Cities

Cities collects Stefan Hertmans' essays and observations from his travels through major urban centers including Trieste, Dresden, Marseille, and others. The author records his experiences wandering these cities' streets, squares, and hidden corners over multiple visits spanning decades. Each chapter focuses on a different city, blending historical research with personal encounters and cultural analysis. Hertmans examines how war, politics, art, and literature have shaped these places and their inhabitants through time. The narratives move between past and present as Hertmans traces his steps through locations tied to writers, artists and historical events. He documents changes in the urban landscape while uncovering layers of meaning embedded in architecture, neighborhoods, and local customs. This work explores how cities serve as repositories of cultural memory and witnesses to human achievement and destruction. The essays consider the relationship between physical spaces and the stories they contain, revealing how urban environments both preserve and transform human experience.

Readers note this collection of poetry expresses city life through metaphorical and abstract imagery. The poems focus on urban architecture, streetscapes, and human encounters in various European cities. Positive reviews mention Hertmans' ability to capture fleeting moments and sensory details of city spaces. Several readers highlighted the poem "Between the Houses" as effective in portraying cramped urban living. Readers commented on the strong descriptive language and philosophical tone. Critical reviews point to the dense, occasionally cryptic nature of the metaphors. Some found the abstract style made the poems hard to access or relate to personally. A few reviews mentioned the English translation lacks some of the original Dutch version's impact. Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (42 ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (8 ratings) LibraryThing: 3.7/5 (12 ratings) Note: Limited English-language reviews available online as this work was originally published in Dutch.

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🏛️ "Cities" was originally published in Dutch under the title "Steden" in 2016 before being translated into English. 🖋️ Stefan Hertmans wrote this book after spending decades visiting and living in various European cities, including Venice, Marseille, Trieste, and Amsterdam. 🎨 The author weaves personal memories with historical events, art history, and philosophical observations to create layered portraits of each city he explores. 🗺️ The book deliberately avoids typical tourist perspectives, instead focusing on forgotten corners, overlooked histories, and the invisible networks that connect urban spaces. 📚 Hertmans is better known for his novel "War and Turpentine," which was named one of the 10 Best Books of 2016 by The New York Times.