{"id":29466,"date":"2016-10-27T23:33:20","date_gmt":"2016-10-28T03:33:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=29466"},"modified":"2016-10-27T23:33:20","modified_gmt":"2016-10-28T03:33:20","slug":"review-of-rilkes-book-of-hours-by-rainer-maria-rilke-translated-by-anita-barrows-and-joanna-macy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=29466","title":{"rendered":"Review of Rilke’s Book of Hours, by Rainer Maria Rilke, translated by Anita Barrows and Joanna Macy"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"book_of_hours_large\"<\/a>Rilke’s Book of Hours<\/p>\n

Love Poems to God<\/em><\/p>\n

by Rainer Maria Rilke<\/p>\n

translated by Anita Barrows and Joanna Macy
\nwith a new Introduction by the translators<\/p>\n

Riverhead Books (Penguin), 2005. 257 pages.
\nStarred Review<\/p>\n

Although this book was published in 2005, our library recently purchased new copies of it, so I saw it on the Wowbrary list and checked it out. I liked it so much, I purchased my own copy and slowly went through it at the rate of a poem per day.<\/p>\n

Anyone who has seen my Sonderling Sunday<\/a> posts know that I love the German language and I love looking at the ways the German and English languages try to express the same thoughts. So this book, with the original German text on one side and the English translation on the other, is perfect for me.<\/p>\n

This is poetry, so you’re not going to find a literal translation. I think I liked it better for that. Again, how best to express an idea, in this case a poetic idea, in each language?<\/p>\n

I’d read a poem each day. First I’d read it in German and try to get the idea. Then I’d read it line by line with the translation and find out where I’d gone wrong.<\/p>\n

The poetry is beautiful in both languages. Don’t let the subtitle throw you. Rilke has some nontraditional thoughts about God. But they do get you thinking and meditating about some deep thoughts.<\/p>\n

This is the 100th Anniversary Edition, and there’s a reason these poems have lasted so long.<\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Nonfiction\/book_of_hours.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Source: This review is based on my own copy, purchased via Amazon.com.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

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