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airheadxt's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
smaniaci's review against another edition
4.0
A lot of Register is potent, original, compelling, and complex. The imagery and verbs are so specific, lush, unique.... And the structure of the collection, with the veiled section and the secret poem at the end, are fantastic. However, there were also several poems that seemed a bit flat—like they operated primarily on one level, or like they were poems she needed to write for herself (which is totally valid) rather than for publication.
It must have been difficult to write a collection to follow Seam. In any case, Tarfia Faizullah is a brilliant, brilliant poet, and I'm looking forward to rereading this collection.
It must have been difficult to write a collection to follow Seam. In any case, Tarfia Faizullah is a brilliant, brilliant poet, and I'm looking forward to rereading this collection.
jesshooves's review against another edition
“Why use a mango
to beat her perplexed? Why not a coconut?
Because this “exotic” fruit
won’t be cracked open to reveal whiteness to you
This mango
isn’t alien just because of its gold-green bloodline.”
—from Self Portrait As Mango
to beat her perplexed? Why not a coconut?
Because this “exotic” fruit
won’t be cracked open to reveal whiteness to you
This mango
isn’t alien just because of its gold-green bloodline.”
—from Self Portrait As Mango
lelex's review against another edition
4.0
"You bite your tongue after eating orange rubbed with chili before wishing for a kiss from the man whose questions unearth the softness in you. We share with each other the names of our dying. We buy oranges in cities."
cozylifewithabby's review against another edition
3.0
Loved Self Portrait as a Mango, Your Own Country, and Register of Eliminated Villages. I had a hard time with the second half. Perhaps I will revisit at some point
buer's review against another edition
5.0
There is so much to love about this collection of poetry. From love to war to religion to family, Faizullah examines the many facets of her life with absolutely beautiful language. I don't know how to review poetry, but I've shared poems out of this collection with people in my life who don't like poetry, and Faizullah is so good at expressing her experience through beautiful, accessible language, that even those people tend to love her work.
Strongly suggested.
These are a few of my favorite snippets:
Memory pours starfish into the sky
for us to imagine 12
There’s a first day you learn how to kill yourself without dying. It isn’t new. It isn’t news. 16
The ache of a sister for a brother
isn’t obvious or
absent.
44
the books I left are secrets,
underlined beside
a summer-heavy pecan tree.
44
you have
a big brain and a good heart,
still, you don’t use either enough!
57
Strongly suggested.
These are a few of my favorite snippets:
Memory pours starfish into the sky
for us to imagine 12
There’s a first day you learn how to kill yourself without dying. It isn’t new. It isn’t news. 16
The ache of a sister for a brother
isn’t obvious or
absent.
44
the books I left are secrets,
underlined beside
a summer-heavy pecan tree.
44
you have
a big brain and a good heart,
still, you don’t use either enough!
57
katepowellshine's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
5.0
I have never before encountered violence written with such beauty and hope.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, and War
kiramke's review against another edition
3.0
A few that I really liked, and if I didn't connect with the rest, I still appreciated a new viewpoint. I quite liked the title-ish piece.
justabookholic's review against another edition
5.0
An emotive, profoundly impactful collection that you can't put down. Faizullah filled this book of poetry with such beautiful lines about pain, reflection, identity and want.