Reviews

Year of the Monkey by Patti Smith

ellasiblik's review

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3.0

I appreciate the moments where Smith reflects on her limited time left on Earth, the loss of her loved ones, and the crumbling of America. What keeps her going? I guess writing a book that reads more like a rambling journal with a few moments of clarity. Which I suppose in the intention, so it succeeds in what it set out to do. I don’t think this is a bad book, in fact, its surreal style was a novel brain exercise, but sometimes it became convoluted and tiresome. Might revisit once I am more familiar with the art referenced in the book.

slymberis's review

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adventurous emotional inspiring reflective

4.5

ericfheiman's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

It’s no Just Kids (what is, really), but a haze of melancholic grief makes it more focused and appealing than M Train

rita_reads_cda's review against another edition

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challenging reflective medium-paced

3.5

chlocarp's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

4.5

deniz's review

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

3.75

izzylashley's review against another edition

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5.0

Every Patti Smith novel I have read which currently only totals 2, has taught me the beauty in the everyday stillness of life. She somehow looks at something that many others would just walk by and turns it into art. She has mastered the skill of romanticizing the mundane. In a perfect world, I would have the opportunity to sit down with her, for a cup of coffee, and talk, maybe about her life or maybe not. The amount of experiences this woman has had is insane, she has totally taken the phrase follow your dreams literally. Something about how she moves about the world is all-encompassing and I wish I had that skill. I just love the way she looks at society and the present even through the hardship she has faced. It's poetic.

vavagloom's review

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4.0

4.5

xjoanacoelho's review

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4.0

The poetics in her writing are everything.

bren17's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective slow-paced

3.75