Reviews with content warning for Racism - Milk and Honey

Reviews tagging 'Racism'

capidgeccino's review

3.5

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

Content Warnings

star_woman's review

3.0

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Well, I finally jumped on the bandwagon with “milk and honey” by Rupi Kaur. This was Kaur’s first poetry anthology, and she’s got a bunch more now, along with accolades, films, and plays. After seeing her work all over social media for the past several years, I figured it was time for me to actually read her work.

I’ve always liked poetry, but reading whole books of it forces me to actually figure out what I like (and don’t like) about it. So here goes.

What is most impressive to me about this book is that Kaur illustrated it all herself. In my opinion, the companion drawings actually do more than illustrate or compliment the poems, but actually serve a key function in how they land with the reader.

Perhaps it’s just a style thing, but I was generally not terribly impressed with her poetry. Don’t get me wrong, there were definitely some bangers in there, but most of it read more like proverbs than poems, or feminist clickbait, and there was rarely the moment that I search for in poetry, where the words move with sufficient force to pull a physical reaction out of me. I mostly just flipped pages.

Her work is mostly reductionist: the use of very few words (some poems were only 6 words long) to convey very specific experiences, usually around love and loss, which is much of the popular appeal. I think my pushback against this style is that I like poetry to say a lot with a few words, or something very specific with a bunch of them.

There were a few that hit close to home though. I wasn’t expecting something from my own darker history to lie on the first couple pages, and the imagery was so specific as to cause a visceral reaction in my body. And there were a few genuinely sexy ones too, which was kinda fun.

An easy read with wonderful illustrations. It just doesn’t stick in my mind the way other stuff does.

Content Warnings

a_libraryghost's review

5.0

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

First poetry book I’ve read but it blew me away. Absolutely amazing, no negatives.

Content Warnings

teabythecottage's review

5.0

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

I love seeing strong brown women write for themselves - especially in a racist, white-centric world where everything must be catered to whiteness. Rupi Kaur's poetry is evocative and relatable.

Content Warnings

mariahmmm's review

3.0

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

A collection of poems in four parts on a woman's journey through hurting, loving, breaking, and healing.

These were such a contrast. From raw and emotional confessions of deep heartache and suffering, to fluff pieces better suited on motivational posters.

Trigger warnings were definitely needed for both the text and the imagery.

Content Warnings

onemorechap's review

2.0

sad medium-paced

FIRST TIME READ
I'm so sad I didn't like this book... I think you understand this feeling, when there's so huge a hype about a book that you need to like it as much as everyone else does... But unfortunately not all the books are for everyone.

LIKES: I can't deny the fact that the background of the writer of this poetry collection is something that may appeal to people, because it contained descriptions of some intimate moments, while it also came up with the delicate issue of rape and relationship problems. I accept this. I try to be open minded, but I can't include myself in this group of people. As for the cover, I have to admit that it's classy and plain in the best way.

SO HERE IS WHAT I ACTUALLY THOUGHT OF THIS

DISLIKES: First of all, when I read something, I need it to be as classy as art has to be. For me poetry is something that should raise awe. People adore this book so much that I mistakenly thought it would be like this. But to me it was like a soft porn novel :( ... Personally, this isn't something I can accept, especially from poetry... While there were some poems that really touched me... the rest of them were closer to reading a grapic harlequin rather than to a sophisticated piece of art... All this lust was too exaggerated for my taste, and even though it may indeed be realistic, it made me feel awkward because I'd rather not have read it...

All in all, it was a read I wouldn't recommend

Rating: 2★/5★

SECOND TIME READ

I first read Milk and Honey in 2028, drawn by the immense hype surrounding it. I approached it with high expectations, but I was left disappointed and unsettled by the taste it left behind. Today, I stumbled upon the book in my bookcase and decided to give it another try. People grow, perspectives change, and perhaps this time, I thought, it would speak to me differently. Unfortunately, it didn't.

The book is divided into four parts, each dealing with a different emotional journey.

The first part, The Hurting, focuses on abuse, particularly sexual and domestic violence. I'm not sure if the author herself has experienced such trauma, but she conveys these experiences with an intense realism. The depiction of sexual assault within the domestic environment is both raw and painful, leaving a lasting ache in your stomach. While difficult to read, it's a necessary confrontation with such delicate and important issues.

The second part, The Loving, was just as disappointing to me as the first time I read it. I found the sexual content unnecessarily graphic and deliberately provocative, which, in my opinion, detracts from the poetry's artistic quality. The vivid descriptions felt excessive, lowering the impact of the work as a whole. This section remains my least favorite, and I struggled to find any appreciation for it.

The third part, The Breaking, stood out as my favorite. This section resonated with me more deeply, and I found myself underlining several passages. There’s a vulnerability here that felt genuine and impactful.

Lastly, The Healing, felt flat to me. It didn't evoke any strong feelings of like or dislike, leaving me indifferent.

Overall, reading Milk and Honey for the second time reaffirmed my initial feelings. Though Rupi Kaur tackles significant and difficult themes, the way they are presented didn’t resonate with me as much as I had hoped. Some parts were powerful and memorable, but others, particularly the over-graphic elements, left me feeling detached.

Content Warnings