Reviews

Constance by Jane Kenyon

thestoryofaz's review against another edition

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reflective fast-paced

5.0

brice_mo's review against another edition

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5.0

I read this largely for "Having It Out with Melancholy," hoping that Kenyon would offer language that would be somehow sufficient for depression. During my initial reading, I was disappointed because the language never transcends its own futility, but I think that's kind of the point.

The bluntness of certain sections, like "Suggestion from a Friend," demonstrates the difficulty of even getting words on a page, let alone shaping them into something "beautiful," and that kind of gentle desperation guides the reader through what, by the end of the sequence, is clearly a recurrent cycle.

If nothing else, I find the book encouraging because it suggests that shaping language into anything with form is itself an act of healing.

forgereads17's review

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emotional lighthearted reflective relaxing sad fast-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

4.0

senid's review

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5.0

Poems of everyday life, of grief and depression, of life and sickness. I only know a few details of her life, so I look for my life in these poems. I will reread Kenyon often I think. Looking for the poems and phrases I highlighted the last time. Seeing what I highlight this time.
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