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The Epic of Gilgamesh: An English Verison with an Introduction (Penguin Classics)

37 reviews
Anonymous

Penguin Classics, 1960

The tale of the evolution of storytelling that reveals shared mythology in religions
This version is a very popular adaptation of the Gilgamesh story because it contains N. K. Sandars' crucial introduction which is just as important as the translation itself because it includes information about the discovery of the tablets in Assyria dating back to the third millennium BC and then goes on to explain the difficulties that scholars have had in rediscovering the story from these ...

The Iliad of Homer

64 reviews
Homer

University Of Chicago Press, 1961

Western literature starts here
Having been a very lazy student in high school, I'm sure I was assigned to read the Iliad or Odyssey, but never did. A recent trip to Crete, and to the ruins of the Bronze Age Minoan civilization inspired me to read Homer. Considering the comments of reviewers who read the Iliad under duress as students, I'm glad that I read it on my own account. Why read the Iliad? For one thing, it's ...

White Heat: The Friendship of Emily Dickinson and Thomas Wentworth Higginson

4 reviews
Brenda Wineapple

Knopf, 2008

Even unpublished writers need validation
At first glance, even from the old photos, they seem like vastly different people. Thomas Wentworth Higginson was a man of various talents. He was a well-traveled writer, yes; but he was also involved in public service and the reform movement, and he was intent on seeking out a certain amount of fame and celebrity for himself. Emily Dickinson was the quintessential homebody who saw the world ...

The Odyssey

138 reviews
Homer

Penguin Classics, 1999

Fagles finds the translator's "middle ground" amidst controversy
About the Odyssey itself, I can add no greater praise than that which has already been deservedly heaped onto one of humankind's greatest literary creations. This particular version is graced with an excellent introduction and notes by Bernard Knox, and what I consider to be a very good translation by Robert Fagles. The translation style stirs up controversy, with one highly rated review here ...

Paradise Lost (Penguin Classics)

23 reviews
John Milton

Penguin Classics, 2003

Timeless Classic
John Milton's "Paradise Lost" is a timeless classic. It's imagery, based itself upon 1500 years of previous Christian-cultural imagery, has shaped how the Western world views Christianity, sin, the fall, life, death, heaven, and hell. The open-minded non-Christian reader would do well to read "Paradise Lost" to become a literate student of Christian imagery. The Christian, willing to work ...

Beowulf: A New Verse Translation (Bilingual Edition)

247 reviews

W. W. Norton & Company, 2001

beowulf
Product arrived in condition described and in a timely fashion. Would purchase from the buyer again.

The Iliad (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)

138 reviews
Homer

Penguin Classics, 1998

A defense of Fagles for the general reader
I don't normally write reviews for "the classics": what can I say that hasn't already been said more elegantly and succinctly by hundreds and thousands already? So, regarding the book itself I will say simply that this story clearly has earned the title of "classic" and will surprise newcomers (or readers like myself who have gained a newfound appreciation for works like this upon adulthood!) ...

The Chicago Manual of Style

99 reviews

University Of Chicago Press, 2003

The Authority
Chicago Manual of Style is the authority for many writers and editors. The latest edition includes useful information for handling all aspects of citations involving Internet material.

A Light in the Attic

63 reviews

HarperCollins, 1981

As sweet as they used to be
Silverstein is our favorite author of children's books. He is just perfect! In fact his works are as good for the parents as for their children. Whichever Silverstein's book I bought for any of my five children (each one of them has his own Silverstein), we have ALL read them. That includes my children, myself, and even sometimes my husband. "Light in the Attic" is no exception to that rule. I ...

Ballistics: Poems

2 reviews
Billy Collins

Random House, 2008

Poetry That Begins In Delight and Ends in Wisdom
When I recently heard Billy Collins read several of the poems from this new collection, he was compared, both in the printed material and by the person who introduced him, to Robert Frost in that both writers have the "rare combination of critical acclaim and broad popular appeal," a dubious comparison at best since I can think of six or eight other contemporary poets who would fall into that ...

Thirst: Poems

31 reviews
Mary Oliver

Beacon Press, 2007

My favorite Mary Oliver collection
"Thirst" is my favorite book of Mary Oliver's poems and prose. This contains some of her most overtly spiritual work. You can find a kindred spirit in her words. In addition to the title poem "Thirst," I especially loved "Making the House Ready for the Lord."

2009 Poet's Market
Editors of Writers Digest Books

Writers Digest Books, 2008

2009 Poet's Market gives readers all the information necessary to research markets and submit poetry for publication. In addition to market listings, poets will find guidance for preparing and submitting manuscripts, identifying markets, relating to editors, and more. Plus, the book includes additional listings for conferences, workshops, organizations for poets, print and online resources, and the latest trends in poetry writing and publishing.

A Light in the Attic

A Poetry Handbook

28 reviews
Mary Oliver

Harvest Books, 1994

An Excellent Handbook
This book by Mary Oliver is an excellent resource for any poet seeking to improve their understanding of the craft. She acknowledges the need for creativity and experimentalism, yet does so by confirming time-honored techniques and explanations of formal structures. I tend toward the free verse form of poetry, but do dabble in iambic rhyme. I have always felt that structure is the enemy of good ...

The Gift

74 reviews
Hafiz

Penguin (Non-Classics), 1999

Beautiful and celebratory poetry
Only knowing Hafiz, through this book I am not in a position to judge whether the book does him justice or whether too much of the tranlator's own poetical and mystical nature has come into play. What I can say is, that I truly enjoyed reading it as many of the poems appealed to my heart and provoked some reflection of what we do. Like this short poem called "Find a better job": Now That All ...

Rainbows End

77 reviews
Vernor Vinge

Tor Science Fiction, 2007

A peek into the near future?
Vinge presents an excellent story about a man who "wakes up" from Alzheimer's in San Diego in the year 2025. After this, the reader is treated to a glimpse of the near future where reality and virtual reality meet. Here, various people who were on the cutting edge of technology just a decade or so earlier now struggle to meet high school standards. In particular, I appreciated the social ...

The Complete Rhyming Dictionary: Including The Poet's Craft Book

25 reviews

Dell Publishing, 1992

Excellent!
There's a good reason why two of our finest lyric writers, Stephen Sondheim and Sheldon Harnick, use this fine rhyming dictionary. It's perfect! It is indeed complete and very, very thorough. A great buy for any poet, lyric writer or anyone who enjoys the English language!

Howl and Other Poems (City Lights Pocket Poets Series)

73 reviews
Allen Ginsberg

City Lights Publishers, 2001

Howl, And Other Pocket Poems
Howl, And Other Poems-Allen Ginsberg ***** When originally released in the 1950's Howl was one of the most contraversial works in literature up to that point even rivaling that of Ulysses. Filled with shocking imagry and what some may concider to be distasteful wording and dipictions of overt homosexuality and non-conformity along side excessive drug use and things of that nature. The author ...

Letters to a Young Poet

71 reviews
Rainer Maria Rilke

Dover Publications, 2002

This book is fantastic!
This little book though short in lenght packs a condensed form of life wisdom. Some of the insight Rilke writes to his friend are priceless. Rilke penetrates to the essence of a wide range issues from religious to material never preaching but more like asking his friend to truly examine his decisions in life and let no one else make his choices for him. This has to be one of my all time ...

Metamorphoses (Penguin Classics)

7 reviews
Ovid

Penguin Classics, 2004

Excellent edition and translation
After reading the old Penguin edition of this work, I was amazed at the improvement in not only the translation, but the organization and supplemental material as well. The old edition I read was written in prose (yuck), the translation was was dry and boring, the text was not broken up into sections, and there were no notes to speak of. This edition, however, has really come a long way. The text ...

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