Reviews

The Book of Men by Dorianne Laux

toniclark's review against another edition

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4.0

Liked it a lot, not quite as well as her last book. Loved much of the subject matter here (the sixties, Mick Jagger, etc.). That's my era. Will come back to say more. . . .

samalvarez823's review against another edition

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5.0

Really great poetry you can relate to!

sawyer_obrien's review against another edition

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slow-paced

2.75

katrinky's review against another edition

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4.0

I wrote one poem and started two others while I read this book over the course of a couple of hours. The compliment to Dorianne Laux inherent to that is this: She made me pay attention. She made me remember that every single thing has earned a poem, if someone wants to write it one. The poems in this collection are narrative in nature, and are not so much glittery as they are dusty, which I also mean as a compliment. Laux writes lived-in poems, about the past, the summer, cars, sex, the horses and glaciers that have lived outside various of her windows. This was a perfect respite from the Icelandic saga I'm also reading. It brought my gaze in close and focused it keenly. Highly, highly recommend.

mwaskom's review against another edition

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lighthearted reflective fast-paced

3.0

“You've traveled this far on the back of every mistake, ridden in dark-eyed and morose but calm as a house after the TV set has been pitched out the window. 
Harmless as a broken ax. Emptied of expectation. 
Relax. Don't bother remembering any of it. Let's stop here, under the lit sign on the corner, and watch all the people walk by. “

torit's review against another edition

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4.0

Love her work! This book was a perfect combination between somber and humor. I’ll be reading more of Laux’s work!

losethegirl's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

3.0

Hard to get me to not hate a book with “men” in the title but this collection succeeded. 

aneumann's review against another edition

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5.0

Really a beautiful collection of poems with a unique voice.

bookishcassie's review against another edition

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5.0

This book has more pink underlines than flesh.

She knows I love her, and that I'm at a creepy, pre-teen, boyband level with her writing. So, what more can I say than she's magic.

dhiyanah's review against another edition

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3.0

I want to call Laux's language 'casual-sensual.' She opens just enough doors to simplicity -- careful not to leave readers struggling to catch up.