I think pretty much everyone in the US has read "Good Bones" (or at least they should; it's fantastic!), so I was very interested to explore this collI think pretty much everyone in the US has read "Good Bones" (or at least they should; it's fantastic!), so I was very interested to explore this collection. I didn't end up connecting with the subject matter, which is in large part about motherhood and the complex fears and feelings around that, but I do appreciate Smith's concise, straightforward style, and the way a lot of her poems left me uneasy.
Note: I read this in small chunks over several months, but the majority took place in one day so I'm just listing it as a one-day read. It's not a long book at all. ...more
I tried to savor this in little sips, but in the end I barrelled through the second half in a few days. For all that Sei Shonagon was writing about evI tried to savor this in little sips, but in the end I barrelled through the second half in a few days. For all that Sei Shonagon was writing about events in her life, there's a dreamy, restrained quality to her words. Her wit and intelligence is unmatched (even when she's being awful and snobby), and her affection for Teishi, the Empress, reverberates through history to the present day. It's an incredible look into lives long past, but the translation is excellent and Sei Shonagon's words are totally accessible.
Is it possible to miss a time and a place I will never experience? ...more
Bethany Bee
>
Books:
poetry
(2)
Loading...
