Biedma is a genious in that he captures a very real, non-traditional side of Spanish life. The truth in his poems is captivating and somewhat addictive. However, as a bi-lingual speaker, I found Nolan's translation to be inacurate and therefor I was forced to give this book only 3 stars. If it had been a Spanish-only version or had been translated properly I would have given it 5.

This is one of finest pieces of Spanish poetry of the second half of this century. It is cunningly sharp and precise, picturing life with a whole range of different colors and yet I must confess that, as with wines, the book acquires a different and better taste as time goes on. It is, with no doubt, good value for money.