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HomeShop at BookSurgeHealth & FitnessThe Story of Our People |
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 Not for me, but maybe for you... Jan 28, 2010
I don't know why, but I expected this to be more of a narrative then a collection of poetry. The poems to connect together into a story, but for reasons I can't put my finger on, it just didn't hold me.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Intriguing poetry, vague intent Oct 31, 2009
David Hillstrom's poetry is quite haunting, and I was struck by the strong, unique imagery found in some of the poems. And his concept for the collection as a whole is a great one. Only, I'm not sure how well it all goes together. The soliloquies of the three voices don't seem to have any cohesion with the context--each poem is supposed to be part of a story that an old woman is telling children--and in that context, they couldn't seem further from the intent. They have a vague, dreamlike quality that could really work if they were held up by a stronger framework and in greater quantity (i.e. some defining poems with a more fleshed-out structure that would make the piece flow in a clear direction). Moreover, some of the poems have too many references to this world that force the reader out of the created world that the poet was supposedly creating with the scene set-ups and the characters. This slim volume only seems like the beginnings of a concept that is meant to be much, much more fleshed out in a final stage--I would blame the editor for not pushing the writer further. The poems are not strong enough to be the pillars for the framework--this could have succeeded as a much longer work with [much] more prose (an author's note or preface might also have been a great help), more framework, more poems with more clarity. I hope the poet will consider further developing this work and be willing to workshop it (or at least get more editorial input).
Beautiful idea, under-explored Mar 03, 2009
A beautiful and intriguing premise with flashes of beauty fails to deliver. I'm sure that the ideas behind this collection are well thought-out, but the story of these people is not told. Poems that strive for narrative cohesion will of necessity require a little more momentum and action than these contain. Fragmentary images, some quite striking, did not come together to make a meaningful whole for this reader.
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
If you like poetry.... Jan 26, 2009
I must be a product of the short attention span generation. It might not be politically correct to say it but I think this book would be better with pictures. I understand that this book condenses the history of "civilization" into 40 pages but I think I needed more. I'm not sure if it's too deep for me or if the writer assumed I was more in tune with him than I actually am but I really don't connect with this book. Though I do see the value of its content.
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
disappointing Jan 13, 2009
This author of this slim volume uses poetry, stage direction and some prose to tell the story of an older woman leading children from a war-torn area; when they stop to rest, the matron comforts the group with stories of rebuilding, using the characters of three people -- the welder, the poet and the woman.
First, why doesn't the woman have a job? Is "woman" a job, or sufficient? Secondly, the narrative voices of the three characters and the matron did not vary enough to distinguish them. Finally, I didn't enjoy the poetry very much. There were some very nice lines and moments, but the collection lacked coherence and beauty.
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