Memoirs

Personal reading. He writes poetically

What a poet, what a life.A lover of nature, countries, women, and, of course, words, Pablo Neruda's "Memoirs" is a brilliant account of a single, unbelievable life on this planet. Told with such clarity and beauty, one page will have you laughing out loud, and then just pages later, reaching for a box of tissues. It's been a long time since a writer has had such an effect; I've now ranked him with my favorite writers like Joseph Mitchell, Dorothy Parker, Frank McCourt and Hemingway.If you are a fan of his poetry, this book will only extrapolate the joy and awe his poems inspire. He truly was a gifted writer, and the years he spent roaming the earth gave him all the necessary ingredients he needed to fold in all of those rich, eloquent words. A gem of a memoir.

I was introduced to this work by reading an excerpt from it in a poetry class. I bought it, and found it inspiring, rich, unforgettable. The only drawback to this memoir is that it is so densely written that it can only be ingested in small chunks. Also, I don't have enough knowledge about the politics of early to mid 20th century, or the various Fascist regimes that Neruda witnessed, suffered through, and protested for the writing to jump to life, in some portions of the memoir. I intend to use this book for inspirational rather than recreational use. I have read some complaints about the quality of this translation, but I don't know Spanish, so that's not an issue for me. If a bad translation is this good, it must be something in the original.

This is a one of a kind memoir and a true treasure. Neruda was a unique and gifted poet. A lover of live and its people and his memoir speaks of this. It brims with the miraculous magic he discovered as he grew up. An internationalist who met and enjoyed being friends with the people of influence and fame, he still was always a fierce defender of the poor and disenfranchised. He always came home to himself and his people. In every sentence you can feel this man's authenticity and clarity. I have read and re-read this book a few times already. Every time I feel deeply touched and inspired.

Not only very poetically written, it gives a lot of history and a better knowledge of Chile.

This is an insider's overview of the life and times of Chile's second Nobel Laureate in Literature. Neruda uses poetic prose to capture the essence of the brave writers confronting fascism during the Spanish Civil War. For example, Neruda penetrated Federico Garcia Lorca's playful nature and the hollowness of his assassination in 1936, not necessarily for his plays and poetry, but for his sexual orientation.Martin C. Taylor (Ph.D., UCLA)

A very interesting book

This is a magnificent and fascinating book. I want to re-read several of the authors/friends he discusses (e.g., Rafael Alberti). And I want to read the original Spanish version to revel in his words and phrases. Neruda is truly the poet of the 20th Century of liberation movements, just as his admired mentor Walt Whitman was of the 19th...

One of my favourite books ever. I have read it at least three times and each time I found something new to enjoy about it. Not only his poems were amazing, so is his prose, I will thoroughly recommend it to anybody who has not yet read it.

I really enjoyed 'Memoirs' by Pablo Neruda. I am a fan of Neruda and I have learnt quite a lot about his life. Interesting book.

This book arrived promptly and almost looks new. The book is a famous one to anyone from South America, as it tells of the revered poet's varied andinteresting life, including his political persecution. A must read for anyone interested in revolutionary South American politics or South American poetry.

Beautifully translated. Still remains one of the most beautiful, evocative reads of my life.Heavy on the passion and imagery...

This is a lovely book about an and important poet and special man!