The Face Behind the Face

by Yevgeny Yevtushenko

Book by Yevtushenko, Yevgeny

Genres: Poetry, Russian Literature

193 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Евгений Евтушенко
Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Yevtushenko (Russian: Евгений Александрович Евтушенко; born 18 July 1933 in Zima Junction, Siberia) is a Soviet and Russian poet. He is also a novelist, essayist, dramatist, screenwriter, actor, editor, and a director of several films.

Reviews

[Steven Godin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despair is more cunning than hope
And wears the face of the wise;
But her wisdom is depraved, grasping—
She's cold and calculating.
Instead of children, warm and alive,
She'll bear you only phantoms,
And imprison time
Like a drowsy fly in amber.

As hope's wicked stepmother
She'll mock at her,
Rearrange everything—thoughts, things,
Like your legally wedded wife,
And wiping her tears with her tiny fist,
Hope will leave the house like an orphan
With a dirty bundle—
Leave the house where she is needed no longer.

[scarlettraces · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the energy and ferocity and expect that being involved with Yevtushenko would have sucked. ('Snow in Tokyo', which I liked very much, mitigated this - I get it's not just about women's lib but it also kinda is.)

[T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

/ First read July 31-August 5, 2010.