The 74 poems in this collection consist entirely of questions. These questions appeal to the reader to supply images not answers. Exploiting the lag between perception and understanding, the Nobel laureate's poems evoke pictures that make sense on a visual level before the reader can grasp them on a literal one. The effect is mildly dazzling: ``Where did the full moon leave / its sack of flour tonight?'' Composed during the final months of a fatal illness, these poems are also pervaded by an autumnal atmosphere: ``Why do leaves commit suicide / when they feel yellow?'' Yet Neruda's characteristic depiction of life and death as cyclical allows him to be inquisitive and even playful toward his own mortality instead of despairing: ``Will your worms become part / of dogs or of butterflies?'' O'Daly's translations achieve a tone that is both meditative and spontaneous. His introduction, however, fares less well, in yielding to the misconception of Neruda ( Still Another Day ) as a kind of South American shaman rather than representing him as the shrewd and ironic poet he demonstrated himself to be even in minor works such as this. (Sept.)
Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
Once called ``a one-man Renaissance,'' Nobel laureate and Chilean poet and statesman Neruda (1904-1973) wrote these 74 poems and 316 playful questions about death, nature, and rebirth in the last year of his life. Cryptic and intriguing, these brief answerless riddles, like Roethke's visionary poems, ask the sophisticated question of the innocent child--``Is the sun the same as yesterday's/ or is the fire different than that fire?''--and probe what it means to be human: ``Whom can I ask what I came/to make happen in this world?'' This volume is the last in a series of seven bilingual translations from this publishers of Neruda's late and posthumously published work. American poetry and readers benefit by having excellent English-language translations of all Neruda's complicated, prolific work.-- Frank Al len, SUNY at Cobleskill
★ 04/25/2022
Intriguing questions with no answers make up this oversize dual-language volume by two Chilean creators, featuring Neruda’s sophisticated musings. Paulson’s translations of the poet’s lines are sometimes playful—“When I look once more at the sea,/ does the sea see me or not see me?”—and often beautiful: “So, how do roots know/ they must rise up to the light// And later greet the air with crowds of colorful flowers?” Employing a black, green, red, and yellow palette, Valdivia’s artwork feels as dark and mysterious as Neruda’s questions. Elegantly designed with many bonus gatefolds, the pages include humorous inquiries such as, “Why, when expecting snow,/ do trees take off their clothes?” and close with a final provocative one: “Might I ask my book /if I’m the one who really wrote it?” Similar to Jostein Gaarder’s Questions Asked , this unusual collection will speak to thoughtful young readers who appreciate enigmas. Ages 7–up. (Apr.)
★ “Blues and reds and yellows weave in and out of words trailing one after another, poking and prodding the universe for answers to millennia-old questions. Sixty of the original 316 questions penned by the inimitable Chilean poet Pablo Neruda perch on vibrant landscapes solo, in pairs, or in trilling triplets. Each rumination is compelling in its whimsy, yet profound in its simplicity. Just as a wish cast onto the heavens returns with a treasure, so too do the thoughts of the poet. The answers, like the questions, dwell in infinity. Both the original Spanish and Paulson’s English translation mirror the poignancy echoing from one tongue to the next. Her translations sustain the lyricism of Neruda’s dreamscapes. Valdivia’s stylized illustrations are striking and a perfect counterpoint to this wondrous collection of ethereal literary images. A lovely exploration of diversity, language, and culture, and a splendid introduction to Neruda’s works for the very young.” —STARRED REVIEW, School Library Journal
★ “Selections from Neruda’s final work come magically to life with inventive illustrations in this bilingual volume… Readers will be enchanted by their mind-expanding whimsy and creativity. Chilean artist Valdivia’s stylized artwork, executed predominantly in blues, reds, and yellows against black or white backgrounds, feels grounded in folk-art traditions. Created with pencil and ink, with photographs in the illustrator’s note showing the work in progress, the full-page art is visually captivating and enhanced with texture—lines, splatters, blotting—both complementing and extending the text. ‘Does the earth chirp like a cricket / in the symphony of the skies? // Who shouted for joy / when the color blue was born?’ is accompanied by a charcoal cricket standing against a dizzying swoop of blue expanse and the curve of rising mountains and vegetation… Exquisite endpapers pay tribute to the universe contained within. A gorgeous work that stretches the imagination and delights the senses.” —STARRED REVIEW, Kirkus
★ 12/01/2021
K-Gr 4— Blues and reds and yellows weave in and out of words trailing one after another, poking and prodding the universe for answers to millennia-old questions: "Why do trees hide/ the splendor of their roots?" "Does the earth chirp like a cricket/ in the symphony of the skies?" Sixty of the original 316 questions penned by the inimitable Chilean poet Pablo Neruda perch on vibrant landscapes solo, in pairs, or in trilling triplets. Each rumination is compelling in its whimsy, yet profound in its simplicity. Just as a wish cast onto the heavens returns with a treasure, so too do the thoughts of the poet. "Where does the rainbow end,/ in your soul or on the horizon?" The answers, like the questions, dwell in infinity. Both the original Spanish and Paulson's English translation mirror the poignancy echoing from one tongue to the next. Her translations sustain the lyricism of Neruda's dreamscapes.Valdivia's stylized illustrations are striking and a perfect counterpoint to this wondrous collection of ethereal literary images. Both a translator and illustrator's note are included, but an author's biography is mystifyingly absent. VERDICT A lovely exploration of diversity, language, and culture, and a splendid introduction to Neruda's works for the very young.—Mary Margaret Mercado, Pima Cty. P. L., Tucson, AZ
★ 2022-02-09
Completed shortly before his death in 1973, the original collection of 74 poems posing 320 questions has here been whittled down to 70 questions selected from 39 poems appearing both in English and the original Spanish. Readers will be enchanted by their mind-expanding whimsy and creativity. Chilean artist Valdivia’s stylized artwork, executed predominantly in blues, reds, and yellows against black or white backgrounds, feels grounded in folk-art traditions. Created with pencil and ink, with photographs in the illustrator’s note showing the work in progress, the full-page art is visually captivating and enhanced with texture—lines, splatters, blotting—both complementing and extending the text. “Does the earth chirp like a cricket / in the symphony of the skies? // Who shouted for joy / when the color blue was born?” is accompanied by a charcoal cricket standing against a dizzying swoop of blue expanse and the curve of rising mountains and vegetation. “Where can you find a bell / that rings inside your dreams? // Where does the stuff of dreams go? / Does it pass into the dreams of others?” is juxtaposed with an image of a rider, asleep beneath a blanket, astride a pregnant mare. Exquisite endpapers pay tribute to the universe contained within: “Where did the full moon forget / her flour-dusted nightgown?”
A gorgeous work that stretches the imagination and delights the senses. (editor’s note, translator’s note) (Illustrated poetry. 5-adult)
