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Pablo Neruda: A Passion for Life
Adam Feinstein's book is the first English-language biography of the Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. Relating Neruda's remarkable life story and delving into the literary legacy of the man Gabriel Garcia Marquez called "the greatest poet of the twentiehth-century-in any language," Feinstein uncovers the details of this icon's artistic output, political engagement, friendships with a pantheon of important 20th-century artistic and political figures, and many loves.
510 pages, Paperback
First published July 12, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
April 27, 2024
I am giving Adam Feinstein's "Pablo Neruda: A Passion for Life" a four-star rating despite the fact that it was a three-star reading experience. In other words, Feinstein convinced me that he read all the pertinent documents that were available and interviewed most of the members of Neruda's circle that were alive while he was researching his book.
Let us start with what I did not like about the book. First, I was irritated by his constantly announcing that on a given issue he was deferring to the judgement of Robert Pring-Mill of Oxford who at the time was England's leading authority on Latin American literature. As Neruda's translator, Feinstein knew Neruda well enough that there was no reason for him to defer to Pring-Mill or anyone else. In his acknowledgements, Feinstein states that he used Pring-Mill's contact list and his unspecified "documents". The does not know what the nature of Feinstein's debt to Pring-Mill was and the reader is thus irked by the constant references to him.
The biggest problem with the book however and one that has been mentioned by other GR reviewers is that Feinstein does not provide the original Spanish versions whenever he quotes from one of Neruda's poems. Feinstein may have been overly proud of his own translations. The other problem is that being an English man, he may have forgotten that most of his American readers would have taken introductory Spanish either in high school or at university.
I also did not like how Feinstein incessantly criticized Neruda for having praised Stalin in several poems and never having have denounced any of his foul deeds. Feinstein offers the explanation that there "are only two sides to a barricade" but does not accept it. Neruda embraced communism because his close friend Federico Garciá Lorca was assassinated by supporters of Franco in Spain. Throughout most of the last 15 years of his life, Neruda was a communist politician in Chile struggling against the forces of the right. Appropriately Neruda's death came within 2 weeks of that of Salvatore Allende whom he supported energetically. The reality is that the barricade was always near at hand in Neruda's life and, however wrong it may have been, it is hardly surprising that Neruda never once said anything against Stalin. Feinstein does however reject the theory that Neruda participated in the first unsuccessful assassination attempt on the life of Leon Trotsky.
Feinstein makes it very clear that Neruda identified with the French surrealists (Paul Éluard, André Gide, Luis Bunuel, etc.) and followed them into communism with the assassination of Lorca provoking his formal adhesion to the Communist Party. Once, Neruda was into the fold, his loyalty never wavered. He knew that being a communist was dangerous and his life could end at any time as it did for Lorca.
Neruda certainly savoured his position as a celebrity communist poet. He greatly enjoyed jetting about the world and hobnobbing with the likes of Picasso, Ilya Ehrenburg, Jean-Louis Barrault, Octavio Paz, Carlos Fuentes, Gabriela Mistral, Diego Rivera, and Arthur Miller. It is the descriptions of Neruda's conversations with these celebrities that provide the most pleasurable moments of Feinstein's book.
Feinstein covers very capably Neruda's diplomatic career and gives an excellent account of how he arranged in 1938 for 2,000 refugees from Franco's Spain to be evacuated to Chile. Feinstein's coverage of Neruda's political activities in Chile is also very good.
Perhaps very rightfully, Feinstein was very critical of Neruda actions in his private life. Notably he refused to support his daughter with hydrocephalus that he had with his first wife. As a result the child died in poverty in the Netherlands. Neruda was a relentless philanderer who cheated on all his wives. The low point was probably the affair that he had with the niece of his third spouse.
Feinstein's book never charmed me, but it is certainly a very solid piece. Those interested in Neruda will have many good moments reading it.
Let us start with what I did not like about the book. First, I was irritated by his constantly announcing that on a given issue he was deferring to the judgement of Robert Pring-Mill of Oxford who at the time was England's leading authority on Latin American literature. As Neruda's translator, Feinstein knew Neruda well enough that there was no reason for him to defer to Pring-Mill or anyone else. In his acknowledgements, Feinstein states that he used Pring-Mill's contact list and his unspecified "documents". The does not know what the nature of Feinstein's debt to Pring-Mill was and the reader is thus irked by the constant references to him.
The biggest problem with the book however and one that has been mentioned by other GR reviewers is that Feinstein does not provide the original Spanish versions whenever he quotes from one of Neruda's poems. Feinstein may have been overly proud of his own translations. The other problem is that being an English man, he may have forgotten that most of his American readers would have taken introductory Spanish either in high school or at university.
I also did not like how Feinstein incessantly criticized Neruda for having praised Stalin in several poems and never having have denounced any of his foul deeds. Feinstein offers the explanation that there "are only two sides to a barricade" but does not accept it. Neruda embraced communism because his close friend Federico Garciá Lorca was assassinated by supporters of Franco in Spain. Throughout most of the last 15 years of his life, Neruda was a communist politician in Chile struggling against the forces of the right. Appropriately Neruda's death came within 2 weeks of that of Salvatore Allende whom he supported energetically. The reality is that the barricade was always near at hand in Neruda's life and, however wrong it may have been, it is hardly surprising that Neruda never once said anything against Stalin. Feinstein does however reject the theory that Neruda participated in the first unsuccessful assassination attempt on the life of Leon Trotsky.
Feinstein makes it very clear that Neruda identified with the French surrealists (Paul Éluard, André Gide, Luis Bunuel, etc.) and followed them into communism with the assassination of Lorca provoking his formal adhesion to the Communist Party. Once, Neruda was into the fold, his loyalty never wavered. He knew that being a communist was dangerous and his life could end at any time as it did for Lorca.
Neruda certainly savoured his position as a celebrity communist poet. He greatly enjoyed jetting about the world and hobnobbing with the likes of Picasso, Ilya Ehrenburg, Jean-Louis Barrault, Octavio Paz, Carlos Fuentes, Gabriela Mistral, Diego Rivera, and Arthur Miller. It is the descriptions of Neruda's conversations with these celebrities that provide the most pleasurable moments of Feinstein's book.
Feinstein covers very capably Neruda's diplomatic career and gives an excellent account of how he arranged in 1938 for 2,000 refugees from Franco's Spain to be evacuated to Chile. Feinstein's coverage of Neruda's political activities in Chile is also very good.
Perhaps very rightfully, Feinstein was very critical of Neruda actions in his private life. Notably he refused to support his daughter with hydrocephalus that he had with his first wife. As a result the child died in poverty in the Netherlands. Neruda was a relentless philanderer who cheated on all his wives. The low point was probably the affair that he had with the niece of his third spouse.
Feinstein's book never charmed me, but it is certainly a very solid piece. Those interested in Neruda will have many good moments reading it.
March 5, 2013
Marvelous book, just the way I like a good biography: replete with a fascinating variety of details, all reported and described by a multitude of individuals who knew the great poet. The man had friends far and wide, from every profession and background. The author also took a fearless look at Neruda's shortcomings: his weakness for women and wine (not song, he apparently had a tin ear), and his refusal for so long to face the failures and iniquities of Communism in the Soviet Union, and the crimes committed by his former hero, Stalin. It all has the ring of truth, pulls no punches, embraces the good and the bad in one man's life. A long and excellent account, that reads well.
October 19, 2008
A wonderfully researched and told biography of one of our greatest poets. From his childhood in small village to his loves, his travels, his political work, his friends all over the world, a 3D picture of Pablo Neruda emerges. I just wish the poems were quoted in the original Spanish, or at least in footnotes, but the book is in English, oh well. His father never supported his choice of becoming a poet, yet his stepmother and half-sister loved him through thick and thin. Engrossing bio.
August 21, 2020
Kathleen and I lived in Chile from 2013-16 while we were serving a mission for our church. Our second week in the country we attended a congregation named Poeta Neruda after the famous poet Pablo Neruda. The chapel is located on the street Uvas y Viento (grapes and wind), Nerudas most famous poem. In the US our congregations tend to have identifying names that are geographical. In Chile it is a mix. For example, there is a Stake (similar to a diocese) in Santiago named Los Aviadores (The Aviators) and every congregation in that Stake is named after a famous Chilean pilot. We did not have favorite congregations but Poeta Neruda was a special place for us and we developed deep friendships that continue. We spent our first Sept. 18th independence celebration with the Poeta Neruda members where to this day I remember unique Chilean phrases that were taught to me by Gloria Sandoval. But I digress. Pablo Neruda is considered a national treasure. Gabriel Garcia Marquez called him “the greatest poet of the 20th century in any language.” By and large today Neruda is revered regardless of politics.
I wanted to learn more about Neruda in Chile but did not have the time for much pleasure reading back then. I recently finished Adam Feinstein’s excellent biography. Understanding and explaining Neruda’s life is best done with the common Chilean phrase “Es complicado.” Despite his tremendous talents as a writer, politics was never far from Neruda’s mind. The story of his life is largely a combination of the two. Neruda became involved in the student movement in 1921 which connected him with many leftist politicians and eventually his appointment as a diplomat in Spain during the Spanish civil war. Neruda already leaned socialist when the Soviet Union stepped in to support the Spanish Republicans against Franco’s fascists while the rest of the world remained largely indifferent. He became a loyal communist and supporter of Stalin. Surprisingly his loyalty to Stalin would persist for decades, long after reports of the brutal reality of Stalin’s dictatorial regime began to emerge, and though he did eventually repudiate that loyalty, it is not entirely clear why it took him so long. Interestingly, Neruda was not a fan of Castro partly because he viewed Castro more as a political opportunist and less as a true revolutionary.
In Chile, he always managed to be on the side that opposed the dictators, which was all too common throughout the bloody political history of Latin America. When the Chilean Communist Party was outlawed and protests by coal miners were brutally suppressed, Neruda criticized the government in the international press and on the floor of the Chilean Senate. When the government tried to arrest him, he made a dramatic escape on horseback across the Andes into Argentina.
He returned to Chile in the mid-1950s and would spend most of the rest of his life there. He was an ally of Salvador Allende the first democratically elected socialist in the world. Neruda suspiciously died of prostate cancer on Sept. 23, 1973, just 12 days after the U.S.-backed coup in which Augusto Pinochet ’s forces seized control. Neruda’s funeral became a spontaneous public demonstration of defiance against the new regime. While soldiers looked on, armed with machine guns but holding their fire, the crowd chanted, “He isn’t dead, he isn’t dead! He has only fallen asleep!” In 2013 Neruda’s body was exhumed and in 2015 the government concluded that “it was highly likely” that Neruda was poisoned.
Neruda’s personal life was a mess with little to admire. He neglected and then abandoned his first wife, barely acknowledging the existence of their daughter, who was born severely disabled. He seemed very much in love with his second wife; still, while they were together, he began an affair with the woman who would become his third. Toward the end of his life, he would cheat on her as well, with her niece. And in between a bevy of paramours including accusations of rape. Upon completing the biography, I wrote to several Chilean friends to get their reactions to my observations about Neruda. All were remarkable consistent and from various socioeconomic and political backgrounds. All acknowledged the contributions and brilliance of Neruda and lamented his personal failings.
I guess the takeaway is common for many of biographies I have read. La vida es complicado. There are few pure heroes and villians but a little bit of both in a lot of historical figures. Or as the author would say - “To produce such truthful poetry I guess you have to have a pretty crazy life to alongside that . . .”
I do chuckle just a little that my right leaning co-religionists don’t know that we had a congregation in Chile named after a misogynistic wife cheating philandering Communist. ;)
I wanted to learn more about Neruda in Chile but did not have the time for much pleasure reading back then. I recently finished Adam Feinstein’s excellent biography. Understanding and explaining Neruda’s life is best done with the common Chilean phrase “Es complicado.” Despite his tremendous talents as a writer, politics was never far from Neruda’s mind. The story of his life is largely a combination of the two. Neruda became involved in the student movement in 1921 which connected him with many leftist politicians and eventually his appointment as a diplomat in Spain during the Spanish civil war. Neruda already leaned socialist when the Soviet Union stepped in to support the Spanish Republicans against Franco’s fascists while the rest of the world remained largely indifferent. He became a loyal communist and supporter of Stalin. Surprisingly his loyalty to Stalin would persist for decades, long after reports of the brutal reality of Stalin’s dictatorial regime began to emerge, and though he did eventually repudiate that loyalty, it is not entirely clear why it took him so long. Interestingly, Neruda was not a fan of Castro partly because he viewed Castro more as a political opportunist and less as a true revolutionary.
In Chile, he always managed to be on the side that opposed the dictators, which was all too common throughout the bloody political history of Latin America. When the Chilean Communist Party was outlawed and protests by coal miners were brutally suppressed, Neruda criticized the government in the international press and on the floor of the Chilean Senate. When the government tried to arrest him, he made a dramatic escape on horseback across the Andes into Argentina.
He returned to Chile in the mid-1950s and would spend most of the rest of his life there. He was an ally of Salvador Allende the first democratically elected socialist in the world. Neruda suspiciously died of prostate cancer on Sept. 23, 1973, just 12 days after the U.S.-backed coup in which Augusto Pinochet ’s forces seized control. Neruda’s funeral became a spontaneous public demonstration of defiance against the new regime. While soldiers looked on, armed with machine guns but holding their fire, the crowd chanted, “He isn’t dead, he isn’t dead! He has only fallen asleep!” In 2013 Neruda’s body was exhumed and in 2015 the government concluded that “it was highly likely” that Neruda was poisoned.
Neruda’s personal life was a mess with little to admire. He neglected and then abandoned his first wife, barely acknowledging the existence of their daughter, who was born severely disabled. He seemed very much in love with his second wife; still, while they were together, he began an affair with the woman who would become his third. Toward the end of his life, he would cheat on her as well, with her niece. And in between a bevy of paramours including accusations of rape. Upon completing the biography, I wrote to several Chilean friends to get their reactions to my observations about Neruda. All were remarkable consistent and from various socioeconomic and political backgrounds. All acknowledged the contributions and brilliance of Neruda and lamented his personal failings.
I guess the takeaway is common for many of biographies I have read. La vida es complicado. There are few pure heroes and villians but a little bit of both in a lot of historical figures. Or as the author would say - “To produce such truthful poetry I guess you have to have a pretty crazy life to alongside that . . .”
I do chuckle just a little that my right leaning co-religionists don’t know that we had a congregation in Chile named after a misogynistic wife cheating philandering Communist. ;)
May 29, 2018
I bought this book a few years ago. Previously, all I knew about him was that he had spent some time in exile in southern Italy - an episode in his life which was beautifully dramatised in the film ‘Il postino’ in 1994. I love the film so I bought his biography, though his stay on the island of Capri is only covered sketchily in the book.
It is a very well written account of the life of this Nobel prize-winning Chilean poet, covering his weaknesses as well as his strengths. He travelled extensively through most of his adult life, initially because of his role as a Chilean diplomat in Asia and then in Spain and later frequently by invitation to attend conferences and other literary events.
His story is also the story of the major political events of the middle decades of the 20th century both in Chile and in the wider world. He reacted to them and interacted with them as a dedicated communist throughout his life - even after Stalin’s atrocities in the Soviet Union were exposed in the 50s.
The book deals with the many strong friendships he built with other writers and artists, such as Diego Rivera in Mexico and Picasso in France. He was a much loved man amongst most who knew him and he was idolised by many who only knew his poetry. He was an incorrigible womaniser and often treated the women he loved badly - stories that are covered in detail.
It is a very well written account of the life of this Nobel prize-winning Chilean poet, covering his weaknesses as well as his strengths. He travelled extensively through most of his adult life, initially because of his role as a Chilean diplomat in Asia and then in Spain and later frequently by invitation to attend conferences and other literary events.
His story is also the story of the major political events of the middle decades of the 20th century both in Chile and in the wider world. He reacted to them and interacted with them as a dedicated communist throughout his life - even after Stalin’s atrocities in the Soviet Union were exposed in the 50s.
The book deals with the many strong friendships he built with other writers and artists, such as Diego Rivera in Mexico and Picasso in France. He was a much loved man amongst most who knew him and he was idolised by many who only knew his poetry. He was an incorrigible womaniser and often treated the women he loved badly - stories that are covered in detail.
July 5, 2018
Neruda’s life was full and fascinating. At times I felt the author was struggling just to keep up with the chronology, but I can sympathize since the poet was everywhere- as one of the most famous Poets - and Stalinists - of his generation. He was a Bon Vivant and a bit of a spoiled child, having gained near instant fame in his native Chili - a fame and adoration that followed him through his life. The author spends much time on Neruda’s various romances and does a great job helping us understand his poetry.
December 30, 2021
陆地，是意象与记忆的源泉，大海是纯洁的隐喻。聂鲁达，一位“缺乏两个无数拙劣诗人赖以生存的元素：憎恨与讽刺”的拉美最伟大诗人，一生以对生命的热忱表达希望——对尊严与人道的希望与尊重，充当真理的传达者以及世界不公的揭示者。他将诗歌来自不可见的高度，另其原初是秘密与朦胧，孤独与芬芳，就像一条河，溶解所有掉进它路径中的事物…它将灌溉田野，为饥饿者提供面包…他的每一行诗都选择作为一个有形对象而存在，每一首诗作都渴望变成一件有用的生产工具，每一首歌都尽力充当虚空中的一个标记，为了那些彼此交错的道路皆可相逢，或者充当一块石头一块木头，某人，某些其他人，从今以后的人，可以用它来雕刻新的标记……
February 13, 2021
An incredible and infuriating life. I came away both adoring and loathing this man. Took forever to finish because sometimes the details of his life were overwhelming.
August 22, 2023
A long book that you can dip in and out of. A great biography.
September 10, 2023
4 and a bit. Good book on a great man, shame he fell out with Castro.
Second half more interesting than first with the politics of Chile in the 60s into the 70s and the coup in 73.
Second half more interesting than first with the politics of Chile in the 60s into the 70s and the coup in 73.
July 14, 2024
“Perhaps the duties of a poet have been the same throughout history… Poetry is rebellion… We poets have hatred and make war on war”
December 31, 2024
Excellent biography, but severely laking in his poetry which a reader should already be familiar with.
December 17, 2013
Book Review - Pablo Neruda "A Passion for Life"
"To produce such truthful poetry I guess you have to have a pretty crazy life to go alongside that.." - Feinstein on Neruda
"A Passion for life" is a biography of Neruda written by Adam Feinstein. Written to mark the centenary of the poet’s birth.
It follows Pablo's life from Childhood, documenting his upbringing in Temuco, Chile continuing to describe his enrolment working for the Burmese embassy, his various lovers and marriages and the inception and writing processes to his various journal articles, and of course his poetry collections.
There is a great deal that I would like to write about this book. I read it in fascination, sometimes having to gulp in breath.
The passion that Pablo's poetry holds has always been an inspiration to me and will continue to be so, and the affinity that he holds with nature inspires my own writing. I remember the involuntary heart palpitations from my first reading of Residencia En Tierra and my fascination with the way he created such abstract scenarios that at the same time seemed to fit together perfectly. I was worried when first choosing to read this, that it was written by a third-party and not Neruda himself, and therefore could be inaccurate, but I didn't find this to be a problem.
Neruda's life is the kind that you can get embroiled in as a reader. His attention to detail becomes your attention to detail, his passion for life rubs off on you, and I can imagine Feinstein experiencing this effect when researching Neruda. He doesn't write in an over complimentary fashion, keeping his opinions on points such as Neruda's devotion to Josef Stalin, (suggesting that he was blinkered by admiration). Although Feinstein writes in an unbiased fashion, you can see his admiration for Neruda through the devoted way that he writes about his life.
What struck me was the detail that he uses. He included all important milestones for the poet, but also peppered the biography with kitsch little details such as the poet as a child, writing his first poetry into the paintwork of boats and scratching letters into the sand. The reappearing theme of the ocean is something that I really enjoyed throughout this work (whether or not this was intentional I'm not sure) but it gave a nice continuity to the work, helping Feinstein to stay true to Neruda's love of the ocean and marine life. Unlike some biographies, Feinstein makes this work lyrically sing as well as giving us a play-by-play of Neruda's life-events.
Whilst reading this book, I also read Neruda's poetry collection alongside it, which I found was beneficial to my understanding of the book. I would recommend this if you really want to get an insight into understanding Neruda's poetry, as sometimes he can be cryptic.
For example in the 1940's he took a trip to Guatemala and Peru and wrote his epic poem "Alturas De Machu Picchu"reading about his love for Peru alongside this really helped me to identify with Neruda's passions for the country.
I don't think many people are aware of the political risks that Neruda undertook in order to get his poetry published, or to promote his political message. I was bowled over by the devotion that he had to his cause, and the sense of humour and whimsy that he kept along the way. The way that Feinstein documents his life reflects this.
The book contains an in-depth amount of research and documentation, such as letters from Pablo's sister Laurita and love letters from the poet to his many dames (juicy love letters at that). The reader can really tell that Feinsteinmade this his life's work, and the dedication he has given to this is admirable.
I recommend this book if you're looking to read about the life of a great man, a political pioneer and a Lothario. It made me connect with Neruda more than I had previously, and made me want to travel the America's again!
"To produce such truthful poetry I guess you have to have a pretty crazy life to go alongside that.." - Feinstein on Neruda
"A Passion for life" is a biography of Neruda written by Adam Feinstein. Written to mark the centenary of the poet’s birth.
It follows Pablo's life from Childhood, documenting his upbringing in Temuco, Chile continuing to describe his enrolment working for the Burmese embassy, his various lovers and marriages and the inception and writing processes to his various journal articles, and of course his poetry collections.
There is a great deal that I would like to write about this book. I read it in fascination, sometimes having to gulp in breath.
The passion that Pablo's poetry holds has always been an inspiration to me and will continue to be so, and the affinity that he holds with nature inspires my own writing. I remember the involuntary heart palpitations from my first reading of Residencia En Tierra and my fascination with the way he created such abstract scenarios that at the same time seemed to fit together perfectly. I was worried when first choosing to read this, that it was written by a third-party and not Neruda himself, and therefore could be inaccurate, but I didn't find this to be a problem.
Neruda's life is the kind that you can get embroiled in as a reader. His attention to detail becomes your attention to detail, his passion for life rubs off on you, and I can imagine Feinstein experiencing this effect when researching Neruda. He doesn't write in an over complimentary fashion, keeping his opinions on points such as Neruda's devotion to Josef Stalin, (suggesting that he was blinkered by admiration). Although Feinstein writes in an unbiased fashion, you can see his admiration for Neruda through the devoted way that he writes about his life.
What struck me was the detail that he uses. He included all important milestones for the poet, but also peppered the biography with kitsch little details such as the poet as a child, writing his first poetry into the paintwork of boats and scratching letters into the sand. The reappearing theme of the ocean is something that I really enjoyed throughout this work (whether or not this was intentional I'm not sure) but it gave a nice continuity to the work, helping Feinstein to stay true to Neruda's love of the ocean and marine life. Unlike some biographies, Feinstein makes this work lyrically sing as well as giving us a play-by-play of Neruda's life-events.
Whilst reading this book, I also read Neruda's poetry collection alongside it, which I found was beneficial to my understanding of the book. I would recommend this if you really want to get an insight into understanding Neruda's poetry, as sometimes he can be cryptic.
For example in the 1940's he took a trip to Guatemala and Peru and wrote his epic poem "Alturas De Machu Picchu"reading about his love for Peru alongside this really helped me to identify with Neruda's passions for the country.
I don't think many people are aware of the political risks that Neruda undertook in order to get his poetry published, or to promote his political message. I was bowled over by the devotion that he had to his cause, and the sense of humour and whimsy that he kept along the way. The way that Feinstein documents his life reflects this.
The book contains an in-depth amount of research and documentation, such as letters from Pablo's sister Laurita and love letters from the poet to his many dames (juicy love letters at that). The reader can really tell that Feinsteinmade this his life's work, and the dedication he has given to this is admirable.
I recommend this book if you're looking to read about the life of a great man, a political pioneer and a Lothario. It made me connect with Neruda more than I had previously, and made me want to travel the America's again!
February 9, 2017
After many trips to chile, I was overdue to read about chile's national poet hero after moving here. I'm not sure if this is the best biography since there may be other in Spanish which are better than this, but I loved the way it introduced the man, his poetry, and the time/place that was Chile during his lifetime.
Neruda's birth in 1903 was pretty nondescript - a sickly child of dubious parentage in the backwater south of chile - but by the time of his death he was one of chile's prize personalities, dying, significantly, with the fall of the first elected socialist government in a notorious coup. Neruda took up poetry early in life but quickly took up a role in Chile's diplomatic core to pay his bills. Although serious, and not so serious relationships with women was part of Neruda's story from early on, it was in his first posts that he ended up in his first affairs and marriage. The turmoil of these was a pattern of things which continued til late in life. Neruda's commitment to communism and Stalin in particular, gives insight into the political and idealogical attraction of radical socialism - in hindsight Neruda's particular loyalty is misguided but the rationale was understandable given the times. In the end it seems his celebrity helped elect the ill fated Allende government, whose fate perhaps also accelerated Neruda's demise and death.
And so, while politics became a central function of Neruda's life, it was his poetry which was always his real success. I have not read much poetry since high school, and while Neruda's poetry is mainly used to illustrate the changes in his life and writing style, I was able to gain an appreciation of the variety of voices he explored through his life. I've also stated reading a bilingual edition of his poems that has been on the to read list for the last few years. At this point, it is the imagery rather than the rhythm, rhyme or other literary devices that is catching my attention, and even then it's only a few lines in each poem. But I'm intrigued enough to persist in exploring his verse and may pick up some lyrical Spanish along the way.
Although popular in his lifetime, Neruda has become more since his death. I imagine to really understand why I'd need to be Chilean, however, there's enough in this biography to give some understanding. I have a few years here so it will be interesting to see if this one remains on the top three for capturing the national spirit.
Neruda's birth in 1903 was pretty nondescript - a sickly child of dubious parentage in the backwater south of chile - but by the time of his death he was one of chile's prize personalities, dying, significantly, with the fall of the first elected socialist government in a notorious coup. Neruda took up poetry early in life but quickly took up a role in Chile's diplomatic core to pay his bills. Although serious, and not so serious relationships with women was part of Neruda's story from early on, it was in his first posts that he ended up in his first affairs and marriage. The turmoil of these was a pattern of things which continued til late in life. Neruda's commitment to communism and Stalin in particular, gives insight into the political and idealogical attraction of radical socialism - in hindsight Neruda's particular loyalty is misguided but the rationale was understandable given the times. In the end it seems his celebrity helped elect the ill fated Allende government, whose fate perhaps also accelerated Neruda's demise and death.
And so, while politics became a central function of Neruda's life, it was his poetry which was always his real success. I have not read much poetry since high school, and while Neruda's poetry is mainly used to illustrate the changes in his life and writing style, I was able to gain an appreciation of the variety of voices he explored through his life. I've also stated reading a bilingual edition of his poems that has been on the to read list for the last few years. At this point, it is the imagery rather than the rhythm, rhyme or other literary devices that is catching my attention, and even then it's only a few lines in each poem. But I'm intrigued enough to persist in exploring his verse and may pick up some lyrical Spanish along the way.
Although popular in his lifetime, Neruda has become more since his death. I imagine to really understand why I'd need to be Chilean, however, there's enough in this biography to give some understanding. I have a few years here so it will be interesting to see if this one remains on the top three for capturing the national spirit.
October 1, 2013
I readily admit to being a bit of a sucker for literary biography. Feinstein's book takes us into the heart of Chilean literature, and his broad sweep also includes important Guatemalan, Cuban and Mexican literary figures through the 30s, 40s and 50s and on. Neruda was not only a man with an immense appetite for friendship; his experiences as a consular official in Spain during the civil war, particularly his exertions to help thousands of republican refugees leave Spain on a ship chartered by the Chilean government, will captivate those who look back wistfully to an age when writers did not just describe the shapes of their navels or their feelings in their fingers and toes. An essential read for anyone interested in 20th century literary history in Spain and Latin America.
January 4, 2015
Adam Feinstein makes a good fist of encapsulating the life of one of the 20th century's greatest writers within 400 pages. He doesn't gloss over Neruda's shortcomings - particularly his delayed condemnation of Stalinism and the deceptions of his love life - but overall what emerges is a life in which commitment triumphs over existentialism. Even in his dying days, when many of his political hopes were crumbling as the coup against Allende took hold, there is a sense that human dignity will prevail. And the excerpts from the poetry throughout his life - from the Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair through to the later odes - makes one want to reach for his collected works and delve in once more.
May 10, 2011
This book gave away so many fact about Neruda including the fact that he got married the first time in my home country, Indonesia. Trying to be objective, somehow the tone of this book made me find Neruda a bit abusive, especially with women, and somehow i think it's wrong because i think a good biography book is the one which made us in love with the person being told. Also, crammed too much with referral and tid bits of (not so) relevant info, i guess this is not the best biography book i have ever read, and perhaps not the best about Neruda too
September 17, 2012
Is it cheating to add a book I didn't finish? I was going to rate this a 2, but changed to a 3 because I am not a big poetry reader or lover of poetry so I want to give the book the benefit of the doubt. It is written from information from interviews and surviving letters and Neruda's own memoir. I think I should have read that instead of this. He certainly had an colorful, lusty, and nomadic life. Clearly he was talented and interesting. I just didn't like the writing style.
September 7, 2020
A biography that adds to the magic of Neruda by exploring the person behind his poems.
Neruda’s verse has been an integral part of my emotional landscape, but his persona had escaped my curiosity.
This biography is thoroughly researched & well written.
A must read,not only for Neruda’s fans, but also for someone who wants a glimpse into South America’s history, society & it’s culture.
Neruda’s verse has been an integral part of my emotional landscape, but his persona had escaped my curiosity.
This biography is thoroughly researched & well written.
A must read,not only for Neruda’s fans, but also for someone who wants a glimpse into South America’s history, society & it’s culture.
February 12, 2009
What an interesting life Neruda led - traveled the world! Tells his life very honestly - the good and the bad. Can't wait to read more of his poetry!
October 19, 2009
Neruda's life was amazing but Feinstein's writing is mediocre.
November 28, 2009
The complex relationships in his life and world travel make for a great read. One of his teachers as a child was Gabriel Mistral.
May 16, 2011
too many names....too many details
January 24, 2015
A truly fascinating account of this most interesting man. I made me want to visit his homes in Chile, which I then did! Amazing guy!
February 19, 2016
Quite possibly a good book, but heavily overshadowed by a multitude of typographical errors in the kindle edition.
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April 15, 2009Pablo Neruda: A Passion for Life by Adam Feinstein (2005)
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