The Complete Poems of Anna Akhmatova

How do you review a collection this huge? It was honestly like reading the dictionary in some ways, especially for someone like me who has only a glancing familiarity with Russian literature and just enough 20th century history to get the references. Many, many of the poems are amazing and "5 stars" and so on, but reading the whole thing ended up being a slog, which I think is ultimately a problem with any "complete poems" when you try to read it end-to-end. On the other hand, if you're like "okay, I want to read these 6 Akhmatova poems/one of her published books of poetry/etc" this is a vital, 5 star book. So 3 stars for the experience with the caveat that a different experience would easily be 5 stars and this in no way represents the show more poet's quality. show less

I first learned of Akhmatova in a college course on Russian literature. I don't remember which poems we focused on, but I fell in love and received this collection for my birthday not long after. Her work and her writing is powerful. This edition is fantastic--very thorough and the perfect addition to the library of anyone who is interested in poetry in general or Russian writers specifically.

I haven't read the complete collection, just an edited anthology with Kunitz translating.

A slow and languorous howl of a collection - Russian poetry at some of its finest. Intense emotions in sparse words.

A monumestal work. Complete means complete. Hemschemeyer learned Russian for the task and for a non-russian speaker she did a marvelous job. Of the poetry there is no need to speak - from the intimate personal stanzas of the early period to the all too painful memories of the thirties and forties. One thing this shows, AA was writing poetry on her death bed. a message to slackers. Credit goes to the Zephyr press - not one of the major houses for producing this book

It helps to have a friend who knows Russian when reading her poetry - there are nuances that get missed in any translation. But her work is wonderful.

She's wonderful! Her writing inspires me to write, and sing. I admire her work greatly.

poems of love, life, social criticism, revolution