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nineinchnails's review against another edition
3.5
'Künstlerroman' was my favourite here. if i'm remembering correctly it was the longest poem, which might be why i managed to connect to it more. it was gutting and felt very raw. a shorter poem i really enjoyed was 'Amazon History of a Former Nail Salon Worker'. i don't think i've ever had a list poem make me tear up like that. vuong is no doubt a talented poet but i think the formatting and structure of most of these poems just didn't work for me - that's not to say that they'll never work for me, but as it stands i don't read much poetry so i much preferred the longer poems in this collection.
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, War, Terminal illness, Car accident, and Racism
Minor: Suicide and Police brutality
calcijade's review against another edition
4.5
Moderate: Grief, Cancer, Death of parent, Suicide, Hate crime, Bullying, Gun violence, and Racism
robinks's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Car accident, Death, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual content, Cancer, Racism, Classism, Blood, Suicide, and War
Minor: Vomit, Gun violence, Drug use, Hate crime, Misogyny, Medical content, Homophobia, Alcohol, Child death, Domestic abuse, and Forced institutionalization
mirandyli's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Cancer, Drug use, Racism, Death of parent, Xenophobia, Death, Colonisation, Homophobia, Grief, and War
lynxpardinus's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Cancer, Car accident, Medical content, Racism, Death, Hate crime, Grief, Suicide, Animal death, and War
Moderate: Gore, Sexual violence, Homophobia, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Addiction, Blood, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Antisemitism, and Pedophilia
yinflower's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Gun violence, Cancer, Death of parent, Suicide, War, and Death
issyd23's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, Racism, Violence, Cancer, War, Classism, Death of parent, Homophobia, Medical content, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, and Death
dopestitches's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Grief and Cancer
winterisvague's review
3.0
"Because everyone knows yellow pain, pressed into American letters, turns to gold.
Our sorrow Midas touched. Napalm with a rainbow afterglow."
There's something special about Ocean Vuong's writing. I felt the emotional undercurrents behind every carefully chosen word. However, this book falls short when it comes to accessibility and clarity. The poems often veer into abstract territory that can be quite challenging to decipher. While ambiguity and open interpretation can enhance the poetic experience, I believe it is crucial to strike a balance. Poetry should possess a certain level of accessibility that allows readers to grasp the underlying essence of the verses. There were verses that left me bewildered, preventing me from fully appreciating their depth, but that isn't necessarily the author's fault.
That said, one cannot deny the raw power of the emotions that emanate from every page of this collection. My favorite poem was 'The Amazon History of a Former Nail Salon Worker'. Just by listing down his mother's Amazon purchases before and after she was diagnosed with cancer, he was able to paint such a vivid story that exuded so much emotion. Here's what I wrote after I finished the poem: "I didn't know where this was going at first, but my heart dropped as soon as realization struck me. This tugged at my heartstrings and moved me in a way I didn't expect it to. I just need a moment to pause, breathe, and let the emotions settle before I move on to the next poem."
In conclusion, I loved this book despite the challenges I faced while reading. Ocean Vuong never fails to move me with his beautiful words.
Graphic: Car accident, Cancer, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Racism, War, and Suicide
hello_lovely13's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Cancer, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Racism, and Sexual assault
Minor: Suicide