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bgg616's review against another edition
5.0
Virtual Crossways 2021 was the Third Annual Irish Scottish Literary Festival. The focus this year was Irish language and Scottish Gaelic poetry. The Scottish poet Kathleen Jamie shared a session with Dublin poet Paula Meehan. Both poets write in English. Meehan is one of my favorite poets and after hearing Jamie, I ordered several of her books.
The Bonniest Companie contains many poems that focus on nature. Much of Jamie poetry uses Scottish terms that are part of the Scots language. It is sometimes labeled a dialect, but the difference between a dialect and a language is considered by linguists to be a political question. As a linguist, I resist the term dialect. The meanings in Jamie's poems are transparent, and familiarity as well as context, helps the reader to "translate".
Jamie's poems shine a light on Scotland's stunning terrain and nature. Some of her poems are set in urban settings or suburbs. Her poems are short and succinct. Wonderful bites!
Highly recommended.
The Bonniest Companie contains many poems that focus on nature. Much of Jamie poetry uses Scottish terms that are part of the Scots language. It is sometimes labeled a dialect, but the difference between a dialect and a language is considered by linguists to be a political question. As a linguist, I resist the term dialect. The meanings in Jamie's poems are transparent, and familiarity as well as context, helps the reader to "translate".
Jamie's poems shine a light on Scotland's stunning terrain and nature. Some of her poems are set in urban settings or suburbs. Her poems are short and succinct. Wonderful bites!
Highly recommended.
kingjason's review against another edition
5.0
First off, what a cover! You could lose yourself gazing into that. Kathleen Jamie is one of my all time favourite writers, there is something about her words that just grabs me, it might be her ability to include a Scottish accent that adds another dimension to the writing, using words like “keek” and “wanchancy” are brilliant. It doesn’t matter what she writes about, cleaning whale bones, walking on the beach or geese in flight, it just works and the mundane becomes amazing.
The Bonniest Companie is a fine collection, I’m not gonna spoil things and go on and on about what the poems are about, you’ve really gotta read them yourself just to get that full experience. Check her out on Soundcloud to hear her reading a few poems. Below is one of my favourites from this book.
Thon Stane
Thon earthfast boulder by the bothy door,
Taller than a man and
thrice as broad and
older than everyone put together-
stood there in his mossy boots
like he’s just this very forenoon
wandered down the brae-
a chapman peddling bracken-besoms,
lichen-saucers
a few lampwicks of grass-
I open the door, though he gives no hawker’s cry-
just proffers his mute wares,
as he has for long enough.
Blog review can be found here> https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2017/12/29/the-bonniest-companie-by-kathleen-jamie/
The Bonniest Companie is a fine collection, I’m not gonna spoil things and go on and on about what the poems are about, you’ve really gotta read them yourself just to get that full experience. Check her out on Soundcloud to hear her reading a few poems. Below is one of my favourites from this book.
Thon Stane
Thon earthfast boulder by the bothy door,
Taller than a man and
thrice as broad and
older than everyone put together-
stood there in his mossy boots
like he’s just this very forenoon
wandered down the brae-
a chapman peddling bracken-besoms,
lichen-saucers
a few lampwicks of grass-
I open the door, though he gives no hawker’s cry-
just proffers his mute wares,
as he has for long enough.
Blog review can be found here> https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2017/12/29/the-bonniest-companie-by-kathleen-jamie/
balancinghistorybooks's review against another edition
4.0
Thoughtful, evocative, playful, gracious, and important. Jamie's poetry is as beautifully measured as her prose.
theneverendingtbr's review against another edition
2.0
A collection of very short poems written during 2014, the year of the referendum on Scottish independence.
Being Scottish, I really wanted to like this - but the vast majority of them never made sense to me and it was like the poet sat with a thesaurus next to her while writing in order to come up with obscure words and working around them.
I gave it two stars out of five because a few of them were charming.
Being Scottish, I really wanted to like this - but the vast majority of them never made sense to me and it was like the poet sat with a thesaurus next to her while writing in order to come up with obscure words and working around them.
I gave it two stars out of five because a few of them were charming.
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