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A review by pastelwriter
Dear Diaspora by Susan Nguyen
emotional
reflective
3.75
Thank you to Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I picked up this poetry collection on a whim--mainly because it had been several months since I had last read any poetry. So, I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to get into this collection. By nature, I do not typically finish poetry collections quickly. Despite the fact that most collections are short, I find that often I need space between the poems before I can continue reading which means any given poetry collection can take me up to two weeks to finish. With this collection, however, I found it nearly impossible to put it down! I was drawn by the imagery Nguyen created. I can't deny that it helped that before starting this collection I had read a graphic novel by another Vietnamese American author who contextualized some of what this collection was referencing and attempting without even having set out to do so! It was great.
I find myself rating this 3.75 (a rare occurrence for me) because some of the poems felt at times too outside of my grasp. I overall enjoyed the collection, but there was just a little something that wasn't connecting enough to make this a 4 star read. I'm not quite sure what it was.
Regardless, what made me enjoy the collection was Nguyen's exploration of language, memory, and grief. The three seemed inexorably tied throughout the collection. Several poems are about communication and human interaction. How do we explain ourselves to others? Do we understand others? How effective is language to communicate the self? Not only does the collection question the use of language but also the function of memory. How do we remember things? What does it mean to remember things when triggered (not necessarily negatively) by an outside object or person? Do the memories of our family count as our own? Finally, how do we deal with loss--both the loss of someone who isn't dead and the loss of memory?
Truly, the collection inspired a lot of thought in me. This is precisely what I liked about it.
In addition, a majority of the poems were infused with such a strong sense of storytelling that I was drawn into the collection time and time again. The poems about Suzi were particularly compelling. I found myself craving time and time again to continue looking into her psyche and her choices on how to interact with the world.
All in all, I would recommend picking up this collection.
I picked up this poetry collection on a whim--mainly because it had been several months since I had last read any poetry. So, I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to get into this collection. By nature, I do not typically finish poetry collections quickly. Despite the fact that most collections are short, I find that often I need space between the poems before I can continue reading which means any given poetry collection can take me up to two weeks to finish. With this collection, however, I found it nearly impossible to put it down! I was drawn by the imagery Nguyen created. I can't deny that it helped that before starting this collection I had read a graphic novel by another Vietnamese American author who contextualized some of what this collection was referencing and attempting without even having set out to do so! It was great.
I find myself rating this 3.75 (a rare occurrence for me) because some of the poems felt at times too outside of my grasp. I overall enjoyed the collection, but there was just a little something that wasn't connecting enough to make this a 4 star read. I'm not quite sure what it was.
Regardless, what made me enjoy the collection was Nguyen's exploration of language, memory, and grief. The three seemed inexorably tied throughout the collection. Several poems are about communication and human interaction. How do we explain ourselves to others? Do we understand others? How effective is language to communicate the self? Not only does the collection question the use of language but also the function of memory. How do we remember things? What does it mean to remember things when triggered (not necessarily negatively) by an outside object or person? Do the memories of our family count as our own? Finally, how do we deal with loss--both the loss of someone who isn't dead and the loss of memory?
Truly, the collection inspired a lot of thought in me. This is precisely what I liked about it.
In addition, a majority of the poems were infused with such a strong sense of storytelling that I was drawn into the collection time and time again. The poems about Suzi were particularly compelling. I found myself craving time and time again to continue looking into her psyche and her choices on how to interact with the world.
All in all, I would recommend picking up this collection.