Gold Cell (Knopf Poetry Series) [Paperback]

Sharon Olds (Author)

Book Description

Series: Knopf Poetry Series | Publication Date: February 12, 1987

A new collection by the much praised poet whose second book THE DEAD AND THE LIVING, was both the Lamont Poetry Selection for 1983 and winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Beneath the surface of life Olds discovers "what all of us want never to know"her own sexuality. Her obsessive descriptions of sex are too candid to be erotic: "the condom/ripped and the seed tore into me like a/ flame." With evocative imagery ("We think about bones twisted like white/ saplings"), Olds searches through "all the eloquence of the body" for the means to assess her roles as daughter, lover, wife, mother, and woman. Despite a too-easy solipsism ("I looked at you and I tell you I knew you were God/ and I was God"), the best poetry occurs when Olds presents moments of awakening as though they had just happenedher baby's arms "bent like a crab's rosy legs, the/ thighs closely-packed plums in heavy syrup." For poet and reader such moments are purifying. Frank Allen, Associate Dean, Continuing Education, Allentown Coll., Center Valley, Pa.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Inside Flap

A new collection by the much praised poet whose second book THE DEAD AND THE LIVING, was both the Lamont Poetry Selection for 1983 and winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award.

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Knopf; 1 edition (February 12, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394747704
• ISBN-13: 978-0394747705
• Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 0.4 x 8.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #87,819 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Exhilarating Read, But Not For Everyone. . ., October 13, 2000

By 

Shilo R. Blackburn (Pompano Beach, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gold Cell (Knopf Poetry Series) (Paperback)

Sharon Olds delves deeply into the heart of what it means to be human in her collection of poems, "The Gold Cell." I am continually amazed as to how she deals with taboo subjects, such as sex, religion, and morality, with direct and shockingly vivid language. In this particular collection of poems, Olds uses the image of blood to represent various motifs; the blood between family ties, its relation to sex and the body, and even the patriotic sense and the "Americaness" of blood. Using this single word, Olds is able to create an infinite number of images and meanings that go far beyond the common notion that blood is what supplies the body with life. This is by far one of the most influential books of poetry that I have encountered in my career. I do not recommend it to those who are squimish or who are prone to heart-failure at the mention of the word "sex" or "penis." While most of her poems are alluring and evocative, many will shock you with their unabashed treatment of sensitive subjects. For those of you who wish to divulge into the mind of what it means to be human, I whole-heartedly recommend this collection of poetry. Olds' poems not only examine what it means to be human but what it means to be moral beings. Prepare for a journey that will reveal the emotional and raw psychology of the human mind.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Visceral, haunting imagery, June 17, 2000

By 

Hugo Schwyzer (Pasadena, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gold Cell (Knopf Poetry Series) (Paperback)

As in her other volumes of poetry, Olds is a masterful documenter of the flesh. No living American poet writes as authentically about the body as she does -- the exquisite descriptions of sexuality (First Sex is particularly good), motherhood, and aging are not easily forgotten. In my favorite, California Swimming Pool, she captures adolescence so succinctly and alluringly that my own experience of 13 came rocketing back into my consciousness with an intensity which shocked me. Of all her volumes of poetry, this is my favorite.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars you need this, April 27, 2002

By 

"effbeye" (Oceanside, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gold Cell (Knopf Poetry Series) (Paperback)

Emily Dickinson once said something to the extent of, that when she felt that the top of her head had been taken off, she knew that was true poetry. That's how I felt while reading The Gold Cell, and I assure you, that's a great thing. This is an incredibly powerful read and well worth your time.