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3.41 AVERAGE
3.41 AVERAGE
I need to come back to this because initially I was very detached but could still appreciate the storytelling. The poems read like short stories, very descriptive and another peek into the human psyche.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Joyce Carol Oates is a standout in the literary community for good reason. Her writing is filled with depth and feeling that is tied to her strong imagery. This collection of poetry is no different, but it is not for the faint of heart. American MELANCHOLY, indeed. I kept waiting for there to be some lightness in this collection, but it was heaviness multiplied. With topics including psychological experiments, animal abuse, suicide, and even the terrible person that was Marlon Brando, the collection leaves plenty to think about, but no one should revel in that depth of darkness. Recommended with reservations.
Advanced copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Advanced copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
I think I was mainly drawn to the name. These poems are very sad, which fits the the but maybe not what I’m looking for right now. Very interesting and I appreciate that she had such a varied range of melancholy/sad stories, felt like I learned a bit too.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Terminal illness, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief
I found Oates's storytelling compelling, which I guess is no surprise. My initial instinct was that she's not overly interested in form, but upon further reflection, I think it would be more accurate to say that I didn't understand a lot of her form choices. After all, one doesn't put a line break in the middle of a word by accident.
3 stars *may change
how does one review a poetry book...? i’m not a huge fan of written poems in general but this was alright
how does one review a poetry book...? i’m not a huge fan of written poems in general but this was alright
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
I was privileged to get a copy of this book through NetGalley (so thank you, NetGalley!) This book's poetry was like its name - poems with a sad or (obviously) melancholic tone. They were all about death, unfavorable parts of history, etc. I was surprised to see poems about the Little Albert psychology experiment (the one about how we gain fears) from the perspective of the young boy and about the Harlow experiment, which had a sympathetic voice towards the monkeys over the scientist. These kinds of themes, including how Edward Hopper's relationship with his wife changed after he started using her as a model, carried themselves throughout the book, and were not afraid to make you feel down. There are some poems I had trouble with (the main problem is why they were chosen to be in the collection), but the rest are really good.