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daveenabadyal's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
"You can't put the past behind you. It's buried in you; it's turned your flesh into its own cupboard."
I knew by the half way point that this book was going to be a five star to be honest.
This is such a beautifully and thoughtfully constructed piece of work.
The language is so incredibly rich and layered.
Every chapter exists strongly as a standalone piece of work, and when you place them alongside each other in a wider context, they just get even more powerful.
It's thought-provoking, it's emotive and it's something that I want to return to over and over again, and I already know that I'll continue to find something new on each re-read.
This is such a beautifully and thoughtfully constructed piece of work.
The language is so incredibly rich and layered.
Every chapter exists strongly as a standalone piece of work, and when you place them alongside each other in a wider context, they just get even more powerful.
It's thought-provoking, it's emotive and it's something that I want to return to over and over again, and I already know that I'll continue to find something new on each re-read.
marieintheraw's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not normally a poetry person and I really feel that portions of this went over my head
waynediane's review against another edition
5.0
A must read in times like this. Very quick but to the point. Such a great perspective on color disparities using excellent examples such as Serena Williams.
myriadreads's review against another edition
5.0
I read this whole collection with a tight grip on the book.
Rankine begins by setting a scene: You're too tired for any of your devices, lying down, but your mind is not at rest. A memory could be triggered by a smell, leading to another association. Suddenly you're thinking about all of those moments over the years, mind flowing from one to the next.
Rankine's prose poems are written in second person, and that "you" voice brings the reader right into various situations from awkward to outrageous, where the narrator's blackness is thrown into sharp relief against a white background. It's shocking, cringe-worthy, and in many cases familiar. You've seen it, heard it, been there before. You remember the joke that a white friend cracked with a sideways look to see how you would react.
An essay on the experience of tennis star Serena Williams, and her experience in a very white sport, widened my eyes with disbelief. I recognized the name, of course, because both sisters are stars. I don't follow tennis closely enough that I was familiar with the outrageous calls, disrespectful commentators, and outright mockery that Serena has faced.
As a writer, I saw new ways here to approach personal experiences on the page. It hurt to read this. But it's important, and it's part of a larger discussion that needs to be happening between as many citizens as possible.
Rankine begins by setting a scene: You're too tired for any of your devices, lying down, but your mind is not at rest. A memory could be triggered by a smell, leading to another association. Suddenly you're thinking about all of those moments over the years, mind flowing from one to the next.
Rankine's prose poems are written in second person, and that "you" voice brings the reader right into various situations from awkward to outrageous, where the narrator's blackness is thrown into sharp relief against a white background. It's shocking, cringe-worthy, and in many cases familiar. You've seen it, heard it, been there before. You remember the joke that a white friend cracked with a sideways look to see how you would react.
An essay on the experience of tennis star Serena Williams, and her experience in a very white sport, widened my eyes with disbelief. I recognized the name, of course, because both sisters are stars. I don't follow tennis closely enough that I was familiar with the outrageous calls, disrespectful commentators, and outright mockery that Serena has faced.
As a writer, I saw new ways here to approach personal experiences on the page. It hurt to read this. But it's important, and it's part of a larger discussion that needs to be happening between as many citizens as possible.
herblueglasses's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0