FULL WOMAN, FLESHY APPLE, HOT MOON Selected Poems of Pablo Neruda

Writer and translator Stephen Mitchell has chosen these 49 poems by the beloved Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, celebrations of the senses that succeed at making the commonest things in life complex and luminous. With all poetry, something is lost when the length of the lines, the patterns the words make, are not seen on the page. But something can be gained, too, in the hearing, and Neruda's language, so subtle but accessible, lends itself gracefully to the treatment. Mitchell's voice is light and warm and perfectly pitched, and quiet musical support adds to the pleasure of this lovely audio experience. B.G. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 02]