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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
While I think Akbar is a wonderfully talented poet and I think this collection is well written, I personally didn't vibe with it. It was a book I finished because I felt like I should, rather than because I enjoyed it a lot. However, despite my personal lack of interest, I do think this collection had lots of gems.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
“…I’ve spent my whole adult life / in a country where only my parents can pronounce my name.”
akbar has such an expert command of language. his writing hits you right in the gut. my favorites include “Do You Speak Persian?,” “Heritage,” “Desunt Nonnulla,” “A Boy Steps Into the Water,” “What Seems Like Joy,” “Palmyra,” and “Everything That Moves is Alive and a Threat—A Reminder.”
akbar has such an expert command of language. his writing hits you right in the gut. my favorites include “Do You Speak Persian?,” “Heritage,” “Desunt Nonnulla,” “A Boy Steps Into the Water,” “What Seems Like Joy,” “Palmyra,” and “Everything That Moves is Alive and a Threat—A Reminder.”
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Self harm
4.5/5
Kaveh Akbar has a masterful command of language and uses it to incredible effect in this collection, which will sweep you up in entirely unexpected way. This has been on my radar for years and I am glad I finally got around to it. I have his novel, Martyr! on request next and I’m very keen to see how he translates his gifts to long form fiction.
Kaveh Akbar has a masterful command of language and uses it to incredible effect in this collection, which will sweep you up in entirely unexpected way. This has been on my radar for years and I am glad I finally got around to it. I have his novel, Martyr! on request next and I’m very keen to see how he translates his gifts to long form fiction.
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
This was a reread. After reading Martyr, I wanted to go back to this collection, which I read several years ago. And I love it even more than I remembered! Tender and pleading, a book about addiction, but also about god and what we do with the life we’re given. I love Kaveh Akbar’s writing—it’s so human and soft, speaking to the very core of us.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism
I'm not the fat egg I claimed to be. For that I am sorry.
dark
slow-paced
Raw to the bone, stop you in your tracks, shake your head in awe and despair and astonishment. Here are poems that will cling to your ribs and keep you warm when there's nothing else to dull the overwhelming buzzing in your head.