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lilyherling's review against another edition
3.0
Closer to 3.5, I ADORED some chapters but could have done without others. clearly a brilliant writer (impressive vocabulary!!)
novelesque_life's review against another edition
3.0
RATING: 3 STARS
American Originality was published in 2016, but a many of the essays are from late 90s and early 2000s. As Louise Gluck is a new to me author as of last year, I had not seen any of these. There is a section of introductions that Gluck has done for other poets's collections. I found some essays a bit more interesting than others. This sort of depends on what you are interested in about poetry. There is some assumption that you are at least intermediate in poetry. There were three essays that stood out for me. (Of course now I can't remember the names of them).
American Originality was published in 2016, but a many of the essays are from late 90s and early 2000s. As Louise Gluck is a new to me author as of last year, I had not seen any of these. There is a section of introductions that Gluck has done for other poets's collections. I found some essays a bit more interesting than others. This sort of depends on what you are interested in about poetry. There is some assumption that you are at least intermediate in poetry. There were three essays that stood out for me. (Of course now I can't remember the names of them).
lifeinpoetry's review against another edition
I skipped the section of forewords to her selections for a couple of book prizes. That whole section just felt like unnecessary padding. I largely never connected with the poets she used in her essays (there is a definite lack of diversity in all but the forewords section) but appreciated the essay on narcissism.
macquincy's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
jcampbell's review against another edition
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
Absolutely love Louise Gluck - her writing is as interesting and gripping as her poetry. The essays are I think al previously published pieces collated into a book but they were all knew to me. Section 1 with American Originality and American Narcism are two essay's Ill remember and be rereading.
sapphicpenguin's review against another edition
5.0
What a book! Richard Siken fans will want to know that he drew the cover illustration, which is lovely. All of the pieces are previously published works, which I wasn't aware of - I hadn't read most of them, though.
I couldn't decide for a while whether to give it 4 or 5 stars, but in the end I'm going with 5, partially because I can't think of a solid reason for taking off a star, and partially because of the last essay. The first few essays genuinely changed how I'll read American poetry from now on. I don't know what else to say besides that. I have a whole different mindset about poetry in general - how can I rate it anything less than 5 stars? The 5 stars are less about the writing as about how much it changed me.
This is not an introduction to poetry by any means - Glück often refers to poets solely by their last names, prompting many a Google search for me, and she definitely assumes a certain level of familiarity with poetry. The prose gets dense in places, with adjectives and tangents and parts I had to reread a couple times, but it doesn't so much take away from the pieces as add a layer of meaning that I had to struggle through a bit.
There's an essay on Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family stuck in the middle, which did feel out of place (as that's a novel), but it was interesting.
The middle section is comprised of introductions to various poetry books that she has written (including Siken's Crush), which made me so happy. I genuinely love reading introductions to books, and reading a compilation of just introductions? So worthwhile, even though I hadn't read most of the books. You definitely don't have to read the books before or afterward - she includes excerpts and descriptions that bring you into the book, even though you don't have it in your hands. They function as both introductions to the books and reviews, and while some reviews of poetry feel like they're trying to tell me how to read/interpret it, these just opened me up to them. I want her to take apart every poetry book I love in such a way, lovingly but by no means gentle.
As I said before, the last essay tipped me over to a 5-star rating. Entitled "Fear of Happiness," it addresses the problem that many artists face: connecting their suffering to their art and the following fear of well-being. Especially for writers with mental illness, the short essay, akin to Touched with Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament, tackles the almost addictive connections between an artist, their symptoms, and the catharsis of their art. I could almost feel the calm wash for me as I read it - yes, I can recover and still be a poet. I'll be okay.
Overall: a confusing, intriguing, mind-blowing collection that anyone who values poetry as much as I do should read.
I couldn't decide for a while whether to give it 4 or 5 stars, but in the end I'm going with 5, partially because I can't think of a solid reason for taking off a star, and partially because of the last essay. The first few essays genuinely changed how I'll read American poetry from now on. I don't know what else to say besides that. I have a whole different mindset about poetry in general - how can I rate it anything less than 5 stars? The 5 stars are less about the writing as about how much it changed me.
This is not an introduction to poetry by any means - Glück often refers to poets solely by their last names, prompting many a Google search for me, and she definitely assumes a certain level of familiarity with poetry. The prose gets dense in places, with adjectives and tangents and parts I had to reread a couple times, but it doesn't so much take away from the pieces as add a layer of meaning that I had to struggle through a bit.
There's an essay on Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family stuck in the middle, which did feel out of place (as that's a novel), but it was interesting.
The middle section is comprised of introductions to various poetry books that she has written (including Siken's Crush), which made me so happy. I genuinely love reading introductions to books, and reading a compilation of just introductions? So worthwhile, even though I hadn't read most of the books. You definitely don't have to read the books before or afterward - she includes excerpts and descriptions that bring you into the book, even though you don't have it in your hands. They function as both introductions to the books and reviews, and while some reviews of poetry feel like they're trying to tell me how to read/interpret it, these just opened me up to them. I want her to take apart every poetry book I love in such a way, lovingly but by no means gentle.
As I said before, the last essay tipped me over to a 5-star rating. Entitled "Fear of Happiness," it addresses the problem that many artists face: connecting their suffering to their art and the following fear of well-being. Especially for writers with mental illness, the short essay, akin to Touched with Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament, tackles the almost addictive connections between an artist, their symptoms, and the catharsis of their art. I could almost feel the calm wash for me as I read it - yes, I can recover and still be a poet. I'll be okay.
Overall: a confusing, intriguing, mind-blowing collection that anyone who values poetry as much as I do should read.