Joseph Brodsky's Complete Poetry Published by Gallimard

Gallimard has published 'Comme un flambeau, dans ces ténèbres noires', an extensive collection of Joseph Brodsky's poetry in French. This 480-page anthology, curated by André Markowicz, features all of Brodsky's translated works from Gallimard's archives along with previously unseen poems. A prominent Russian-American poet, Brodsky received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1987 and is regarded as a significant figure of the 20th century, yet remains relatively unknown among French-speaking readers. His work reflects influences from Russian classics and poets like Ossip Mandelstam and Anna Akhmatova, as well as English metaphysical poets such as John Donne and modernists T.S. Eliot and W.H. Auden. Born in Leningrad in 1940 to a humble Jewish family, he left school at 15 and was largely self-taught. In 1964, he faced a conviction for 'social parasitism' and was exiled to Siberia for five years, though he was released after 18 months due to global advocacy. He emigrated in 1972, first residing in Vienna and later in the United States, where he taught and wrote until his heart attack at the age of 56 in 1996. His poetry, mainly in Russian, is characterized by its metaphysical and ethical themes, lyrical depth, and a blend of Russian and Western influences. The anthology includes translations by various contributors, including Michel Aucouturier and Jean-Paul Sémon. Price: €11.40.