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A landmark of literary modernism, Tender Buttons has entertained some readers while baffling (or infuriating) others since its appearance in 1914. To some critics, Stein’s bizarre "poetry” represents an attempt to reproduce in language the disorienting effects that the Cubist artists of her Paris circle were then achieving on canvas.
Anonymous
Posted May 9, 2013
In order to read Tender Bottons you have to understand Stein. Without knowledhe of her love of the English language and playibg with it, you will be lost. The book was not written to have any kind of progression. It is meant to be read aloud and with many interpretations. If you read it in your head you will be lost. Stein is like a mad scientest. Many know hes brilliant but few can understand her enough to appreciate her and her work.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted February 7, 2012
This book was extremely hard to understand even though I was reading it for a class. Therefore, I would only recommend it to literary scholars who might understand it.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 18, 2009
If you are a fan of language poetry, this is the book for you. Stein is the woman who virtually created "language poetry" as we know it. This collection of her poems focuses on everyday things. The first section is all about things that are in her home: A Vase, A Box, etc. The second section is about food and the third about rooms.
Stein was one of the expatriates that were in Paris after WWI and were trying to find a new way of thinking about writing about the world. Stein famously wrote "Act so that there is no use in a center." Stein wrote without a center. She, along with many others, believed that life had no center, and if it did, its only center would be art.
Stein had a personal art gallery that housed paintings by Picasso, Cézanne, Gauguin, Matisse, and Renoir. She believed that art was the greatest medium and would collect that which she valued. In fact, many chose to visit Stein rather than go to the museums because Stein had "better" contemporary art than the museums did at the time.
Many have compared Stein's writing to the Cubist movement. This certain helps one understand her writing style. The repetition, the use of color, and the way shapes and/or words can take on a new meaning when used in certain contexts.
However, if you are expecting a linear thought process, traditional ("normal") writing style, or any kind of character or plot, this is not the collection for you. If you choose Stein's "Tender Buttons", please do so with the understanding that this is not even typical poetry. Please keep an open mind, and if it helps, do some research to help you understand the deeper meanings of poems such as "A Box."
Anonymous
Posted June 22, 2011
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Anonymous
Posted May 13, 2011
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Anonymous
Posted June 17, 2012
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Anonymous
Posted December 31, 2009
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Overview
A landmark of literary modernism, Tender Buttons has entertained some readers while baffling (or infuriating) others since its appearance in 1914. To some critics, Stein’s bizarre "poetry” represents an attempt to reproduce in language the disorienting effects that the Cubist artists of her Paris circle were then achieving on canvas.