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saintmaud's review
did not like this one at all except for the titular poem which lost it's way quickly too
bibliomich's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
The Palace of Forty Pillars is a small (but mighty) collection of poetry by Armen Davoudian.
In these poems, Davoudian reflects on his own experiences “as a gay adolescent, an Armenian in Iran, and an immigrant in America” and tells “a story darkened by the long shadow of global tragedies—the Armenian genocide, war in the Middle East, the specter of homophobia” (Tin House).
Without having read this description from the publisher, I may not have inferred the full context for his writing. After all, Davoudian doesn’t explicitly lay out what he is talking about (though he leaves hints here and there, in the names of places, the descriptions of food, the occasional date). And while this context is important and helpful to better understand his writing, it is by no means necessary to appreciate the themes on which he is reflecting, the emotions he evokes. You can feel the anxiety, the intimacy, the nostalgia in each of his poems, in each enchanting phrase. I enjoyed the evocative language of these poems; some stand outs (for me) were Alibi, The Yellow Swan, and Something There Is That Doesn't Love.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tin House for my advanced reader copy.
In these poems, Davoudian reflects on his own experiences “as a gay adolescent, an Armenian in Iran, and an immigrant in America” and tells “a story darkened by the long shadow of global tragedies—the Armenian genocide, war in the Middle East, the specter of homophobia” (Tin House).
Without having read this description from the publisher, I may not have inferred the full context for his writing. After all, Davoudian doesn’t explicitly lay out what he is talking about (though he leaves hints here and there, in the names of places, the descriptions of food, the occasional date). And while this context is important and helpful to better understand his writing, it is by no means necessary to appreciate the themes on which he is reflecting, the emotions he evokes. You can feel the anxiety, the intimacy, the nostalgia in each of his poems, in each enchanting phrase. I enjoyed the evocative language of these poems; some stand outs (for me) were Alibi, The Yellow Swan, and Something There Is That Doesn't Love.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tin House for my advanced reader copy.
therealcubcake's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5
My last review for the year is the stunning "The Palace of Forty Pillars", a collection of poetry from Armen Davouidian.
These wonderfully structured poems, to me, felt like an exploration of belonging, being that of a gay immigrant in our country and an Armenian in Iran. Personal space with relationships of family (that we can all relate to as adolescents), and of belonging, especially as that of a gay man.
The background of these poems may be tinted by Armenian genocide, war in the Middle East, homophobia and love (to name a few things) but they are beautiful and at times difficult in a way that we can all relate to. There were several that caught my breath and immediately demanded a re-read.
Davouidian has definitely given us something to look forward to in the coming year with the release of this book, and has left me eagerly awaiting a read of what he shares with us next. Side note, this cover is so good!
These wonderfully structured poems, to me, felt like an exploration of belonging, being that of a gay immigrant in our country and an Armenian in Iran. Personal space with relationships of family (that we can all relate to as adolescents), and of belonging, especially as that of a gay man.
The background of these poems may be tinted by Armenian genocide, war in the Middle East, homophobia and love (to name a few things) but they are beautiful and at times difficult in a way that we can all relate to. There were several that caught my breath and immediately demanded a re-read.
Davouidian has definitely given us something to look forward to in the coming year with the release of this book, and has left me eagerly awaiting a read of what he shares with us next. Side note, this cover is so good!
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