Reviews

Inferno: A Poet's Novel by Eileen Myles

madelynelizondo's review against another edition

3.0

This was deeply personal so I really enjoyed having Eileen read this to me in that wicked Boston accent. A tale of lesbianhood, nyc in the 80/90s and finding their way as a poet… veers into incessant name dropping memoir territory but their dry humor and unique way of telling stories made up for it.

“What do we love? Texas, Joan of Arc and baseball.”

Hah

ellaroose's review against another edition

3.0

*Audiobook

deathcabforlucy's review against another edition

3.0

I kept having to stop reading because the passages were so beautiful, and I had to take them in. But I was wildly confused throughout this book, it was hard to follow. Maybe because I didn’t get a lot of the references which reinforced time changes. I couldn’t even really tell you what this was about, but I liked listening to it. I can appreciate the absolute genius and poetry that were the lines that made it up. Some of my favorite parts:

“The men looked at me like I was the rain. They saw through me to other thoughts.”

“I opened my mouth and cried. About how beautiful love was. How confused I was. The sky held me like a hero.”

“Thinking about a woman while the morning turned blue. I was burning. It was like I took a bolt of lightning and stabbed the world.”

lexmcgnns's review against another edition

3.0

this gave me hella whiplash and raging anxiety. But in a good way!

I didn't get this at first — I think I took the term novel too literally when in reality this is just a series of essays, memoirs and poetry spanning years; not in chronological order (without any semblance of order, really) and total disregard for the rules of grammar.

Once I worked that out I could let myself enjoy this for what it is: pure art. unedited rambling prose, flow, performance in vivid and meandering text and it was majestic. eileen myles is something else completely.

bakerbitch69's review

3.0

some parts, ideas, and lines are pure magic; coming of age in your late 20s, the farm, the feeling of writing poetry, existential contemplation of life's little big meanings. everything outside of that is like sitting at someone's desk and mindlessly flipping through their rolodex.

bakerbitch69's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

yeahohyeahyeah's review against another edition

4.0

I asked for this book for Christmas of 2010. I was really really really excited about it. I started reading it in March of the following year and it took nearly three years to finally finish it. Eventually I had to download the audiobook and just listen to Eileen read to me. It seemed better that way.

bean_mcmachine's review against another edition

5.0

This is a remarkable achievement. Engaging and sexy from beginning to end. Honest, raw, fun. Must read.

notlikethebeer's review against another edition

4.0

This was... an interesting one? When it was good it was absolutely utterly brilliant, but when it wasn't so good, it dragged. I felt the first section was the weakest and most laborious, and nearly gave up on it!- but the second two sections were far better.

auryni's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0