Reviews

There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyoncé by Morgan Parker

paig35mith's review against another edition

I don't feel comfortable rating this because I didn't get it. I felt bad because I wanted to get it but just didn't. I understood some of the poems but many of them I couldn't relate to and/or understand. I don't have a lot of experience with poetry so maybe that's why what she was talking about went over my head. I had to push myself to get through it. It was a struggle because I didn't understand what she was talking about, which made it where I couldn't enjoy the book. Giving this book a low rating because I didn't get enjoyment from it seems wrong since the lack of enjoyment came from not understanding the picture she was painting through her words.

lamphouse's review

favorites:
-These Are Dangerous Times, Man
-The President's Wife
-Slouching Toward Beyoncé
-Let Me Handle My Business, Damn
-Beyoncé Prepares a Will

grayjay's review

4.0

In these poems I read a strong voice, expounding on being black, being a woman, and being a millenial. Waking into adulthood and finding that the path other generations took has been trod so heavily upon that it is used up and a new path must be tread. There are no jobs, no resources, and very little understanding.

Parker's muse Beyonce echoed through these poems sometimes with honour, sometimes with questioning. Parker's use of repetition and rhythm also gives her poetry a heavily musical quality that I enjoyed.

allisonreadsabook's review

emotional funny inspiring medium-paced

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

5.0

alyssa_olaf's review

challenging dark mysterious reflective slow-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

2.75

lsparrow's review

2.0

I have to admit that I picked up this book of poetry because of the title - I mean who doesn't love Byeonce?
I found the style of poetyy did not connect with me - I am curious to read more of this poets work because of the subject matter and how she brings in current cultural issues and the imagery that she uses.

kayla_can_read's review

challenging dark emotional funny 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? Yes

4.0

Such a realized voice 

sunflowerhexe's review

4.0

“her daughter learns about beauty discovers nothing surprising” took my breathe away. I’ve heard about the experiences of Black girlhood from friends and college roommates, but whew this hit me in the gut. Stunning work. I read this book, but I need to get the audio version, I believe these works would be all the more stunning in that form.

Favorites: Another Another Autumn in New York, Delicate and Jumpy, The Gospel of Jesus’s Wife, What Beyoncé Won’t Say on a Shrink’s Couch, Heaven Be a Xanax, and 99 Problems

capy's review

3.25

We think we are owed.
Everything, but especially silence.
A secret is during commercials
I am living other lives, sautéing
green vegetables, imagining spring
breeze carry me through the apartment
like a branch, or a painter.

i feel like over a quarter of this collection went over my head but the poems i did connect with were very good, wish there was a deeper analysis somewhere! i love finishing a poetry book and feel like i just worked out

dreamgalaxies's review

5.0

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A wonderful and dark meditation on black American womanhood, depression, life in late capitalism, pop culture layers...highly recommend. I read it twice, some poems 3 times.