Book of Gods and Devils

Simic, Charles

ISBN 10: 0151134553 / ISBN 13: 9780151134557

Published by Harcourt, 1990

Seller Inventory # 0151134553-VB

Synopsis:

Loneliness, loss, sadness, and mystery mark this wonderful volume of forty-nine poems by Charles Simic, winner of the 1990 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and praised as “one of the truly imaginative writers of our time” by the Los Angeles Times.

Reviews: While Simic's terse, enigmatic poems have always expressed metaphysical concerns, this volume's title might suggest he is moving in an overtly religious, even visionary, direction. This expectation is only partially fulfilled by the poems. They largely represent a further exploration of styles and themes he has employed the past few years. The dualism implied by the title is played out in the way the poems balance existential dread with the possibility of hope, the way they explore both the world's "terror and luster." Still, the only certainty is uncertainty. Simic creates a world of signs--"the blue and gold Madonna in the window," a "single ceiling fan barely turning"--that point toward a mysterious, ever-elusive meaning. Simic was awarded the 1990 Pulitzer Prize for his collection of prose poems, The World Doesn't End ( LJ 3/15/89).
- Lawrence Rungren, Bedford Free P.L., Mass.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Bibliographic Details

Title: Book of Gods and Devils
Publisher: Harcourt
Publication Date: 1990
Binding: hardcover
Condition: As New