Letters to Madeleine: Tender as Memory (The French List) Hardcover – December 15, 2010

This is an amazing accomplishment! Over 600 pages of Apollinaire's writing? For me, that was an instant purchase!I don't know how many Apollinaire fans are out there (they are hard to find during the course of casual conversations--especially with people who don't really read/seek out poetry), but I can't tell you how thrilled I was to discover this book. And I have to give heaps of praise to Messrs. Campa and Nicholson-Smith for taking on such a task, to bring back the work, thoughts and poetry of a poet who should be given way more attention today than ever before, especially considering that not only was Apollinaire an innovative poet, but that he was a soldier (given all the wars that are currently plaguing our planet) and you get to read his poetic thoughts about the war.Mind you, I've barely read through these letters, but, knowing his poetry, the reader will see how someone's sensibility can transform even the experiences of war into something dare I say beautiful? I also love that more of Apollinaire's poetry previously untranslated is now in English. Most of the poems do however comprise the bulk of the work that appears in his other book, Calligrammes. But in this book, you get to be right there with Apollinaire as he writes his letters to Madeleine, describing his experiences, and how his Love for Madeleine transforms this world that he now finds himself in.Just a few months ago, I had the happy pleasure of visting an Apollinaire museum at the Stavelot Abbey in Belgium, as well as his grave at Pere Lachaise in Paris; and in the museum's gift shop, seeing all those Apollinaire books that were not translated into English made me kind of sad, and frustrated that I didn't know French well enough. And then seeing this book a few months later? It was as if Apollinaire said: "Don't despair. Here's a hefty volume for you to sink your teeth into!"The only comment I have about the book itself is the cover art that was decided on. I'm puzzled as to why that particular picture was chosen, and not a picture of Apollinaire and Madeleine (I think one exists), or one of his Calligrammes, or something completely new. Maybe it's me, but I just don't get it. I know Apollinaire is celebrating his love for Madeleine in a spiritual and physical way, but the book's cover art, makes one think it's an erotic novel set in a Parisian bordello of the 1900s. Was that the concept? Anyway, in spite of that, I'm truly grateful that this book was published.

A rare and astonishing document; it contains the wisdom and vision of a generation.

The media could not be loaded.  Great book for poetry lovers ☕