alphabet (New Directions) (edition 2001)

by Inger Christensen (Author), Susanna Nied (Translator)

Members	Reviews	Popularity	Average rating	Mentions
210	4	128,618	(4.2)	9

ElleGato's review

This collection is absolutely beautiful, breathtaking, terrifying, sad & hopeful...so many things at once. The narrative impact of the mathematical structure is so intense & perfectly suited to a book concerned with nature and the danger posed to it by humanity. This book is filled with Cold War/nuclear-age anxiety as well as a quiet, lovely reverence for the simple existence of natural things. The contrast between death and existence, between death as natural and death as human-created finality is so well portrayed throughout.

Definitely a wonderful, gorgeous work of both poetry and translation. (

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ElleGato | Sep 24, 2018 |

All member reviews

English (3) Danish (1) All languages (4)

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ElleGato | Sep 24, 2018 |

I read this in brief segments over the course of a few months. The genius of this work can be found not only in the mathematically inspired composition, but in Nied's brilliant translation. Christensen used the Fibonacci sequence to inspire the structure of the poems, but there is a poignant richness brought by the words themselves to the themes of environment, nature, progress, humanity in the midst of metaphysical simplicity. I think this is the most I've ever enjoyed a book of poetry. (

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saresmoore | Mar 20, 2018 |

Not the usual for me to use someone else's review but in this case I'm making an exception because I don't know if I could explain 'Alphabet' anywhere near as well.

http://www.complete-review.com/reviews/dansk/christi.htm

It is a very unique piece (it's to be found in the Oulipo section of Complete Review) and well worth recommendation from here. (

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