Reviews

Poems 1962-2012 by Louise Glück

sorryviolet's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad slow-paced

5.0

shinysquares's review

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3.0

Even after 600 pages, I struggled to understand her literary world. I could not tell which parts were fiction, which were real, and which were metaphorical

spacestationtrustfund's review against another edition

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2.0

TELEMACHUS'S DETACHMENT
When I was a child looking
at my parents' lives, you know
what I thought? I thought
heartbreaking. Now I think
heartbreaking, but also
insane. Also
very funny.

bookwisp86's review

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3.0

She is a good poet but all the poems of hers I read seem to be tinged with bitterness.

maddeesryan's review

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Just too long to read straight  through for me right now. 

motifenjoyer's review

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4.0

"We look at the world once, in childhood. The rest is memory."

orowit's review

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challenging emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.0

aprilhenrist's review against another edition

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5.0

Eindelijk volledig klaar. you get me like no other person does Louise. Het was soms moeilijk en de stijl was overweldigend op sommige momenten maar zo mooi als je je tijd neemt.

liasamo's review

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emotional reflective slow-paced

5.0

sam8834's review

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5.0

2nd read: Still a great collected works that shows her growth as a poet. A great book for poets at all stages.

1st read: I don't jump at the chance to own every contemporary poet's collected works, but Louise Gluck's is one of the few that every poetry reader should have. Containing her twelve books of poetry, it's a treat to see the progression of Gluck's work, as she's only gotten better, over time. That said, each book is still enjoyable on its own, little novels in verse that transport the reader through nature, myth, and events of Gluck's life.

Also fascinating are the dichotomies often used to describe Gluck's writing. She's not typically classified as a confessional poet, but there's so much of her life in her poetic narratives that she weaves through nature and myth - the story of Persephone, for instance, or elements of seasonal and planetary change. She's accessible without overemphasis, and while a knowledge of mythology and different types of flower could enhance a reader's understanding of her work, it isn't necessary, in order to visualize her tales. Personally, I'm not a fan of nature- or mythology-themed poetry, but when one begins reading on of Gluck's books, it's hard not to allow her strong narratives to take you on their journeys.

Overall, an attractive volume of an enjoyable collection from an accomplished writer.