Begun in 1939, barely four months after the close of the Spanish Civil War, these poems by the Nobel Laureate poet Vicente Aleixandre were written during a period of hardship and despair. In spite of his surroundings Aleixandre created the splendor of the shadow of a lost paradise that consisted of memory, nostalgia, yearning and illusion. This is the first full English version. The original Spanish text is included.
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Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
Shadow of Paradise ( Sombra del Paraiso ) is the first complete bilingual edition of this volume of poems by Nobel Prize-winning Spaniard Aleixandre (1898-1984). First published in 1944, it is an intensely visionary collection in which Aleixandre journeys "toward a promised world half seen," charting the geography of a mystical Eden (based on the city of Malaga) perhaps not so beautifully realized since Coleridge's "Kubla Khan." These imagined Iberian scenes appear "transformed into light,/ transformed into flame that flashes in the air." Written at a time of both personal loss and historical tragedy, this volume effectively blends themes of innocence and sensuality with a longing for transcendence of pain. Frank Allen, Assoc. Dean, Continuing Education, Allentown Coll., Center Valley, Pa.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"A radiantly beautiful book of poems. . . . In Harter's careful translation the yearning for total, line-for-line fidelity is happily balanced by the impulse to interpret." -- Latin America in Books
"Harter is highly successful in reproducing the text's unique qualities. . . . A fine reading of Aleixandre's text that is both inviting and coherent." -- ALEC (Anales de la Literatura Espanola Contemporanea)
"Poems like 'The Poet' and 'Body and Soul' ring with a sad beauty that places Aleixandre alongside Antonio Machado and Federico Garcia Lorca as one of Spain's greatest poets." -- The Bloomsbury Review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
"Harter is highly successful in reproducing the text's unique qualities. . . . A fine reading of Aleixandre's text that is both inviting and coherent." -- ALEC (Anales de la Literatura Espanola Contemporanea)
"Poems like 'The Poet' and 'Body and Soul' ring with a sad beauty that places Aleixandre alongside Antonio Machado and Federico Garcia Lorca as one of Spain's greatest poets." -- The Bloomsbury Review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lovely poetry read,
By Cassandra Langer (New York City) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Shadow of Paradise (Paperback)
Love his voice and perceptions. Sometimes a little lush for some people but it suits me fine. If you need a respite from the garbage in the media try this book. The images will take you completely out of this world.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Things Unsaid,
By
This review is from: Shadow of Paradise (Paperback)
While reading Stephen Kessler's bilingual translation of Cernuda's last two books, named after the last book, Desolation of the Chimera (1962), I discovered that Vincente Aleixandre was also a member of the Generation of '27 (along with Cernuda, Guillen and Garcia Lorca). As it happened, I had a bilingual copy of Aleixandre's Shadow of Paradise (1944), given to me by my friend, the translator Hugh Harter. The book has the excitement of a transitional, mannerist work--in many senses. Primarily, the author seemed to be moving from a vivid, youthful surrealism to something different, more plain spoken, but still ecstatically wrapped in the imagery of surrealism. There's also the issue of timing with three gay members of '27: Garcia Lorca was killed in the early days of the Civil War. Cernuda went into exile and spent the rest of his life in the US and Mexico. Aleixandre stayed in Spain. I imagine certain adjustments in style had to be made for a gay man to live in Franco's Spain and, to me, that becomes the ever-present thing unsaid in Aleixandre's Shadow of Paradise. My only quibble with my friend's translations is that they depend so heavily on Latin cognates. Spanish comes by its Latin vocabulary quite naturally; but a preponderance of Latin in English poetry is endemic to 19th century Romanticism, perhaps giving the wrong signal. Leaning more toward Anglo-Saxon vocabulary would restore the hard-edged freshness to this volatile and vital poetry.
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