The Mays of Ventadorn (National Geographic Directions) [Hardcover]

W.S. Merwin (Author)

Book Description

Series: Directions | Publication Date: June 1, 2002

Pulitzer-prize winning poet W.S. Merwin traces the origins of the troubadours in 12th century Provance as he relates his own experience as a frequent visitor to southern France in this striking memoir, for the National Geographic Directories series. W.S.Mervin, one of the century's great American poets, turns his lyrical eye to the legacy of the Troubadours of southern France. Merwin expertly tells the story of these medieval poets, artists whose songs have survived for centuries and have outlived the culture and even the language in which they were written. For Merwin, it is very personal exploration, as he shares with the reader his love of the French countryside and of the old fermhouse that became his home for decades. The rural society he sees as direct progeny of the almost mythical Troubadour culture serves as the story's romantic background.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

One of the finest senior U.S. poets stunningly evokes in prose the fabled romance and dark beauty of southwestern France. Seemingly channeling the troubadour spirit of the region, Merwin paints broad, but strikingly detailed, landscapes with his words, using language itself as a main character. He intermingles his personal experiences in the region with the songs of twelfth-century troubadours, illustrating superbly the flexibility of time in the historical cocoon of this ancient and endlessly resurrected locale. Often the prose sounds like poetry, and few other travel writings could aspire to the miraculously transporting quality of these crystalline sentences. The reader feels the restorative effects of this region and its poetry on Merwin, and cannot help but be touched. Like the songs of his troubadours, this little book soothes the soul while keeping the senses wide awake. Will Hickman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

Elegaic...Though only fragments remain to...glimpse the troubadours' world, Merwin makes us grateful that we have them. -- Los Angeles Times, June 27, 2002

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 184 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic; 1st edition (June 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0792265386
• ISBN-13: 978-0792265382
• Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 0.8 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,190,015 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

W.S. Merwin is the 17th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry of the United States. He is the author of over fifty books of poetry, prose, and translations. He has earned every major literary prize, most recently the National Book Award for 'Migration: New and Selected Poems' and the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for 'The Shadow of Sirius.' He lives in Hawaii where he raises endangered palm trees.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting, October 13, 2002

By 

Albert Drouart (Arlington, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Mays of Ventadorn (National Geographic Directions) (Hardcover)

If you ever wondered if medieval poetry and the lives of the people who wrote it was in some way intimidating or academic, `The Mays of Ventadorn` provides a truely unique way of experiencing it. W.S. Merwin, in his charateristic style, brings to life Ventadorn (places and personalities) the center of the troubadour universe by weaving his own personal relationship with the region, the era and its poets. This book is a wonderful journey through Merwin's experience and how he has found value and meaning in the troubadours -- It will leave you wanting more poetry and a plane ticket to Southwest France.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a small gem, September 23, 2003

By 

John Anderson (Bar Harbor, ME USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Mays of Ventadorn (National Geographic Directions) (Hardcover)

This is a delightful look at a wonderful place and a marvellous cast of characters by one of our most talented living poets. I don't usually find myself yearning to move to France, but after reading The MAYS I couldn't help myself! Merwin's language is uniformally beautiful & he makes both his people and his places come alive. I also enjoyed both the fragments of songs that Merwin translates for us and his discussion of the difficulties of translation -both across language and across time. My one critique (and the loss of a star) is that I wanted more. Each time I felt that the "story" was REALLY going to start we would shift gears & go somewhere else or talk about someone else, and after a while I gave up hoping for any conclusion or resolution. This may be the product of some arbirary editorial length (I note that the book is part of a travel series) but in any case it is a pity, as I could easily have read twice as much on half as many troubadors!