Previously available only as a limited editon, Henri Michaux's Ideograms in China is now available as a New Directions paperback. Peerlessly translated by the American poet Gustaf Sobin, this long, beautifully illustrated and annotated prose poem was originally written as an introduction to Leon Chang's La calligraphie chinoise (1971), a work that now stands as an important complement to Pound and Ernest Fenollosa's classic study, The Chinese Written Character as a Medium for Poetry.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
"China, land where one meditated upon the tracings of a calligrapher as, in other countries, one would meditate upon a mantra," writes Henri Michaux (1899-1984) in Ideograms in China, his prose poem about Chinese orthography. Michaux offers an impressionistic history of Chinese characters, tracing the evolution of "the oldest living language in the world" as he contemplates its unique capacity to convey poetic expression. Originally published as an introduction to Leon Chang's La calligraphie chinoise and previously only available as a limited addition, the poem is translated from the French by American expatriate poet Gustaf Sobin and illustrated with Chinese calligraphy.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Review
Michaux excels in making us feel the strangeness of natural things, and 'the naturalness of strange things. -- André Gide
One of the most original and quintessentially French writers...Michaux is the poet laureate of our insomnia. -- Anatole Broyard, The New York Times Book Review
[A] poet of startling freshness and elusiveness and savage wit. -- Peter Schjeldahl, The New York Times
One of the most original and quintessentially French writers...Michaux is the poet laureate of our insomnia. -- Anatole Broyard, The New York Times Book Review
[A] poet of startling freshness and elusiveness and savage wit. -- Peter Schjeldahl, The New York Times
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Coming alive in its lines,
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This review is from: Ideograms in China (Paperback)
A decptively simple, lyrical and shifting riff on Chinese characters and caligraphy by a master poet, one whose work sometimes slipped into the pure sense of the figured line, gesture, action. Ezra Pound, as he lapsed into silence at the end of his life, began a translation of this work, as a bookend so to speak of his own response (mediated by Fenollosa) to the Chinese character. Here we have Michaux translated by American poet Gustaf Sobin, who lived many years in Southern France before passing away in 2005. The text was originally an introduction to Leon Chang's La Calligraphie Chinoise (will have to search this out and test my French) but it stands on its own as a powerful poem, and that is how it needs to be read, as a poem.
The afterward by Richard Sieburth 'Signs in Action' helped me better see the connections between the act of wiriting (especially caligraphy), Michaux and his lines/signs, Pound and Fenollosa. It is a thought provoking read in its own right.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good Introduction - worth reading,
By Robert A Wagstaff (SALEM, MA, US) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Ideograms in China (Paperback)
If you want to get the "feel" of the Chinese Ideogram, this is a good introduction and by all means this is book is well worth your time and $. If you are a hard core poet and writer however I would recomend Ernest Fenollosa's "The chinese written character as a medium for poetry" co-written with Ezra Pound
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
Lines going off in all directions. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Lines going off in all directions. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
1
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cites this book:
- Signs in Action-- Pound/Michaux and Of Languages (Short Works Series) by Richard Sieburth on 6 pages
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