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karabeavis's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Wow. This is an incredible collection of poetry. I can understand why it won the PM’s literary awards in the year it was published. I read it in one sitting but it could easily be done over longer as some of the poems really leave you breathless. I want to read more from this incredible poet.
theowrites's review against another edition
5.0
Lovely poems and reflections about the struggle to discover and uncover identity and what it all means. Many of them packed a punch at the end.
jaclyn_sixminutesforme's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoy poetry that engages with identity politics and diverse voices, so when I saw that Arab-Australian poet Omar Sakr was releasing THE LOST ARABS I was very intrigued!
This collection interrogated themes of immigration, post-conflict identity, sexuality, and so much more. It was a vibrant and diverse collection that has me genuinely excited for more works by this author!
Thanks to @uqpbooks for sending me a ebook to review.
This collection interrogated themes of immigration, post-conflict identity, sexuality, and so much more. It was a vibrant and diverse collection that has me genuinely excited for more works by this author!
Thanks to @uqpbooks for sending me a ebook to review.
spacestationtrustfund's review against another edition
2.0
In the grip if a nightmare / it is to Arabic I return / for solace.I think I'm just not the right audience for modern poetry. That's not to say that all modern poetry is bad per se, just that I don't "get" it. If I were Omar Sakr's poetry professor, I'd probably suggest compacting the poems significantly, so that they're less weighted down by excessive imagery and lengthy metaphors or similes. So, although there were a solid handful of Sakr's poems that I liked, I think this one is overall "it's not you, it's me."
minno's review against another edition
5.0
Raw. Emotional. Compelling.
Exploring personal, and generational, themes of family, culture, and trauma, this collection of poetry was powerful, and devastating.
Exploring personal, and generational, themes of family, culture, and trauma, this collection of poetry was powerful, and devastating.
lauren_endnotes's review against another edition
"Do not rush
to make a judgement.
You can savage a body at speed.
A city can be ruined in an hour.
A life of decades dashed in a second.
It takes nine months to start a life."
~first lines of "Do Not Rush"
Strong collection by Arab Australian poet Omar Sakr. He questions and probes the notions of family and nationality, faith, sexuality, and conflict.
Some other faves:
"Ameen" -
"In the grip if a nightmare
it is to Arabic I return
for solace."
"As the Bombed City Swells (in a Viral Video)"
"Fools, the rootless man replies, look to the future --
do you not see the oasis has come to us,
do you not see me blooming here like the rarest of flowers? Truly the Arab Spring has arrived."
to make a judgement.
You can savage a body at speed.
A city can be ruined in an hour.
A life of decades dashed in a second.
It takes nine months to start a life."
~first lines of "Do Not Rush"
Strong collection by Arab Australian poet Omar Sakr. He questions and probes the notions of family and nationality, faith, sexuality, and conflict.
Some other faves:
"Ameen" -
"In the grip if a nightmare
it is to Arabic I return
for solace."
"As the Bombed City Swells (in a Viral Video)"
"Fools, the rootless man replies, look to the future --
do you not see the oasis has come to us,
do you not see me blooming here like the rarest of flowers? Truly the Arab Spring has arrived."