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annaclaire's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
3.5
These poems were not written for me, and that is totally okay I just couldn't connect with them in the way I think a lot of other people could. Definitely a raw look at masculnity and the deep love Andrew McMillan has for men. The verse was beautifully written and I would be interested to see if I connected more with his other works since I did enjoy his use of language.
casparb's review against another edition
ever-fresh and delicate and everything you'd look for in a lightbeam of a debut. Each poem too delivers a colour in itself I'm looking at The Schoolboys, Strongman, Yoga - none of which are the strongest Poem in here but are so essential to the texture of the collection. It's exquisite and there's no denying that. Also I love the love for a figure like Thom Gunn who's critically underread these days and the second half of this collection veers into a rather different unGunny direction but it makes me happy to see him talked about.
Perhaps it's just me and I've been scrambled lately but I've been thinking plenty on the inner dynamos and it may be the most exciting thing about this collection is what Andrew can do metrically. Before I'm carted away for my nonsense it's something that I do suspect is the tectonics of this - the masterwork. It would be a great debut without this but I think it's something in there that elevates AM into a new mainstay. He slips into IP as naturally as the well experienced do. but I had to write a long footnote on the metrical shiverings of one line in Yoga. I'm thinking also of screen where we have
rhythm to know if we could work I knew
that you would end up loving me too
much I thought you needed other idols
(this doesn't match Andrew's spacing within the lines that's goodreads' fault).
beyond the painfully brilliant break in "loving me too /much" (which I have described as "producing a burning fork". ok on one CB). but look look at how that could only work with his metrical pull, his leading to both break and reconciliation. anyway look at the yoga line. functional? or fundamental, flowering
until the heft begins to shake the legs and the architecture
Perhaps it's just me and I've been scrambled lately but I've been thinking plenty on the inner dynamos and it may be the most exciting thing about this collection is what Andrew can do metrically. Before I'm carted away for my nonsense it's something that I do suspect is the tectonics of this - the masterwork. It would be a great debut without this but I think it's something in there that elevates AM into a new mainstay. He slips into IP as naturally as the well experienced do. but I had to write a long footnote on the metrical shiverings of one line in Yoga. I'm thinking also of screen where we have
rhythm to know if we could work I knew
that you would end up loving me too
much I thought you needed other idols
(this doesn't match Andrew's spacing within the lines that's goodreads' fault).
beyond the painfully brilliant break in "loving me too /much" (which I have described as "producing a burning fork". ok on one CB). but look look at how that could only work with his metrical pull, his leading to both break and reconciliation. anyway look at the yoga line. functional? or fundamental, flowering
until the heft begins to shake the legs and the architecture
need_more_meta's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
reubenlb's review against another edition
4.0
part I was sublime and (and i don’t normally do poetry)
that_one_ryan's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
beatrixcesana's review against another edition
3.0
Private, visceral, potent, and magnificent in its disclosure of human frailties. Its affectionate and sensual praise of the male body and homosexual love is suggestive, and fairly cogent. Here are a few lines that in their tender eroticism and simplicity and realness struck me. ‘After your hand had been on my throat / I learnt the pleasure in possessing / capacities that are never / quite fulfilled almost being broken.’ Pretty.
dilfpercyshelley's review against another edition
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
a piece of literature so fluid that it left me with contradicting opinions.
as with most poetry, there were stand out lines so incredibly written i wanted to cry and rate this 5 stars. for this collection, i found the most enjoyment in the first section which, in my opinion, was the best written section.
however, as the collection progressed, the unruly ‘train of thought’ style began to wear on me. it no longer held itself together. the poems became as disjointed as the structure and lost a lot of meaning (and thus enjoyment) from the first section’s formatted chaos.
all in all i enjoyed it. the lines were often beautifully written and i did mostly enjoy the structure. although occasionally the loose formatting contributed to a looser, less meaningful experience.
as with most poetry, there were stand out lines so incredibly written i wanted to cry and rate this 5 stars. for this collection, i found the most enjoyment in the first section which, in my opinion, was the best written section.
however, as the collection progressed, the unruly ‘train of thought’ style began to wear on me. it no longer held itself together. the poems became as disjointed as the structure and lost a lot of meaning (and thus enjoyment) from the first section’s formatted chaos.
all in all i enjoyed it. the lines were often beautifully written and i did mostly enjoy the structure. although occasionally the loose formatting contributed to a looser, less meaningful experience.