Customer Reviews

If Not, Winter: Fragments of Sappho (English and Greek Edition)

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There is precious little known about the ancient Greek Poet, Sappho. Most of us know the obvious, that she was a famous poet and lyricist (meaning, she composed music to be sung with the lyre) and that she lived on the island of Lesbos off the Greek coast in about 630 B.C.. However, almost all other details about her life, such as they are, come from texts written about her by other ancient writers; of the 9 books of lyrics she is reported to have written, none survive today.

Fragments of poetry written by Sappho still exist, but most are damaged or illegible. Hence, here as in other previous works of the poetry of Sappho, the reader is left with only fragments of what clearly must have been delicate and breathtakingly beautiful poetry. As Ms. Carson says in her introduction to her translations, the reader is left with a profound sense of wonder when confronted with the small snippets of Sappho's poetry. For example, all that survives of poem 36 is "I long and seek after". What, we wonder, does the rest of the poem pertain to? What flowing scenes did she paint with her words that we can never know?

I personally am not a Classicist, though I HAVE read through many of the surviving texts of the ancient worlds: Beowulf & The Odyssey, for example, and occasionally I'll attack some texts in Latin and have a go at the translation. However, for the most part, I am not a scholar of ancient times or texts. I'm here to say that one does NOT, even for a second, need to know much about ancient Greek culture, text or times to thoroughly enjoy these translations. Granted, you will find that most poems are little more than bits of a whole (sometimes only a word or two survives), but even these small pieces will cause your imagination to soar.

Ms. Carson has also boldly gone where no translator has gone before (to my knowledge). In previous translations of Sappho's poetry that I've read, the pages are crammed tight with the fragments themselves, explanations and footnotes. In Ms. Carson's book, each page is dedicated to one fragment of Sappho's poetry, regardless of it's length. In this respect, a poem that is only three words long has an entire page dedicated to itself. This is a wonderful touch, as it means that the reader's entire attention can be focused only on that poem, no matter how small, without the distraction of commentary by the author (Ms. Carson puts an extensive appendix at the back where she adds her thoughts and comments on the fragment's origin, word meaning and characters). Opposite the English translations are the original fragments in their original Greek characters. I myself cannot read Greek, but I found it a beautiful and thought-provoking touch to be able to look at what Sappho wrote in her own language. Though I'm not able to read Greek, it made the text more alive to have it there for me to look at and examine.

In conclusion, anyone who enjoys ancient Greek culture, ancient history or simply enjoys reading poetry should not hesitate to add this book to their collection. I'd personally go so far as to say that if you've got a different volume of Sappho's poetry, make some shelf space to add THIS book as well. For the clean, uncluttered page and lyrical, moving translation, I highly recommend this work and highly compliment Ms. Carson on her work.

I happened across this gem in Vancouver, and have been thoroughly delighted (if ashamed at how rusty my sight-reading of Ancient Greek has gotten). "If Not, Winter" is the best presentation of the Sapphic fragments that I've ever read. Careful attention is paid to presentation on the page, with brackets to differentiate between missing parchments and elided quotations. The arrangement is artistic and makes the fragments flow in as close to a lyric format as we're likely to get in English. Although the translator struggles with the classic tension between transparency of the translator through meaning/intent or through presentation exactly as written, I think she strikes a poetically ept balance between them, and gives you the Greek on facing pages in as close to an original representation as possible. It warms my little Classicist heart. Her notation is more complex than the presentation in most Ancient Greek texts, and that took a little getting used to, but the added detail was worthwhile content once I became accustomed to it. Sappho is my favorite lyric poet, and the shining and lucid presentation of her work her only strengthens my opinion of her. I'll be sure to search out Professor Carson's other translations now too.

This work is a treasure, I don't know how we can thank Pof. Carson enough. This is a complete collection of all we have left of the greatest poetess of the ancient age. They are all in fragments and the way Prof. Carson has set them out for us they haunt. The title itself says it all, a fragment, what comes before or after may be lost forever: "If not, winter", but even that small snippet strikes. Over two thousand years and Sappho still touches us.

Sadly, much of Sappho's work is lost to the ages. Fortunately, Anne Carson has translated what survives in a wonderful, comprehensive collection. All of Sappho's extant works are here in a dual-language book - the original Greek on one page, Carson's translations on the other. Having read several translations (I do not read Greek), Carson's is my favorite - the images are immeadiate, the sense of urgency and romance clearly communicated in lyric prose. Some apparently are frustrated by the equal attention Carson gives to each fragment - remnants of poems (even a single word) are given their own page just as longer bits. I enjoyed this, wondering what has been lost, haunted by a voice over 2,000 years old, marveling at the beauty of what remains. If you, like me, are a lover of poetry, I highly recommend this collection above all other translations.

Sappho, an ancient lyricist, is often looked over in her works because very little of them remain. I bought this on a whim when I saw it actually in a bookstore (unless special ordered her writings are very hard to simply come across), and it has proven to be very readable. I cannot translate myself, but the editor has put together a very comprehensive version with clear indications of where text is missing. Some lyrics are merely a single, provoking word, while only one is complete. This may seem to be a waste to some when they open the book and find pages and pages with only a word or a phrase, but for me the enjoyment is imagining what Sappho herself was thinking and feeling as she sang that single line.

From her one complete lyric it is obvious she was extremely competent in her field, and the fragments allow one a glimpse into the themes that played such a great role in her life. I have read and re-read this book over and over, often spending the majority of the time I have it open building the rest of what is missing.

It would be my sincerest hope that someday perhaps more of Sappho's beautiful lyrics are found, but until they are I satisfy my craving with her later admirer who took to writing in a similar fashion, Catullus. He is romantic, cynical, and even amusing in his works, providing even greater entertainment than some of Sappho's fragments.

But this review is for Sappho, not Catullus. The book itself is of good quality with a sturdy binding, especially for a softcover, which is necessary because this is a collection you will want to read over and over again. I have read somewhat more descriptive and dramatic translations, although I feel these are accurate in their representation and still very enjoyable. Overall, this book is excellent for really showing what little remains of Sappho and the dramatic presence her works still evoke, despite all attempts others have made to suppress her.

Anne Carson approached the project of translating fragments of Sappho's work with as much care and respect as possible. The result is something truly intelligent & lovely. I recommend this book to anyone who has an appreciation for poetry, both modern and classic, and translation.

I've been meaning to review this for a couple of years now, and I'm just getting to it after having replaced my original, worn, tattered, dogeared, falling apart copy. The fact that my first copy was in that condition speaks much. Carson has given our modern world a gift of unimaginable beauty in her translations of Sappho's fragmented works. By devoting each page to a solitary fragment, and providing the original text along with her translation, the reader is able to step into antiquity and wonder at the power, subtlety, and passion that was Sappho's contribution to human thought.

Think on that a moment. Though some pages only contain a couple of words, there is power in them. Just knowing that Plato, Horace, and Aristotle held her in high esteem, Roman emperors quoted her, and she was counted among the ancient muses, speaks directly to her influence as a lyricist and poet.

There are those few out there who look at the pages of If Not, Winter, and see . . . not much. To them: Please go back. Take another look. It grows on you in a way that is indescribable.

I'm rambling, I know, so here's the deal -- This book captures Sappho in a way that others have not. The fragments stand on their own, allowing the reader's mind to wander and imagine. Carson has allowed the poet to speak, and it's like catching fragments of conversation from someone that has a way more interesting life than you, and you just want to listen and absorb and wonder. I have used this collection in my classroom on a regular basis. I compare it with contemporary poetry (Sappho still more than holds her own, by the way), and as prompts for journal writing. The book has gone home with scores of students, and many more have purchased their own copies.

I rarely give five star reviews. I reserve those for works or products that are truly amazing and impactful -- not perfect, mind you, but a beautiful example of homo-faber. If Not, Winter: Fragments of Sappho, by Anne Carson, is doubly that.

Some amount of criticism has been aimed at Carson for publishing such slight (in some cases, two words of a poem) examples of Sappho's poetry. I disagree. One is haunted by the fragments, which are almost painful to read because beautiful, compelling...and incomplete. To paraphrase Adrienne Rich, these are worth a look because even their alphabet is precious. If you want more, follow this with The Sappho Companion by Margaret Reynolds.

This is a fantastic book. Sappho the name is famous. She talked about with great praise by other classic authors but her poetry is unknown to modern audiences. This book makes the point that the what exists of Sappho's poems/songs are really just fragments. In many cases only a few words exist with little or no context. The broken nature of these fragments is reinforced in the text by the use of blank space on the pages. The only problem is, I can't get over the feeling that I've paid for a full book and gotten a lot of blank pages.

Anne Carson is not only a Greek scholar, she is also a poet in her own right. Thus she is perfectly (if not uniquely) suited to prepare a translation of Sappho for the modern reader.

Her text is serious enough -- it includes the original Greek text on facing pages. There is also an extensive appendix with the standard academic footnotes, glosses, and helpful if erudite commentary. However, because the questions and difficulties of translation and text and vocabulary are tucked safely away in the appendix, the reader can focus complete attention on the poetry at hand.

Dr. Carson produces a careful, line by line translation of the text. Yet rather than simply another dusty exercise in classical scholarship, her own poetic translation leaves the reader aching with the haunting echoes of Sappho's heart cry across the intervening centuries.