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spookyoctopusreads's review
5.0
Who knew true crime poetry could be a thing? This one is such a good thing that it won a Bram Stoker award in 2018, and I can totally see why!
I was blown away by this collection I received in the Nov 2019 Night Worms package. There obviously was so much research and background work done to pull this poetry collection together.
I actually learned so much about H. H. Holmes that I didn’t know prior to reading. To be honest, I had a basic background of the serial killer and his crimes, but this poetry collection enhanced and added so much to my knowledge while also being so entertaining and engrossing. I easily devoured this book in one sitting.
The various viewpoints and voices on these pages have interesting and well rounded perspectives about the horrors perpetrated by Holmes, and I loved it. I found many of the voices in the poems to be utterly bone chilling but morbidly beautiful.
All the stars for this one!!! Can I give it more than 5 stars? I would totally recommend this for anyone who enjoys horror, true crime, poetry, serial killers, history or just damn good writing. This book left me wanting more from Sara Tantlinger and more horror poetry.
I was blown away by this collection I received in the Nov 2019 Night Worms package. There obviously was so much research and background work done to pull this poetry collection together.
I actually learned so much about H. H. Holmes that I didn’t know prior to reading. To be honest, I had a basic background of the serial killer and his crimes, but this poetry collection enhanced and added so much to my knowledge while also being so entertaining and engrossing. I easily devoured this book in one sitting.
The various viewpoints and voices on these pages have interesting and well rounded perspectives about the horrors perpetrated by Holmes, and I loved it. I found many of the voices in the poems to be utterly bone chilling but morbidly beautiful.
All the stars for this one!!! Can I give it more than 5 stars? I would totally recommend this for anyone who enjoys horror, true crime, poetry, serial killers, history or just damn good writing. This book left me wanting more from Sara Tantlinger and more horror poetry.
mdominiak3's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
andreablythe's review
5.0
The Devil's Dreamland: Poetry Inspired by H.H. Holmes by Sara Tantlinger is a profound and chilling collection, which blend fact and supposition to relate the life and times of the man thought to be America's first serial killer. The poems are visceral with a fascinating narrative arc. I was excited to have been able to recently interview Sara for the New Books in Poetry podcast, which should be available soon.
Edited to Add: My podcast interview with Sara Tantlinger is up at New Books in Poetry.
Edited to Add: My podcast interview with Sara Tantlinger is up at New Books in Poetry.
motherhorror's review against another edition
5.0
You should know a few things:
This poetry collection won a Bram Stoker in 2018
These poems are based on "America's First Serial Killer" H. H. Holmes. If you haven't read, The Devil in the White City (a historical fiction novel by Erik Larson about Holmes, I highly recommend it as I believe that book only enhanced my reading of this collection)
Lastly, this book was included in the Night Worms package, "Feasting on Horror" November 2019 (and I am a co-owner). I was excited to buy this horror poetry collection for myself and so was Ashley, we're both big fans of Sara's after reading LOVE FOR SLAUGHTER and TO BE DEVOURED so we decided to include it for all the Worms out there.
Reading these poems was such an experience! Sara walks her readers through a timeline in history--each poem serves a purpose. The poem might be told as though we are a fly on the wall in a room observing events. It might be told through the eyes of a housekeeper who sweeps the floors of the Doctor's room--she wonders what's under the bed. There are smells.
We might get a poem from the perspective of a local pharmacist or perhaps a woman that catches the fancy of a young man with steel-blue eyes and a charming demeanor.
One of my favorite poems was told as Chicago itself, personified, after it had burned to the ground.
As I turned the pages, one thing stayed in the back of mind and that was how incredibly impressed I was with the amount of research that clearly went into this work. There are physical descriptions, dates, names, growing intensity, and patterns that I'm sure was quite likely close to reality.
Holmes' had built this "Murder Castle" and I believe Sara had to fill in some missing pieces to the puzzle but she managed to bring to life this depraved fantasy of a madman! Again I stress, this is very impressive work.
One thing I really feel like I need to say is that Sara gave H. H. Holmes such a distinct personality and voice, I felt like I yearned for more--a full novel. I could read this story in explicit detail and more in a storytelling format rather than poetry. But that's just because I'm a horror fiction lover and I'm new to the world of dark poetry. There's nothing lacking here. This is totally perfect just the way it is. I'm just greedy.
Recommend for fans of True Crime, Murder, Serial Killers, Grisly Deeds, Historical Fiction and Amazing Poetry.
This poetry collection won a Bram Stoker in 2018
These poems are based on "America's First Serial Killer" H. H. Holmes. If you haven't read, The Devil in the White City (a historical fiction novel by Erik Larson about Holmes, I highly recommend it as I believe that book only enhanced my reading of this collection)
Lastly, this book was included in the Night Worms package, "Feasting on Horror" November 2019 (and I am a co-owner). I was excited to buy this horror poetry collection for myself and so was Ashley, we're both big fans of Sara's after reading LOVE FOR SLAUGHTER and TO BE DEVOURED so we decided to include it for all the Worms out there.
Reading these poems was such an experience! Sara walks her readers through a timeline in history--each poem serves a purpose. The poem might be told as though we are a fly on the wall in a room observing events. It might be told through the eyes of a housekeeper who sweeps the floors of the Doctor's room--she wonders what's under the bed. There are smells.
We might get a poem from the perspective of a local pharmacist or perhaps a woman that catches the fancy of a young man with steel-blue eyes and a charming demeanor.
One of my favorite poems was told as Chicago itself, personified, after it had burned to the ground.
As I turned the pages, one thing stayed in the back of mind and that was how incredibly impressed I was with the amount of research that clearly went into this work. There are physical descriptions, dates, names, growing intensity, and patterns that I'm sure was quite likely close to reality.
Holmes' had built this "Murder Castle" and I believe Sara had to fill in some missing pieces to the puzzle but she managed to bring to life this depraved fantasy of a madman! Again I stress, this is very impressive work.
One thing I really feel like I need to say is that Sara gave H. H. Holmes such a distinct personality and voice, I felt like I yearned for more--a full novel. I could read this story in explicit detail and more in a storytelling format rather than poetry. But that's just because I'm a horror fiction lover and I'm new to the world of dark poetry. There's nothing lacking here. This is totally perfect just the way it is. I'm just greedy.
Recommend for fans of True Crime, Murder, Serial Killers, Grisly Deeds, Historical Fiction and Amazing Poetry.
exorcismemily's review against another edition
5.0
"I am / your American serial killer, wrapped up / in 19th century shreds of screaming women."
I adore Sara Tantlinger's poetry, and I am intrigued by the story of HH Holmes, so I knew The Devil's Dreamland was going to be perfect for me as soon as I heard about it. I started it as soon as it arrived, and it quickly became one of my favorite books I've read this year.
Sara's research was so in-depth, and you can see the love she had for this project poured out into the pages. Although the poems have a fictional twist, they are organized by chronological events, and the book tells HH Holmes' full life story. I loved that it was set up in this way, and it was like reading a fictional novel about a true crime story told through poems.
I loved that so many poems were from different points of view - you are not in Holmes' head the entire time. Some of them are focused on the people and things around him, and Sara did an amazing job at weaving together as complete of a story on Holmes as possible.
There are all sorts of different emotions here - this poems are so grim and gory, but some of them are amusing, some are sad, angry, hopeful, etc. A range of emotions is covered within this book, and I enjoyed every minute of it.
Some of the poems are so lyrical that I could see this as a musical (and it would be the best musical ever). It's so easy to get invested in what's going on, and this real-life horror story is told so beautifully.
It was so hard to narrow down my top 5, but here they are: Metamorphosis, Push, The Devil's Dreamland, Unblessed Excavation, and In the Castle's Heart, You Die. These are the ones that will haunt me the most from this book.
I think this book would be perfect for true crime, horror, and poetry fans. Even if you're only a fan of one, get The Devil's Dreamland so you can enjoy the other two (I love all three). I was both entertained and unsettled by this book, and I already want to read it again.
I adore Sara Tantlinger's poetry, and I am intrigued by the story of HH Holmes, so I knew The Devil's Dreamland was going to be perfect for me as soon as I heard about it. I started it as soon as it arrived, and it quickly became one of my favorite books I've read this year.
Sara's research was so in-depth, and you can see the love she had for this project poured out into the pages. Although the poems have a fictional twist, they are organized by chronological events, and the book tells HH Holmes' full life story. I loved that it was set up in this way, and it was like reading a fictional novel about a true crime story told through poems.
I loved that so many poems were from different points of view - you are not in Holmes' head the entire time. Some of them are focused on the people and things around him, and Sara did an amazing job at weaving together as complete of a story on Holmes as possible.
There are all sorts of different emotions here - this poems are so grim and gory, but some of them are amusing, some are sad, angry, hopeful, etc. A range of emotions is covered within this book, and I enjoyed every minute of it.
Some of the poems are so lyrical that I could see this as a musical (and it would be the best musical ever). It's so easy to get invested in what's going on, and this real-life horror story is told so beautifully.
It was so hard to narrow down my top 5, but here they are: Metamorphosis, Push, The Devil's Dreamland, Unblessed Excavation, and In the Castle's Heart, You Die. These are the ones that will haunt me the most from this book.
I think this book would be perfect for true crime, horror, and poetry fans. Even if you're only a fan of one, get The Devil's Dreamland so you can enjoy the other two (I love all three). I was both entertained and unsettled by this book, and I already want to read it again.
spookishmommy's review against another edition
5.0
Can all true crime books also have a poetry edition? I need more!! If you are interested in horror/true crime but arent sure about poetry, READ THIS and you'll instantly be hooked.