Customer Reviews

A Time in Xanadu

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I love Gustafsson's poetry. He should have a much larger reputation in the genre.
What makes it good? Wonderful imagery, especially of rural Sweden. Often dark and drear, but always beautiful. A wide range of subject matter. A tender heart (which you know if you've read any of his novels). A sophisticated perspective (Gustafsson taught philosophy for years at the Univ of Houston) which is rarely fore-fronted but which adds to the structural integrity.
Give him a try. His other books of poetry are also excellent.

Unusual and appealing poetry sometimes makes its way here from Europe. "A Time in Xanadu" is an intriguing anthology of poetry by Lars Gustafsson, translated from the original Swedish by John Irons. Gustafsson's poem-stories take figures from countless avenues such as entertainment, history, mythology, and even modern comics, and use them as actors in his uniquely philosophical narratives. "A Time in Xanadu" is an appealing treat for poetry lovers. "December": December was always the month/when one rather stopped living./One became a hiatus in the dark,/little else./Light were lit, lamps and candles./But they were so clearly insufficient/against the rising tide of darkness./It is easy to understand/the message of some/more heathen Yule:/To regain sunlight at any price/with the aid of flares and torches//whose return was never self-evident.