Dad of Divas' Reviews: Book Review - The Collected Poems of Marcel Proust

Friday, March 29, 2013

Book Review - The Collected Poems of Marcel Proust

About the Book
For the centennial of Swann's Way: the most complete volume of Proust's poetry ever assembled, in a gorgeous deluxe edition.

As a young man, Proust wrote both poetry and prose. Even after he embarked on his masterful In Search of Lost Time at the age of thirty-eight, he never stopped writing poetry. His verse is often playful, filled with affection and satire, and is peppered with witty barbs at friends and people in his social circle of aristocrats, writers, musicians, and courtesans.

Few of the poems collected here under the editorship of Harold Augenbraum, founder of the Proust Society of America, have ever been published in book form or translated into English until now. In this dual-language edition of new translations, Augenbraum has brought together nineteen renowned poets and poetry translators to bring Proust's exuberant verse back to life.

About the Author
Marcel Proust (1871–1922) spent his twenties as a conspicuous society figure, but after 1907 he rarely emerged from a cork-lined room in his apartment where he devoted himself to the composition of In Search of Lost Time.

Harold Augenbraum is the executive director of the National Book Foundation and founder of the Proust Society of America, and he has previously translated José Rizal and Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca for Penguin Classics. He lives in New York City.

My Take on the Book
I am a big fan of poetry, and have read many of Proust'd works in the past along with many other poets. I was excited though to find one new volume that brought together the collective poems of this poet, as I have not found one before. What I loved about this book was that it brought forward a number of poems that I had never seen it before ( and I thought I had seen them all). Also, the way in which Pete: these are shared allow you to better appreciate the poems themselves. Whether you are already a Proust fan, or if this is the first time you have ever heard of him, you should definitely grab a copy of this book and see the amazing fluidity of the prose that Proust shares with his readers. You too will be entranced by what you see in front of you!

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

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