Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced reader's copy and the opportunity to read this early. Review has been posted on Waterstones and Amazon.

Beautifully Victorian

Thank you net galley for sending me an advanced readers copy in exchange for a honest review

Honestly this edition was absolutely gorgeous and I feel so very lucky to have read the goblin market along with the other poems for the first time with this. The art enriched the poems so much making for such an atmospheric reading experience.

Really interesting collection of poems. Some were a bit odd but I enjoyed the concept. They were very long which made it hard to get through in some places and on occasion the language was a challenge but I can see why it was such a classic. 3 stars - thank you net galley

I think my biggest issue with this book - as delightful as I find poetry to be, and there were certainly some pieces that caught my attention and offered such beautiful imagery and prose that it was difficult to not call the poems by Christina Rossetti powerful and imaginative - my biggest issue is that I simply don't like classic poetry! (oops)

A beautiful edition of one of the finest poems of the Victorian Age. Goblin Market only grows in my estimation as I get older and this edition is the perfect gift for any fellow Rossetti lover. An ideal stocking filler for the most ardent of poetry fans.

This poetry collection has a great introduction which helped me gather more information on the nature of Rossetti's poems.
She often explores the themes of death and love in her work and it was very interesting to see her weave these themes together with the vivid imagery she creates, as well as the generally quick flow of the poems. Her poems' structures often vary and never get boring.

The collection starts with Goblin Market which tells the story of the sisters Lizzie and Laura and the temptation of the goblin merchants. Whereas Lizzie resists, Laura is consumed after she's given in.
It is one of the longest poems I've read so far, but it never turned dull and instead kept me entertained and invested in the story of the sisters which was described intensely with perfectly fitting rhymes and frequent symbolic imagery. This also helped to convey the magical nature of the goblins.

Additionally, Goblin Market is accompanied by the most beautiful illustrations.

Besides Goblin Market, my favourite poems in the collection were After Death, Another Spring, and Shut Out.

Thank you to the publisher on NetGalley for providing me with a copy.

Always a joy to revisit the poetry of Christina Rossetti, who has been one of my favourites since childhood. Now I'm older and wiser I can see and appreciate the perfection of her poems, her lyric gift, and how cleverly she has disguised their genius with the veneer of simplicity. I also really appreciated, and noticed, the themes of sisterhood and the strength of female solidarity in these poems that I didn't pick up on when I was younger. A worthy addition to any poetry library, particularly those who enjoy the Victorian poets.

An enjoyable collection of poetry from a popular voice. Goblin Market is still my favourite of her work.

This is a really beautiful edition of Goblin Market (And other poems). The illustrations really adds to it and give it such an old magical feel.

I really enjoyed reading The Goblin Market, it was the reason I wanted to read this book. However the style of the other poems wasn't for me. They were mostly about death, the seasons or some religious ones. I thought they'd be more fantasy style poems but I was wrong.
So I didn't really enjoy it. I don't read much poetry so I've given it a three out of five because there's nothing wrong with the poems just the subject matter is not to my liking. It is very much like other poets and I think I prefer their style. Just my opinion.

I've read Christina Rossetti's poetry before so I knew at least what I was getting into, and there weren't any surprises.

I thought it was a good selection of poems, Goblin Market is definitely the focal point and the illustrations are a really nice touch.

The introduction by Elizabeth Macneal was short and sweet and said what needed to be said.

A beautiful collection of wistful, lyrical poetry. Most of the poems collected in this volume tell stories tinged with melancholy, an autumnal feel, and plenty of lovely imagery from the natural world. My favorites are "The Lambs of Grasmere, 1860," "No, Thank You, John,"
The Macmillan Collector's Library always does a stellar job formatting its texts, and this volume is no exception. A pleasure to read and linger over, this volume belongs on the shelves of any fan of Christina Rossetti.

I was transported to a place where wonder and fairy tales captured me in its spindly webs.

Delving into the mind of Christina Rossetti was a mesmerizing experience that I will never forget.

I am forever thankful to Netgalley and US Macmillan for this eARC!!!!

This is a lovely edition collecting Rossetti’s poems. Her work has been on my tbr for a while I this was a great introduction to it. I really enjoy the editor’s biography on Rossetti at the start because the insight I to her life and the importance and impact of her work enriched my reading of the poetry.

"Goblin Market" is one of my favourite poems and it's such a pleasure to see it here together with other poems by Rossetti, The collection is well chosen and I love the foreword by Elizabeth Macneal who writes brilliantly about the poems and their author. I can recommend this collection to everyone but especially to lovers of Victorian literature.

Perhaps this is my ignorance about 19th century poetry showing, but this was both weirder and more fun than I was expecting. Lyrical, gorgeous use of language, and I liked the inclusion of the original woodcuts for the Goblin Market sections. I reviewed an e-book but I know the print versions of this series, and they are beautifully produced objects - perfect for gifts (even if it's a gift to yourself!). So glad that Rossetti got an edition.

First off I don't think my Kindle edition has done justice to the beauty of this pocket sized classic which has gold foiled edges, a ribbon marker and beautiful woodcut illustrations, however, putting that minor detail on one side for when I next go into a book shop to browse, this really is a special collection of some of the best of Christina Rossetti's work.

I had read snippets of Goblin Market before but never in its entirety and I was entranced by the dark, and occasional erotic, imagery it contained, as sisters, Laura and Lizzie, are enticed by the forbidden fruit of the Goblin Market. Its lyrical fairy tale quality, belies the fluidity, strength, beauty and timely warning of Rossetti's words.

Along with Goblin Market there are several other fine examples of Rossetti's best work which will appeal if you enjoy Victorian Gothic. Overall, this collection is a fine introduction to Rossetti's work as it contains some poems which are well known or, most certainly, it would make a perfect keepsake for those who are already familiar with her work and who admire Rossetti’s skilful use of both high drama and Victorian melancholy which is found in nearly all of her poems

Goblin Market - Christina Rossetti

Two sisters, Laura and Lizzie, are enticed by the smells, sounds and sights of the Goblin Market, tempted by the ripe figs, plump cherries and fragrant berries. Whilst Lizzie resists, Laura is slowly destroyed by her insatiable longing for the goblin’s forbidden fruit.

Originally published in 1862, I cant believe I had missed this wonderful story for so long! It’s such a clever poem/story of a seemingly harmless goblin market but we start to learn how dark this market is.
So beautifully written and the illustrations are fantastic. I loved it and definitely need a physical copy. 🌟🌟🌟🌟

*Christina was the sister of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, one of my absolute favourite art movements..
Thank you to @netgalley and @panmacillan for my ecopy.

A lovely collection of the poems of Christina Rosetti beginning with the long, lush Goblin Market full of sexual imagery, temptation and ultimately the sisters survival. The other poems are often about longing and relationships, death or near death. Many made me smile despite the dark imagery, they are bold and so different from what you’d expect from a young woman in Victorian England. There is a section of ‘devotionals’ at the end of this collection but still death is a theme in some of these. There are also lovely original illustrations by Laurence Housman for Goblin Market and an introduction by Elizabeth Macneal in this edition.

Such a great addition to the collection! Christina Rossetti's poetry is so wonderful and vivid and romantic, she has become one of my favourite poets throughout reading this.