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Leaves of Grass Walt Whitman Books

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Leaves of Grass By Walt Whitman

Leaves of Grass Walt Whitman Books

I am very happy that inexpensive versions of Leaves of Grass are available again. I have purchased eight different versions to compare. Many are very poorly put together - almost like scanned versions simply plopped into a word processor and uploaded to Amazon - and selling for $10 - $1. What I find most fascinating is this one - by Martino Fine Books (listed as Leaves of Grass ; {exact Facsimile of the 1855 Edition] - it is very fine, and is an exact facsimile. I love holding it and looking at it as close to the original 1855 edition as humanly possible. The only caveat is the cover - which features the older Walt, who had published six more versions by the time the cover photo was taken. No matter, the inside is what's important. Another one I bought that I recommend is from cholla needles press (listed as Leaves of Grass: 1855) - they use a facsimile of the original cover, and have made the choice to clean up the line breaks for readability purposes. The cholla edition is easy to sit down and read, the martino edition is beautiful to look at. The good news is I bought them both for less than $10 and find that reasonable enough to give them both to friends and relatives as gifts this year.

Product details Paperback 434 pages Publisher Simon & Brown (May 26, 2012) Language English ISBN-10 1613823673

Tags : Amazon.com: Leaves of Grass (9781613823675): Walt Whitman: Books,Walt Whitman,Leaves of Grass,Simon & Brown,1613823673,Literature & Fiction Poetry,FICTION Classics
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Leaves of Grass Walt Whitman Books Reviews

Except for school and college, classical poetry is dead. Poetry mutated into pop lyrics and is the teritory of the pop star or rapper. Nobel prize for literature goes to Bob Dylan, testifying to this metamorphosis. Reading classical poetry not for a credit or a paper is weird. Writing poetry review is even weirder. And writing a review of an indisputable genius, is much much weirder! In a way, reviewing Whitman is a bit like reviewing the Bible. What can one say about the American national icon? All that said, here it is...It is the first time that I read most of the Leaves Of Grass and not just the few chosen poems, or even just a few lines. And I must admit that I get rather tired reading very long poems, or poem cycles, so I do skip a few pages here and there. Moreover, the ever repeated paeans to America the Great or The States as a light unto nations strike to day as corny and pretentious. And lets not forget the language - antiquated, often odd syntax, words long out of circulation. And yet, counting everything in, FIVE STARS galore!!! What is amazing about Whitman is his tireless energy, zest for life, and above all, his inveterate optimism. This is a man born not long after the War of Independence and saw the terrible ravages of the Civil War (1.4 million dead out of 70 million population! WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam seem like games compared to that carnage), saw slavery, saw the Indian genocide, saw toil, hunger, sickness, and yet happily sung the glories of the Body Electric and heard America Singing. Whitman loved everybody - men, women, young, old, white, black, healthy, sick, good or evil, cities, bridges, plants, animals, stars. Some of his enthusiasm is way not PC in our present age - praising the soldier, the hunter, the butcher, the conquerer (ergo the rapist) of nature. In my opinion, Whitman is a giant and a giant he will remain in spite of the PC hordes.
This is the one to buy when you want everything Walt Whitman had published as "Leaves of Grass." So many versions -- including, I'm sorry to say, the expensive leather-clad "heirloom" editions -- leave out the homoerotic 'Calamus' book and so many other instances of sexuality that they emerge less than half the full page count.
I am torn on my reaction to Whitman's magnum opus-- its themes and words will remain unforgettable, but boy how I hated reading this plodding rambling slog of a book.

Whitman's poems catalog his transcendentalism-inspired view of... everything. From scenes across the world, with particular focus on America, to anecdotes of dying soldiers and copulating couples, Whitman emphasizes the interconnectedness of humanity and nature.

While Whitman's enthusiasm is infectious, he lacks brevity. He repeats his philosophy like a club over the head. The final product could've been cut in half and still have gotten across the message.

But darn if there aren't moments of beauty. Particularly in the later poems which were added in his later years, Whitman tempers his enthusiasm with more brief, succinct, thoughtful, and hopeful words in the face of impending death. And I think that is the best occasion for Whitman's leaves when one needs comfort that there is indestructible purpose and beauty in every human's life.
This review is only for the Wisehouse Classics edition. There are a number of typographical errors within the book. For instance, the word "of" is exchanged for the word "or" a number of times in "Song of Myself," altering the meaning of certain lines significantly.

It's extremely unfortunate that has combined the reviews for so many different editions of this and other books. While they may sell more books, it makes it very difficult for customers to find a good edition to buy, and it makes me much less likely to buy from in the future.
Buyer Beware! If you think you are buying the Library of America edition (which links to this version on the page) you are not. This is a completely different version. If you are looking, specifically, for the First Edition (1855) of Leaves of Grass - which is given prominence of place in the Library of America edition -- you will not find it here. As for the rest of the material, it may well be fine but it is NOT the Library of America -- a series renowned for its editorial care. It is, in fact, published by Heritage Illustrated Publishing from materials in the public domain. No essay by Justin Kaplan, no page numbers, and notably ugly typesetting. There are better general editions of Whitman's poetry for less (Bantam Classics, for instance). misleads its customers by putting this generic edition on the same page as the scholar-worthy Library version of which it claims to be a reproduction.
I am very happy that inexpensive versions of Leaves of Grass are available again. I have purchased eight different versions to compare. Many are very poorly put together - almost like scanned versions simply plopped into a word processor and uploaded to - and selling for $10 - $1. What I find most fascinating is this one - by Martino Fine Books (listed as Leaves of Grass ; {exact Facsimile of the 1855 Edition] - it is very fine, and is an exact facsimile. I love holding it and looking at it as close to the original 1855 edition as humanly possible. The only caveat is the cover - which features the older Walt, who had published six more versions by the time the cover photo was taken. No matter, the inside is what's important. Another one I bought that I recommend is from cholla needles press (listed as Leaves of Grass 1855) - they use a facsimile of the original cover, and have made the choice to clean up the line breaks for readability purposes. The cholla edition is easy to sit down and read, the martino edition is beautiful to look at. The good news is I bought them both for less than $10 and find that reasonable enough to give them both to friends and relatives as gifts this year.