From Publishers Weekly
A year after Rilke's death in 1926, Salom‚-his former lover, novelist, memoirist and muse extraordinaire-wrote this memoir of sorts documenting the poet's rich inner life. Salom‚ served not only as Rilke's primary muse, but also as his lifelong correspondent and his most trusted literary confidante. Her memoir, now translated into English for the first time, bears witness to Rilke's self-doubts and insecurities as well as his greatest triumphs, culminating in the composition of his famous Duino Elegies. Although Salom‚ has the potential to offer an unusually personal perspective on her one-time lover, she maintains a cool distance from him at all times. Her interest lies strictly with the development of Rilke as an artist, which makes this book a good resource for literary scholars but of little interest to the casual reader. Salom‚ pays little attention to Rilke's famous friends and his family life; indeed, she makes no mention of their own three-year love affair. Instead, the memoir follows a stream-of-consciousness style, filled with excerpts from Rilke's notebooks and letters, delicately mapping out the maturation of his poetry over the course of several decades. Salom‚ does not place Rilke's art within the context of his life; on the contrary, she selects tiny fragments from the poet's life and uses them only as a backdrop for discussions of his art. The memoir, and the introduction by Norton senior editor von der Lippe, takes for granted an extensive knowledge of the poet's life and his art; this volume will be of interest primarily to those who study Rilke. Photos not seen by PW. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Book Description
Never before available in English, You Alone Are Real to Me documents the relationship between Salome and Rainer Maria Rilke that spanned almost 30 years. Salome gives an intimate account of Rilke's poetic development from the early romantic poems to the sculpted new poems and the final breakthrough of the Elegies. From their romantic beginnings to the later twists and turns of their separate lives, Rilke appealed to Salome during times of crisis in his writing as well as in the intimate matters of his life. Salome captures both the summit and the abyss of Rilke's creative struggle. The memoir offers a stunning portrait of Rilke, as we in the English-speaking world have never really seen him. Richly illustrated with photos, this book is an indispensable work on the author of The Duino Elegies, as well as a rich resource for the growing interest in Salome.Lou Andreas-Salome was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, but lived most of her life in Germany as a famous novelist, memoirist (of Rilke, Nietzsche, and Ibsen), friend to Freud and critic. She was praised by Freud as the smartest woman he had ever met, and prized by Rilke as "one of the most wonderful people who have come my way . . . without the influence of this extraordinary woman my whole development would not have been able to take the paths that have led to many things." Salome wrote his memoir in 1927, a year after Rilke's death.Angela von der Lippe is a senior editor at W.W. Norton. She holds a doctorate in German Literature and Language from Brown University. In her free time, she pursues a personal passion for translation and poetry. She divides her time between New York City, Baltimore and the Adirondacks.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

When German poet Rainer Maria Rilke died in December, 1926, he was regarded as one of the major poets of the 20th century in any language, as well as one of the most enigmatic of his own time -- the one-time associate of Rodin, military school drop-out, painfully detached father and husband, and author of the Duino Elegies, which stands among the most sublime works of all time. Now, BOA Editions is proud to present, for the first time in English, You Alone Are Real to Me: Remembering Rainer Maria Rilke, by the poet's lifelong friend, traveling companion, and muse, Lou Andreas-Salome. Writing in 1927, the year after his death, Salome takes us through accounts of their meetings and travels, the dam-bursts of creativity in which Rilke wrote the Sonnets to Orpheus, and the Duino Elegies, and their long correspondence in which Salome was the essential confluent soul who kept Rilke from utter despair. Superbly translated by Angela von der Lippe, You Alone Are Real to Me, is the work of a multi-faceted woman, a popular European novelist, friend to Nietzsche and Freud, a noted writer on psychoanalysis, and a woman capable of understanding the aspirations and spirit of her "Old Rainer."

SYNOPSIS

Written in 1927, this memoir documents the relationship between Salomé and Rilke and give's an intimate account of the poet's aesthetic development—from the early romantic poems to the Elegies. The book offers a portrait of Rilke as he confronted his own fame, meditated on his experience of World War I, and found himself inspired by Russia. The translator, von der Lippe, is an editor with W.W. Norton. She also provides an introductory essay and an afterword. Annotation ©2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

FROM THE CRITICS

The New York Times

[Andreas-Salomé] created a credible and complex portrait of the poet as a man who longed to transcend mortality, often tormented by his own physical existence. Without direct expression of feeling, she conjures the man and his profound importance to her as poet and dear friend in this unusually thoughtful memoir, superbly translated from the German by Angela von der Lippe. — Paula Friedman

The Los Angeles Times

Lou Andreas-Salomé's You Alone Are Real to Me is a memoir that revives our faith in the subtlety and dignity of the genre. If the purpose of the memoir is to make the past live again, then this evocative meditation on Rainer Maria Rilke is nothing less than a resurrection of the great poet's internal life. — Carol Muske-Dukes

Publishers Weekly

A year after Rilke's death in 1926, Salom -his former lover, novelist, memoirist and muse extraordinaire-wrote this memoir of sorts documenting the poet's rich inner life. Salom served not only as Rilke's primary muse, but also as his lifelong correspondent and his most trusted literary confidante. Her memoir, now translated into English for the first time, bears witness to Rilke's self-doubts and insecurities as well as his greatest triumphs, culminating in the composition of his famous Duino Elegies. Although Salom has the potential to offer an unusually personal perspective on her one-time lover, she maintains a cool distance from him at all times. Her interest lies strictly with the development of Rilke as an artist, which makes this book a good resource for literary scholars but of little interest to the casual reader. Salom pays little attention to Rilke's famous friends and his family life; indeed, she makes no mention of their own three-year love affair. Instead, the memoir follows a stream-of-consciousness style, filled with excerpts from Rilke's notebooks and letters, delicately mapping out the maturation of his poetry over the course of several decades. Salom does not place Rilke's art within the context of his life; on the contrary, she selects tiny fragments from the poet's life and uses them only as a backdrop for discussions of his art. The memoir, and the introduction by Norton senior editor von der Lippe, takes for granted an extensive knowledge of the poet's life and his art; this volume will be of interest primarily to those who study Rilke. Photos not seen by PW. (Apr.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

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