Scan barcode
suchsweetsorrow89's review
emotional
informative
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
3.0
I would give it maybe a 3.5. This book is experimental— that is the best way to categorize it. It uses a very modern "stream of consciousness" first-person narrative style that centers the color blue as a metaphor for a past lover and all the thoughts and emotions that come with separation.
There are some good moments in this— and there are certain "bluets" that will stick with me more than most. However, part of the reason why I rate this book the way I do is because I do not think it is anything particularly special. Nelson often cites from philosophers, historians, and authors. To this narrative style, it works. However, as a literary piece I often found the quotes more compelling than her actual sentiments. It was all just super typical for the modern experimental poem. At the same time, I really do like this "it is what it is" style emerging in the contemporary genre of art, because it's realistic and intimate in ways that older poems are unable to be. If you are someone who likes that style or are just looking for a quick read to get you out of a stump, I think this book is really interesting, accessbile, and has a lot to offer.
There are some good moments in this— and there are certain "bluets" that will stick with me more than most. However, part of the reason why I rate this book the way I do is because I do not think it is anything particularly special. Nelson often cites from philosophers, historians, and authors. To this narrative style, it works. However, as a literary piece I often found the quotes more compelling than her actual sentiments. It was all just super typical for the modern experimental poem. At the same time, I really do like this "it is what it is" style emerging in the contemporary genre of art, because it's realistic and intimate in ways that older poems are unable to be. If you are someone who likes that style or are just looking for a quick read to get you out of a stump, I think this book is really interesting, accessbile, and has a lot to offer.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Injury/Injury detail
mads_jpg's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
1.25
It's ironic that Nelson spends so much of this book debating whether putting something in writing robs it of its essence, since I thought I'd love reading about blue but I actually really disliked this book. Maybe it was her frequent insistence on referring to sex as "fucking". Idk maybe this is just my asexuality showing but I find it so annoying when writers talk about their "lovers" *gag*. There were some lines that I did like but overall it just wasn't what I thought this book would be, I guess.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Drug use, Grief, Sexual content, Animal death, Alcohol, and Cursing
siebensommer's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
75. Mostly I have felt myself becoming a servant of sadness. I am still looking for the beauty in that.
a lot to ponder
but i struggled w feeling detachment from the depth of feelings in this one
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Alcohol, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
rainbowarpaint's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
stuffinmybrainhole's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Grief, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
bi_n_large's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Chronic illness, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Alcohol, Mental illness, and Grief
lrl06's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
I find this book to be captivating and a five-star read for many people, however for me it was too intelligent. One who is knowledgeable on art and pop culture would be more intrigued but as someone who read this book in the hopes that it being under one hundred pages and therefore lightweight, it was the wrong choice on my part.
It is a read that will make you question many things about your life, my favourite being that the comedown of crack can be related to a heartbreak of a great lover and ergo, do you reject that love or accept the consequence that one day it might leave you? It is also filled with quotes like "why bother with a diagnoses at all, if a diagnosis is but a restatement of the problem" which really do leave you thinking.
Wold have been a higher rating if I read in a different context and, like I stated, if I was more educated on the topics discussed.
It is a read that will make you question many things about your life, my favourite being that the comedown of crack can be related to a heartbreak of a great lover and ergo, do you reject that love or accept the consequence that one day it might leave you? It is also filled with quotes like "why bother with a diagnoses at all, if a diagnosis is but a restatement of the problem" which really do leave you thinking.
Wold have been a higher rating if I read in a different context and, like I stated, if I was more educated on the topics discussed.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Ableism and Fatphobia
leandrathetbrzero's review
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
3.0
I bought this book years ago during a time I was obsessed with color, its place in human culture and history. That was when I added The Secret Life of Colors to my shelves too 🤩🌈
My motivation for finally reading Bluets is the Mid Year Reading Scramble, a month-long readathon that prioritizes your TBR. This is among the shortest books I own, counting for one of the readathon’s prompts. And it was an interesting, quick read. Nelson structures her writing into numbered vignettes, giving the book a poetic, lyrical tone.
She blends together facts on blue, her obsession with this color, and anecdotal personal stories. And while I thoroughly enjoyed the historical and cultural facts, I had expected and wanted more of it. The narrative gradually turned its focus onto a heartbreak that still haunts Nelson, and the sparseness of the vignettes prevented me from fully connecting with her words. With that said, I am always happy when I take a book off my physical TBR!
My motivation for finally reading Bluets is the Mid Year Reading Scramble, a month-long readathon that prioritizes your TBR. This is among the shortest books I own, counting for one of the readathon’s prompts. And it was an interesting, quick read. Nelson structures her writing into numbered vignettes, giving the book a poetic, lyrical tone.
She blends together facts on blue, her obsession with this color, and anecdotal personal stories. And while I thoroughly enjoyed the historical and cultural facts, I had expected and wanted more of it. The narrative gradually turned its focus onto a heartbreak that still haunts Nelson, and the sparseness of the vignettes prevented me from fully connecting with her words. With that said, I am always happy when I take a book off my physical TBR!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Infidelity
calliejarvis's review
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
4.75
I adore this book! I love the way the theme is woven in around her life experiences. It’s a mix of memoir/essay/poetry kind of genre bending and a must read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
sjoshyreads's review
dark
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Suicide