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b00gars's review against another edition
5.0
Señora de las Sombras spit me out. Señora de las Sombras de mi enamorate.
aneumann's review against another edition
2.0
This one is really challenging for me to rate. I really didn’t like most of the first part of the collection because it’s a style of poetry I despise—flowery purple prose that just rambles in metaphors and stream of consciousness. Essentially words that don’t say anything or whose meaning is entirely indecipherable.
I really like some of the poems, especially those that incorporated a bit of Spanish. Poems where the author is discussing his own body or image were clear and frank and I enjoyed them.
Overall though, I think this collection suffers from a problem I see often in male poets—an inability to say what they mean. There’s an attempt to paint an elaborate picture or scene and poets get so caught up in doing that, what they write feels like looking at an emotion through some opaque glass.
Basically, I enjoy poetry where the author shares what they’re feeling and doesn’t just dump horror and sadness on a reader and expect them to parse it all without the filter of the author’s emotions. That’s why this didn’t work for me.
I really like some of the poems, especially those that incorporated a bit of Spanish. Poems where the author is discussing his own body or image were clear and frank and I enjoyed them.
Overall though, I think this collection suffers from a problem I see often in male poets—an inability to say what they mean. There’s an attempt to paint an elaborate picture or scene and poets get so caught up in doing that, what they write feels like looking at an emotion through some opaque glass.
Basically, I enjoy poetry where the author shares what they’re feeling and doesn’t just dump horror and sadness on a reader and expect them to parse it all without the filter of the author’s emotions. That’s why this didn’t work for me.
kvothes's review against another edition
if you think i look good naked wait until you see me dead.
lmeneghin32's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic collection. The combination of both defamiliarized and familiarized language is haunting. So many poems left me breathless before I could continue on.
rdebner's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
rickyschneider's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
These poems are often discomforting, sometimes disturbing but always thick with atmosphere and a gritty Mexican desert aesthetic. The enigmatic voice of the writer is intimate yet abstruse. It's difficult to pin them down except that they clearly hate their own body and love a thick bearded man. The poems are filled with self-loathing and longing that felt raw and relatable. Corral laces the dusty, rugged landscape of the poems with the many shades of xenophobic and racist attitudes that linger pervasively in the margins of his self-doubt. It should never be underestimated that, though these hateful slurs and disgusting attitudes toward immigrants are clearly dehumanizing generalizations, they still have an effect on the individual psyche and worm their way into the author's subconscious and self-perception. The overall collection is as varied and rocky as the southwestern tundra. Some sections are stunning and scintillating while others fall a bit flat. Still, the uneven terrain of the writing always feels authentic and honest in a visceral and unvarnished way that was entrancing and evocative to the last page.
carlasofiaferreira's review against another edition
5.0
One of those books of poems that you can't stop reading as soon as you begin. Am a huge fan of Corral's work in general and this book had such heart and guts. Deeply physical, even painful at times, excellent throughout. Guillotine taught me a lot about how to structure a full-length collection and every poem is a knockout.