Poetic prose especially in the detailed descriptions
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"Letters to a young poet" made me interested in Rilke, and therefore "The Notebooks of Malthe Laurids Brigge" founds it way to my night stand.
Rilke's voice is very different in the two. "Notebooks" seems so much more orchestrated and not as quotable or easily read as "Letters". However, "Notebooks" has its own sombre drift that carries you - the reader - into the realm of the young Brigge, his thoughts and his childhood. What I like about the medium of a notebooks is its authenticity. It has the detail and rigid structure of many real notebooks and diaries, unlike many of fictional diaries that read as one continuous line of thought. This makes "Notebooks" personal and I found myself absorbing the thoughts.
Also "Notebooks" is to be read slowly or aloud to savor the poetry of the words. There are truly beautiful, detailed descriptions in "Notebooks" and I would recommend the book for this reason alone.
I was extremely grateful for the section of notes in the back of the book. Rilke makes reference to 14th century French kings, dukes and other noblemen, that I was completely unaware of.
I am sure that "Notebooks" deserve more than 3 stars. However, I must admit that my understanding of "Notebooks" only results in 3 stars. There is much in "Notebooks" to be analysed and deciphered.
Louise
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Imperfect, but nonetheless a fine intro to Rilke's themes.
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The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge, Rilke's twenty-eight year old Danish alter-ego, is of primary interest for introducing themes and which the poet was to develop so skillfully in is later works, such as the Duino Elegies and the Sonnets of Orpheus. Brigge, a lonely poet seemingly trapped in a Paris of terrifying hospitals, hotels and sanitoriums, allows us into his (sometimes aimless) thoughts on solitude, love, absence and age. Though at times Rilke's poeticism seems a little to imprecise for a prose work, it oftens gives us wonderful descriptions of life. A particular favourite of mine being the section often referred to as 'the Bird Feeders'. The overall impression upon reading the Notebooks is that of viewing the transition of an artist from precocious (but often overly lyrical) poet to grandmaster of emotion. Whimsical, often amusing and emotive, anyone with an interest in Rilke's fine later poetry must read this.
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