Customer Reviews

Jimmy Stewart and His Poems

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

Probably the best way to read "Jimmy Stewart and His Poems" is to imagine the beloved actor reading them aloud, with his distinctive voice breathing life into each piece. The poems are illustrated by Cheryl Gross.

The book contains four poems, each of which is preceded by a short essay explaining how Stewart came to write it. Each poem is drawn from Stewart's real life experiences. The poems are as follows: "The Top Step in the Hotel in Junin," about a safety hazard at a hotel in Argentina; "The Aberdares!", about an African mountain range; "I'm a Movie Camera," about a camera he bought so that his daughters could film a family trip to Africa; and "Beau," about a beloved dog.

The poems are not particularly deep or impressive from a literary standpoint, but they have a certain folksy charm. Some sample lines from "The Aberdares!": "The North Pole's rather chilly, / Those who've been there all will tell. / There's lots of snow and lots of ice / And lots of wind as well." "Beau" is sentimental and funny, and, I must admit, reminded me of a particular dog who was part of my family. At 32 pages long, this is not a very substantial volume. Recommended for fans of Stewart.

EVERYONE who admires Jimmy Stewart should have this audio book. Hearing his voice and the emotion he felt about his dog, a camera, and the "step" is what makes these poems remarkable. You find yourself feeling sad and happy about his dogs, feeling sorry for a camera, and intriqued about the "step."

There's a reason why Jimmy Stewart became a famous actor and not a famous poet. In fact, this book shows that reason in striking and graphic detail. But good poets are difficult to find nowadays anyway. Good story-telling is also hard to find nowadays. And yet Jimmy Stewart does some wonderful stroytelling in his little book of poetry. If you can read these poems and hear his voice in your head at the same time, then they're a lot easier to read. Many a college student today will read assigned poetry by Byron, Frost, Shakespeare, or Tennyson and come away with nothing. But even the most unpoetic reader will come away from this book with a smile on his or her face.

Although it appears to be out of print, as of my typing this, Amazon currently has over 300 used copies available - at least 10 of which are selling for under $6.00. I think I paid less than a dollar for mine. And with a mere 32 pages anyway consisting of only about five or six poems, there's no reason to pay much more than that.

So, the book is available. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

I purchase the book/tape for my 16 year old son, who is a fan of Jimmy Stewart. I enjoyed it so much, I then bought my own copy. I listen to it many times on my way to work and home. It is funny, sad, and enthralling...the very essence of Jimmy Stewart. We actually found ourselves feeling sorry for the "camera" in one of his poems, grieved for his dog, and laughed at the "step."

There is no question that Jimmy Stewart was the most beloved actor of his time. He was also an accomplished poet, writing lines that could bring a tear to your eye. His reciting of his poem about his dog named Beau on the Tonight show was so moving that even Johnny Carson reached for a tissue. The poem about his late dog Beau, along with a few more of his best ones, make this one of the best books of poetry around. Simple in design and message, they are a joy to read. I strongly recommend this book.

I am a huge Jimmy Stewart fan...and I loved this book. Mr. Stewart read one of these poems, Beau, on the Johnny Carson show, and cried as he was reading it. It is a touching poem of his love for his dog.

I love Jimmy Stewart and his poem about his dog "Beau" makes me cry every time I read it.

We were very pleased to have been able to find this book by Jimmy Stewart. It arrived in good condition and in a timely manner. It is a wonderful book filled with the interesting stories behind his endearing poems.

This vendor did a great job. The book was in great shape and there was good follow through.

Loved this probably because I love anything "Jimmy Stewart". He always reminded me of my grandfather. The only thing disappointing was that it contains only 4 poems. Not that they're not good but I would have liked more. Apparently, he only wrote these 4. The poems are really stories of 4 events in his life. I read it in a few minutes. Heartwarming and funny. I put it on the coffee table and it makes a nice conversation piece.