Reviews

A Coney Island of the Mind by Lawrence Ferlinghetti

emburs's review

Go to review page

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

5.0

cshadows2887's review

Go to review page

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad 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

2.5

kdburton's review

Go to review page

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? N/A

4.0

katherinechase's review

Go to review page

5.0

Ferlinghetti’s poetics are striking. Written in the 1950s, Ferlinghetti explores the carnal and the sensual of New York City abs San Francisco. The center section of this collection features an early version of spoken word poetry: a collection of poems written over jazz. His alliteration and absent punctuation further enhances the flow of his works. Beautifully written and excellently curated.

lelandbuck's review

Go to review page

5.0

Clearly, this is one of the most wonderful and important collections of American poetry yet written. Ferlinghetti is, in my view, king of the Beat Era poets.

richard_f's review

Go to review page

3.0

still an enjoyable adventure - 50 years after

britanniebond's review

Go to review page

4.0

BY LAWRENCE FERLINGHETTI

In Golden Gate Park that day
a man and his wife were coming along
thru the enormous meadow
which was the meadow of the world
He was wearing green suspenders
and carrying an old beat-up flute
in one hand
while his wife had a bunch of grapes
which she kept handing out
individually
to various squirrels
as if each
were a little joke

And then the two of them came on
thru the enormous meadow
which was the meadow of the world
and then
at a very still spot where the trees dreamed
and seemed to have been waiting thru all time
for them
they sat down together on the grass
without looking at each other
and ate oranges
without looking at each other
and put the peels
in a basket which they seemed
to have brought for that purpose
without looking at each other

And then
he took his shirt and undershirt off
but kept his hat on
sideways
and without saying anything
fell asleep under it
And his wife just sat there looking
at the birds which flew about
calling to each other
in the stilly air
as if they were questioning existence
or trying to recall something forgotten

But then finally
she too lay down flat
and just lay there looking up
at nothing
yet fingering the old flute
which nobody played
and finally looking over
at him
without any particular expression
except a certain awful look
of terrible depression

pfwhitman's review

Go to review page

4.0

As my first jump into poems, there are quite a few in here that I absolutely love and his writing is so casual but vivid.

adru's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Nüüd eesti keeles ka.
*
Lugesin ja siis kuulasin juutuubist, kuidas Ferlinghetti neid loeb ja kirjutasin vihikusse ymber luuletuse "Koer", et seda jõuluvanale ette lugeda ja siis lugesin veel korra ja kogu aeg olin yllatunud, kui hea see on ja ka sellest, et ykski raamat või värk ei olnud mind varem seda yles otsima pannud - miks seda nii kitsilt kiidetakse?

antoniomansopreto's review

Go to review page

4.0

Best: A coney island of the mind 5/7/10/12/26/29, I am waiting, Junkman’s Obbligato, The long street, Pictures of the gone world 10/11/13