Odes to Common Things, Bilingual Edition

Enjoy these poems and like the bilingual presentation. But, the book arrived damaged on the corners due to poor packaging. There should be a way to rate the condition that something arrives in without having to initiate a return. It isn't worth all of the packaging and shipping to exchange but wish I had just purchased locally so I could ensure the quality.

The physical book and its contents are both exquisite. I have bought this collection twice: once for myself, and once to give as a gift. The poetry in this volume is the kind that makes you walk through the world with greater appreciation for the things all around you that you take for granted, like socks and tables and soap. Each ode to an everyday object is accompanied by two pencil drawings of that object.I have read some more famous translations of a few of the poems in this volume that I liked better than the ones collected here, but unless you are giving this to a die-hard Neruda fan, the differences will be unnoticeable.

Buy this book. Just do it. When you read it, allow yourself to appreciate the simplest things. This is an exercise in mindfulness. In doing do, you will become better at it, and this honed skill will overflow into your life at large. This poetry is exquisite. You can find so much serenity and calm by sitting with these poems. Each one is a glimpse into spirit actualized, and the ability to recognize and feel gratitude for the beauty that exists in all things.

Although this book didn’t have Ode to a Lemon which I was looking for, I enjoyed the other things Neruda wrote about. Then later I printed out the lemon one from the internet and taped to the back of the book.

I love his poetry. The translation is not as good as I expected but it's OK. The drawings are beautiful.

It is set up in a way that makes it easier for English and Spanish speakers to see both languages. One side will have one language and the next page has another. The poetry is also well-written. It's simple but well worth the purchase.

The night I received this book I went to a Leonard Cohen party where we listened/sang/played to his songs. He has some incredible lyrics. We talked about what a poet he is. The next night I was done with my dinner and my husband was still eating so I picked up the book and started reading to him. About the third page or so I suddenly burst into tears and just could not continue. The words of Odes to Common Things are so simple and so true and hit me right in the solar plexus. I highly recommend it.

This collection of poems is beautiful. Neruda's words capture the quotidian beauty of life and love. The format of the book, with English on one side and Spanish on the other, lends itself well to readers who can understand most but not all of the poem without translation. The binding is beautiful and makes a great gift.

great read. and beautiful design.

Exquisite. Fingerprints tracing the lines between memory, experience, and the simple pleasure found in common things.

Fantastic poems.

Pablo Neruda was a fantastic poet and writer. This book includes some of my favourite poems. However, the translation from Spanish into English is terrible. Luckily I have some knowledge of Spanish so I can read most of the poems in his native language. The translation not only uses the wong words but takes away from Pablo's unique style and what makes his poems so special.

Great book -- love the spanish and english versions side by side. Beautiful binding, also love ode to opposites, also by Neruda