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robotswithpersonality's review
I want to emphasize my standard disclaimer regarding my inability to properly review poetry because of my substandard reading comprehension in this medium. The book jacket bills Rich as "the singular voice of her generation" - I think a large part of my issue is I'm not from the same generation, or nationality. I am lacking context. This is to my detriment, as what I could piece together seemed to be important words on activism, social issues particularly with a feminist lens, Jewish heritage and queer identity. My success rate with poetry collections - ratio of how much I enjoyed versus didn't like/understand - tends to dictate whether I'll pick up a work from this poet in the future. With not a single whole poem sticking with me in 500 pages, I don't think I'll be interacting with Rich again. Could not get into the way she works with words. 🤷🏼♂️. ⚠️ Discussion of mastectomy, suicide, referenced child abuse, SA, racism, domestic abuse, misogyny
mlindner's review
3.0
[Actually finished the last 7% or so on 1 January 2013 but claiming I did on Dec 31st for easier bookkeeping elsewhere.]
It was alright. But BIG. I liked more from the first half of the book--and a big thank you to the editor for putting it in chronological order--seeing as my last note was made from page 252.
I rarely knew what she was on about although I could get glimpses in places. In actuality, this book has convinced me that I need to step away from poetry, for a while anyway. It is nothing about this book or Adrienne Rich, in particular, but more the straw that broke the camel's back. For all the reading of poetry I have been doing for a couple of years, and including the couple classes I took at Briar Cliff, I still have no idea what is supposed to make a poem 'good' or otherwise. All I have to go on is whether I like something or whether it resonates with me in some more profound way. And there HAS to be something more than that.
It was alright. But BIG. I liked more from the first half of the book--and a big thank you to the editor for putting it in chronological order--seeing as my last note was made from page 252.
I rarely knew what she was on about although I could get glimpses in places. In actuality, this book has convinced me that I need to step away from poetry, for a while anyway. It is nothing about this book or Adrienne Rich, in particular, but more the straw that broke the camel's back. For all the reading of poetry I have been doing for a couple of years, and including the couple classes I took at Briar Cliff, I still have no idea what is supposed to make a poem 'good' or otherwise. All I have to go on is whether I like something or whether it resonates with me in some more profound way. And there HAS to be something more than that.
daisymoon's review
4.0
This will be my last Adrienne Rich read for the moment and I'm going to miss reading her words each day. That was a perfect ending to a dive into Rich's world.