Full Woman, Fleshly Apple, Hot Moon: Selected Poems of Pablo Neruda (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Chilean poet Neruda (1904-73), winner of the Nobel prize among other honors and whose love poems served as the inspiration for the movie Il Postino, was prolific, and his work took many forms, including the highly political. Stephen Mitchell, translator and reader, has wisely selected from among the various odes and love poems for this extremely well-produced audio offering. "Forgive me, Seagull, I am a poet of reality," he says, after first praising the bird, then going on to describe its barking, its stealing garbage from the mouths of other gulls. Luckily for listeners, Neruda's "reality" permits forays into imagination, such as the baby's foot that thinks it can fly or the suit that might soon wear thin or might outlive its owner and be used for burial. No subject in Neruda's hands is unworthy of praise, including the onion, the artichoke, salt, socks, or the watch on a lover's wrist. While translations of the poet's work abound in print, and there are tapes of him reading his own poems, this is only the second tape of translations available. A true delight; recommended for all libraries. Rochelle Ratner, formerly with "Soho Weekly News," New York
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Product Description

Praise for Stephen Mitchell's translation of Rilke: "Perhaps the most beautiful group of poetic translations this century has produced." 
-- Chicago Tribune

"This is, without any doubt, the best English rendering of Rilke. It is as faithful to the original as the translation of poetry can hope to be, faithful not only to its linguistic meaning but to its poetic expressiveness."
-- Erich Heller, Poetry 

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial Modern Classics (January 23, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060928778
• ISBN-13: 978-0060928773
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #615,969 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure spirit, pure soul., August 10, 2000

By	K. Peffley "kpeffley" (Tempe, AZ USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Having been interested in Neruda since seeing the movie "Il Postino," I've glanced at several collections for over 3 years, but never took a book home for my own. Looking for a collection that contained "Ode to Laziness" (one of my favorite subjects), I found and purchased Full Woman, Fleshly Apple, Hot Moon. I sat down in a big chair on a Sunday afternoon and opened it to the first page and the love affair started there. Usually, I read a book of poems randomly, just flipping here and there, looking for whatever surprizes me. For some unknown reason, I started this book from the beginning with Mitchell's introduction, then read the first poem. I couldn't help myself as I read one poem and then another till I had carefully read almost every one. Pure spirit, pure soul. Each poem is a love poem to the most simple, everyday, ordinary things of this world--his suit, his socks, his watch--engaging us to see a sheer web of grace that runs through out our lives. Put another way, Neruda sees and shows us a world that shimmers and loves us as fully as we love it.

Many thanks to S. Mitchell for creating this collection.

45 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mitchell's translation lets Neruda's voice sing off the page, May 9, 1999

By A Customer

Stephen Mitchell translates an assortment of Neruda's lesser known poems that rank among his personal favorites. You can tell Mitchell truly loves these works as Neruda's voice almost literally sings off the page in English. The book itself is beautifully constructed with a painting by Gaugin adorning the cover. When you hold it in your hands, you will know you have discovered something truly special. You may also be interested in Mitchell's lovely translations of Rilke.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mitchell Does It Best, November 10, 2006

By	Robyn Janyk (Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am a true lover of the work of Pablo Neruda and have perused many
translated works of the famous Chilean poet.
Stephen Mitchell's translations are by far the most eloquent I have found. I feel they best convey the many moods of Pablo Neruda. The writer is able to capture the most intense feelings in the poet's writing better than any I have read. Thank you Stephen Mitchell.