Reviews

The Actual by Inua Ellams

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gemmalise's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

guybroad's review

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challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.75

hannahmarierobbins's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective slow-paced

5.0

This poetry collection is special. My copy is tabbed and highlighted. It oscilates between social commentary, reflections on the condition of the wider world, and intimate poems about closeness and how fragile it is. I can't wait to read it again.

half_book_and_co's review

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4.0

3,5

beatrixcesana's review

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4.0

Visceral, dissentient and provocative poetry. Ellams combines humor with social and historical commentary, using powerful and candid language. Each poem, an outcry of anger and frustration that is unequivocal. The poet condemns colonialism and its cultural repercussions. By discussing the case of Nigeria, he calls attention to timeless, unforgivable global cruelty. His voice continuously shifts from brutal and raw (texts are formatted as 'Fuck/ poems') to lyrical and soulful. Amongst my favorite poems are "Fuck/ Sunflowers," "Fuck/ Boys," and "Fuck/ The Incalculable Unknown." Here is a quote from "Fuck/Boys" to inspire your reading: "The man says / Shake it off / We are men / We feel nothing / The boy tucks the tiny fracture into the sleeve of himself and strikes again / The fracture burrows deeper."