Customer Reviews

The Music of What Happens: Poems, Poets, Critics

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Is there any critic of fiction or poetry better than Helen Vendler? I always avoided poetry, thinking it the literary equivalent of green vegetables. But in these essays, Vendler calmly and precisely explains what works about a certain poem. Vendler's close reading and teacherly - but never condescending - voice made me want to read more poems, yes, but more than anything, they made me want to read more Vendler. Vendler's interpretive theory would probably be criticised as hopelessly 'undertheorized' new criticism, but that is part of its charm. In her way, Vendler has convinced me of the value and beauty of literary creation.

I've been immersed in this book for the last two weeks. The chapter on Wallace Stevens alone is worth the price of admission. Vendler is so good on so many poets that it makes your head spin. Anyone who can get me interested in A.A. Ammons has my attention. She's gifted as a deep reader and as someone with a thorough sense of context. This is judgment you can trust and continue to learn from. This book sat on my shelf for three years until I moved it into the reading room; now I'm accumulating all her books. Reading her is infectious. You can follow her through the looking glass and live to tell about it. A few quibbles - nothing on Larkin so far, and unfairness to Philip Levine (she bypasses his best poems), but read her on James Merrill. And finally some rationality about Anne Sexton.

I came to the party wanting to find out what the controversy was all about (Trilling vs. Vendler) but I've been completely won over by the depth of her sensitivity and intellect. If this isn't a five star event - let alone book - I don't know what is.

Although I'm a lover of books, always have been, I've never written a review before, mostly b/c nothing I've read has really moved me to do so. . . until now. I have to say, I've patiently worked through this book for several months now and have trudged through a good portion of it. Folks, this is bad. I mean, REALLY bad!!

The entire book is nothing more than Ms. Vendler pontificating just to hear herself pontificate. She slings personal opinion around like candy. The entire read is exceedingly boring, poorly argued, stuffy, and taught me absolutely nothing about poetry.

Steer clear is my advice.