Customer Reviews (1)

Definitely insightful
This book raises some interesting questions about the roles of religion (specifically Puritanism), mourning and grief in early American literature, specifically Rowlandson's Captivity Narrative. I recommend this book to anyone who does serious research into early American literature, history, and cultural context. This is *not* an easy or light read. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Horrible!
Faery's novel is boring, contrived, and downright stupid. I am hard pressed to find even a few sentences in her book that she has actually written. The rest are quotations from other authors. She attempts to use fancy and eloquent English not to further her points, but simply to sound for authoritative. Her points are pointless. She uses picture books as examples for her research, and this book has little relevance to anything. Stay Away! Faery is the worst author of the century!

Excavating Our National Narratives of Race and Gender
Novelistic sweep combines with rigorous textual analysis to produce this compulsively readable excavation of our national narratives of race and gender.As Faery demonstrates, the stories by which we tell ourselves whowe are twist, turn, mutate in response to the exigencies of the historicalmoment, yet the interests they have subserved have remained remarkablyconsistent. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

A Prettily Presented Classic
Noted Italian/English poetess of the 1800's Christina Rossetti's imagination catching poetry has stood the test of time, being still loved and studied today.Because of its title, Goblin Market sometimes gets put into a juvenile category, but this is a poem for mature readers.This moral tale depicts the epic struggle between bad and good.The goblin's onslaught on virtue immediately engages the reader's inner ear and heart.This poem is really gripping reading. Goblin Market is often considered Christina Rossetti's best poem.This re-issue, replete with noted illustrator Arthor Rackham's beautifully eerie drawings, is a book worth owning.

Beautiful, sensual, and subject to infinite interpretation
Goblin Market, a verse fairy tale that was first published in 1862, is a rather fascinating piece of masterful poetry.It tells a wonderfully sensuous tale that has inspired a myriad of interpretations.I've spent more time reading about Goblin Market than I did actually reading it - savoring it, rather, for it really calls for a much more personal treatment than a mere reading.This pre-Raphaelite work harbors latent eroticism that echoes with both renunciation and desire.Thus, some term it a work of repressed Victorian eroticism and grin knowingly (and leeringly) as they recount the fact that Goblin Market was quite a popular children's fairy tale in its day.Christine Rossetti was herself a recluse along the lines of Emily Dickinson, allowing her heart to sing freely even as she kept herself separated from any possible objects of her latent desires.

In the poem, one sister gives in to the temptation of the forbidden fruit offered by the dark goblins forever lurking in the twilight to seduce their victims to a first taste of their exotic wares.The desire to obtain more of the passion fruit overtakes her young life, yet the goblins appear to her no more; as a result, she begins to waste away near to death.At this point, her sister, who sensibly avoided temptation, willingly seeks to bargain with the goblins, only to have them force their juicy wares upon her.The fruity residue is enough, however, to revive her sister.The act of salvation is obviously the juiciest part of the story on a number of levels - such a sensual act between sisters, with lines such as "Hug me, kiss me, suck my juices" and "Eat me, drink me, love me," cries out for interpretation of all kinds - and those quick to criticize the hypocritical prudishness of Victorian society have a veritable field day with it.

Some say this is not a poem for children's ears?Balderdash.Like any masterful work of poetry, Goblin Market can be read and interpreted on many levels.Children will delight in its lyrical rhyming patterns, its allusions to wee goblins hawking the most delicious of fruits, and interpret the salvation of the tempted sister in comparatively innocent terms.I say leave the interpretations to the adults.And what interpretations there are of this lengthy poem.Some see in it a recreation of the genesis story, a story of sacrifice and redemption, a tale of lesbian yearning, a declaration of the power of sisterhood, a commentary on women as commodities in market society, evidence of sexual molestation by Rossetti's father, etc.There's no limit to the interpretations put forth about what is, on the surface, an engaging fairy tale set to verse.

This is a fascinating work of lyrical poetry that can be read fairly quickly yet will sustain your interest through multiple readings, all sorts of fascinating research into analysis and interpretation, and just plain wonderment.As sensual as it is beautiful, Goblin Market is probably one of the most fascinating and insightful products of Victorian literature.

Fantastic erotica not for children
I wonder if the good folk at the end of the 19th century when this poem was originally published were just too obtuse to understand the gist of Rossetti's work; if so, we have an innocent artifact that has evolved into something erotic because of our twentieth century sensibilities (we have dirtier minds than our compatriots from the past).

Don't let the word "erotica" scare you away. This is not a blatantly sexual work in its language; it is not a "dirty" book. Just understand that despite what anyone else says or writes, this is about as unambiguously EROTIC as you can get. With phrasing like "Eat me, drink me, love me; Laura, make much of me; For your sake I have braved the glen; And had to do with goblin merchant men."

Since the original work is now in the public domain, if you want to read the full text online just do a search using most standard search engines with the terms "Christina Rossetti Goblin Market" and you should turn up a number of links to the actual poems, go read it, and decide for yourself about it.

This makes a wonderful gift for people you are very close too. However, it is also a very personal poem, and if given inappropriately could actually scare someone away!

A tale to dream on...
A children tale for adults. It's a light and thoughtful reading.The story of two sisters and lewd goblin men. Innocence, temptation and emotions all together. This inspiring story has wonderful work of DanteGabriel Rossetti.

Redemption
This tale is not about sexuality but about redemption and the need to help others.Read deep into the story to find the meaning that Rossetti intended. ... Read more