On the Blue Shore of Silence \ a la Orilla Azul del Silencio (Spanish Edition): Poemas Frente Al Mar (Bilingual) [Spanish]

The coast of California, where Mary Heebner lives, is so parallel in its geography, blueness, and diverse forms of the shores from rocks to cliffs to wide sand to Neruda's mar at Isla Negra where he'd look out at that same Pacific ocean to form his poems. Mary is able to capture that intrinsic beauty of his sea and his poetry in this wonderful book of art. And you could ask for no better translator than Alastair Reid. Neruda loved how he'd walk barefoot all around his house and the beach at Isla Negra barefoot. And he loved his translations, as do I. Neruda said that "to me, the ocean is an element like air." This book of his poems about his sea, combined with the sublime blues of Mary Heebner's art, makes for such a great book for your coffee table, or as a gift, as I have given it now to six different people. --Mark Eisner, editor of The Essential Neruda: Selected Poems

I love Pablo's poetry. I didn't think it was possible for the art to be as beautiful as the poetry. But it is.

The poetry in this book is exquisite. The presentation is excellant. I own a copy of it, myself, and bought three more to give as gifts.

Of all the Neruda anthologies that I have read, this is by far the most eloquent tribute to his love of the sea and his home on Isla Negra in Chile. The English translations are done by Alastair Reid, Mr. Neruda's favored translator and it flows as naturally as does the Spanish original. I speak both languages and it is always such a pleasure to see a translation so elegantly done. The artwork by Mary Heebner is as sumptuous as Pablo Neruda's poetry and truly reflects the feel of the ocean. Her paintings capture the mood of each poem perfectly and add to the emotion of his words. It is I believe the only anthology that has focused solely on his poems of the sea. The book is bilingual with the text in Spanish on one page and English on the other. It contains my favorite of Neruda's poems, The Soliloquy of the Waves. Even the typeset and Neruda's name on the dust jacket painted in a blurry sea blue reflect the ocean that the poems are about. Pablo Neruda has been a favorite poet of mine for many, many years and this stunning book is a wonderful addition to my collection of his anthologies. It is a beautiful piece to celebrate his centenary.

The choices are fine works by Neruda. While many collections of Neruda's work exist, most lack beauty in their presentation. This release is both a feast for the eye (thanks to the lovely yet appropriate art)as well as a treat for the soul (particularly if you are in love).