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4.29 AVERAGE
4.29 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Such beautiful writing. If you like Ocean Vuong, you’ll absolutely adore Kaveh.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: War
Minor: Self harm, Sexual content
This is essentially a collection of poems centered around addiction and spirituality. With the former deeply embedded into my upbringing and the latter deeply embedded into my present, this had the makings to be a total hit for me, and in fact I honestly it expected that going in. Unfortunately I just failed to connect with a lot of it. Throughout the reading, I had this sense that the meaning was hovering ever so slightly above me, just barely beyond my grasp. This is preferred to other collections that were so obtuse I felt like I was reading a language I didn't know (cough [b:Testify|9763619|Testify|Joseph Lease|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328752975s/9763619.jpg|14653044] cough) so thankfully I was still able to enjoy reading through it, but always with the sense that I was just seeing the shadows rather than the actual things he was speaking to.
Akbar's style is surreal, offering nightmarish dreamscapes where, just as in dreams, absurdity and even gruesomeness is presented with a nonchalant straightforwardness. The poems are steeped with an compelling combination of vulnerability and pride, and the moments where he breaks through and readers can see him through the shadow and the fog are really stunning. It's just that those moments were way, way too far and few between for my liking. And also, at times, I felt a bit duped: a fine line seemed incredible only because it was an island I could actually understand surrounded by ongoing sea of obscurity.
My favorites were "Calling a Wolf a Wolf (Inpatient)," "Rimrock," "Unburnable The Cold is Flooding Our Lives," "Neither Now Nor Never," "An Apology," and "God" and most of the "Portrait of the Alcoholic _____" were resonant as well.
Akbar's style is surreal, offering nightmarish dreamscapes where, just as in dreams, absurdity and even gruesomeness is presented with a nonchalant straightforwardness. The poems are steeped with an compelling combination of vulnerability and pride, and the moments where he breaks through and readers can see him through the shadow and the fog are really stunning. It's just that those moments were way, way too far and few between for my liking. And also, at times, I felt a bit duped: a fine line seemed incredible only because it was an island I could actually understand surrounded by ongoing sea of obscurity.
My favorites were "Calling a Wolf a Wolf (Inpatient)," "Rimrock," "Unburnable The Cold is Flooding Our Lives," "Neither Now Nor Never," "An Apology," and "God" and most of the "Portrait of the Alcoholic _____" were resonant as well.
neither now nor never is one of the best poems on this earth i think
(11/03/22 stop me if you’ve heard this one before is almost usurping neither now nor never)
(11/03/22 stop me if you’ve heard this one before is almost usurping neither now nor never)
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
The poems here are more abstract than most of the poetry I've ever read. That can be frustrating, but I decided to stop asking, "But what does it mean?" as I finished each poem. When I wasn't so focused on meaning, I started picking up on Akbar's main themes: alcoholism and struggling with faith.
My inability to wholly understand the meaning of the poems did not detract from my appreciation of Akbar's constant use of surprising imagery.
My inability to wholly understand the meaning of the poems did not detract from my appreciation of Akbar's constant use of surprising imagery.
Would have been scribbling and highlighting if I hadn't been reading a library copy. There are some real gems in this. I should probably give it more than three stars, but I just can't get into poetry that doesn't have any punctuation. My brain reads it all as a run on, and I know that's my own fault, but still. If you're shooting for breathlessness, fine. Otherwise, it's just not my thing. But overall, I did like this!
DNF 20%. I’m enjoying reading more poetry this year, but this one didn’t click for me at all.
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Akbar’s collection is incredible. I was absorbed throughout. His imagery is visceral and biting. Each piece is so honest and often finds the balance between realism and the abstract. I have highlighted so many lines that will undoubtedly stay with me for a long time. There is something wonderfully indelible about Calling a Wolf a Wolf.