creation of the islands and its people; it echoed the Kumulipo or ancient Hawaiian creation myth. Still, the slow parts detracted from the novel's readability; thus, I give it three stars.

This ambitious work tells the true story of one family's resistance to the wrong-headed efforts to quarantine victims of Hansen's disease (i.e., leprosy) on the Hawaiian islands. The narrative itself is surprisingly involving, with three-dimensional characters, beautiful scene painting, and propulsive drama. Merwin's poetry here takes a roughly anapestic form, somewhat similar in sound to Longfellow's "Evangeline" meter. (And "The Folding Cliffs" has many other interesting parallels with that 19th-century classic.) The language is at times too prosy for my taste, and Merwin's aversion to punctuation often gives the tale a breathless quality that fights against the narrative tempo. Neverthless, this is a great artistic achievement that deserves to be read and (hopefully) imitated.

I agree with most of the comments in the reviews to date (five, prior to mine). Some patience is required for reading this book. At times it's somewhat "foreign" (and unless you're Hawaiian and/or know Hawaii well, you're probably entitled to feel strange), but its language is uniquely rich and its construction and thought are stunningly insightful, very rewarding. Don't be surprised if you're rather inarticulate after reading this book. It's complicated, worth re-reading, and certainly a recommendation for adventurous readers.

I had to read this book from the first time I sat with it and read the first page or two in a North Andover Mass bookshop. Well, I'm back in Philadelphia, and I have read it. Liked it so much I have started Merwin's book of short novellas on France:"The Lost Upland", a totally different book, but carrying Merwin's same great ability to paint beautifully fine pictures of place - and, in the case of "The Lost Upland" of people too. "The Folding Cliffs" is magnificent. A one of a kind, as far as I am concerned. Merwin's sense of place and mood is outstanding - I did not, however, get as deep a sense for his people - although the characters were clearly present - and I sympathised with / despised them in their respective roles. This book is a magnificent epic. Definitely to be read aloud. Such a bold undertaking in format, form and substance. This book will occupy a reserved spot on my bookshelf and in my memory for years. Pick it up and read the first few pages - you'll have to finish it.

Merwin's poetic style touches upon Hawaiian chant and upon fine western literature. Put together, this recounting of the legend of Ko`olau the Leper and his loyal wife Pi`ilani may become a masterpiece of Hawaiian literature.

Our Kaua`i kupuna, Frances Frazier, with whom Merwin consulted, first translated the story in 1973 and published it in 1987.

"Merwin called me after reading my translation and told me how thrilled he had been with the story. We became good friends," says Frazier.

"Simply marvelous," she calls the book, but at first a bit unusual for modern readers.

"At first I was taken aback because there wasn't a bit of punctuation. I'd never seen anything like that," she says.

Frazier says the fictionalized account of the historical event correctly weaves together the characters and events.

Frazier's translation of "Pi`ilani's Lament," an exquisite example of Hawaiian soliloquy, appears on the web.

Here is a story about Hawaii that attempts to capture the ancient oral tradition of 'oli chants within the confines of Euro-linguistics. The vast differences between Hawaiian and English are issues which Merwin confronted by creating a narrative poem; he drew from Western literature's own past--Homeric poems--for inspiration and guidance. Yet, he adds his modern touch (the missing punctuation marks). I found this a fascinating approach, and I appreciated his effort. The story of Pi'ilani and Ko'olau expresses the love and gentleness of the people, the communal values present in the Hawaiian culture, and the complicated social and political relationships responsible for the Hansen's disease mess. Merwin honored the truth without compromising his creativity. There are a few sections early in the novel, and a few near the end that seem redundant and tedious. I struggled through these parts, though early on I was rewarded with a beautifully wrought account of the creation of the islands and its people; it echoed the Kumulipo or ancient Hawaiian creation myth. Still, the slow parts detracted from the novel's readability; thus, I give it four stars.

I can't imagine this book being of interest to anyone other than serious Hawaiian history buffs or students of poetry. I'm not one who insists that his poetry rhyme, but some sort of meter, rhythm, or structure would have been helpful. In fact, the only thing that this has in common with what most people would recognize as poetry is its format on the printed page. It looks like verse, but it reads more like stream-of-consciousness prose, with thoughts, dialog, and descriptions continually running into one another.

This is a good story that definitely hasn't been given its due before, but reading this version will send you screaming for the Hemmingway library.