readingvicariously's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not going to beat around the bush; I absolutely love this collection of plague poetry! The writing is beautiful, the imagery is exquisite (though ghastly and disturbing), and the focus on the Black Death is so cool...though a little unnerving considering when I read this (i.e. middle of a pandemic).
There are lots of intriguing overarching topics that span the collection; from the idea that this was either punishment or abandonment by God, to the utter havoc this disease caused in society, to the idea that it killed indiscriminately and leveled social classes. I also love how the author gives us a glimpse into the various perspectives from the time period. We see how the plague affected both prince and pauper alike, and some of my favorite poems are the ones written from the POV of people like the "Village Gravediggers" and the "Brothers of the Dead" (beaked plague doctors). There are also some cool poems that personify the disease as various demons, malicious spirits, and even a horseman of the apocalypse (Pestilence, of course).
It would appear that Tantlinger did her research for this collection. No one could write with such vivid authenticity about buboes, hemorrhaging, and puss otherwise (I hope). It also shows in poems such as "The Siege of Caffa" which is about diseased bodies being launched over city walls during wartime, and "Death Ships," which is about how the plague came to Sicily by boat. Such poems lend another level of weight and authenticity to what is already a well-thought-out collection. So many of these poems had me wanting to spend hours researching the terrifying historical veracity that spawned them.
I could go on and on about the poems in this collection. Like how there's one about people, in their petrified ignorance, who tried killing dogs and cats but left the rats alive. Or one about an awful storm that blows into a port city and exacerbates the disease. Or the ones toward the end of the collection that reach into the present and examine other infectious diseases, such as schistosomiasis, cysticercosis, and even covid. I could go on and on, but I'd rather you just go experience them for yourself!!
There are lots of intriguing overarching topics that span the collection; from the idea that this was either punishment or abandonment by God, to the utter havoc this disease caused in society, to the idea that it killed indiscriminately and leveled social classes. I also love how the author gives us a glimpse into the various perspectives from the time period. We see how the plague affected both prince and pauper alike, and some of my favorite poems are the ones written from the POV of people like the "Village Gravediggers" and the "Brothers of the Dead" (beaked plague doctors). There are also some cool poems that personify the disease as various demons, malicious spirits, and even a horseman of the apocalypse (Pestilence, of course).
It would appear that Tantlinger did her research for this collection. No one could write with such vivid authenticity about buboes, hemorrhaging, and puss otherwise (I hope). It also shows in poems such as "The Siege of Caffa" which is about diseased bodies being launched over city walls during wartime, and "Death Ships," which is about how the plague came to Sicily by boat. Such poems lend another level of weight and authenticity to what is already a well-thought-out collection. So many of these poems had me wanting to spend hours researching the terrifying historical veracity that spawned them.
I could go on and on about the poems in this collection. Like how there's one about people, in their petrified ignorance, who tried killing dogs and cats but left the rats alive. Or one about an awful storm that blows into a port city and exacerbates the disease. Or the ones toward the end of the collection that reach into the present and examine other infectious diseases, such as schistosomiasis, cysticercosis, and even covid. I could go on and on, but I'd rather you just go experience them for yourself!!
southern_chime's review against another edition
5.0
Another fantastic poetry collection from Sara Tantlinger!
I'll start this review off with saying that I don't normally read poetry. It has never been my favorite genre and a lot of the time the symbolism goes straight over my head. The poems in Cradleland of Parasites, however, are so well written that the story comes across crystal clear while still maintaining an eerie and haunting vibe. Tantlinger does a fantastic job in bringing the horrors of the black death to life by taking a ground level approach. While reading the poems you begin to feel this increasing level of dread while you try to grapple with the fact that real people lived through this event.
I'll start this review off with saying that I don't normally read poetry. It has never been my favorite genre and a lot of the time the symbolism goes straight over my head. The poems in Cradleland of Parasites, however, are so well written that the story comes across crystal clear while still maintaining an eerie and haunting vibe. Tantlinger does a fantastic job in bringing the horrors of the black death to life by taking a ground level approach. While reading the poems you begin to feel this increasing level of dread while you try to grapple with the fact that real people lived through this event.
kpkulski's review
5.0
Gorgeous, heartbreaking, grim. This collection digs into the hopelessness of not only historic plagues, but from the perspective of the experience of being trapped within a plague stricken world. The memory of what life had been like before it melts into the boils, fevered flesh and loss... the loss of not only life, but innocence, youth and tomorrow. All told in harrowing yet always breathtaking verse. This is a collection to be savored, along with all the barbs of exquisite pain it brings.
a_chickletz's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to BookWorms for the copy and that it was signed by the author!
Delicious, creepy, and fresh.
Three strange words to give to poems written about the Black Plague, but they fit. Oh do they fit.
This was the first time I read anything by Sara Tantlinger and I hope it won't be the last. Her mix of history with the verse was dark, twisted and lovely. There were a few poems that were my favorites.
Delicious, creepy, and fresh.
Three strange words to give to poems written about the Black Plague, but they fit. Oh do they fit.
This was the first time I read anything by Sara Tantlinger and I hope it won't be the last. Her mix of history with the verse was dark, twisted and lovely. There were a few poems that were my favorites.
turnthedamnpage's review against another edition
4.0
How is it possible to beautifully piece together words describing such horror? From the host, the sick, the doctors, and those tasked with the bodies after death, this was a wonderful, quick read.
stranger_sights's review
5.0
It’s horrifying, beautiful, and absolutely brutal – but also strangely romantic.
I struggled to narrow down to even a handful of favorite poems.
You can check out my full review at: https://mediadrome.wordpress.com/2020/10/19/lohfreadathon-cradleland-of-parasites-by-sara-tantlinger/
I struggled to narrow down to even a handful of favorite poems.
You can check out my full review at: https://mediadrome.wordpress.com/2020/10/19/lohfreadathon-cradleland-of-parasites-by-sara-tantlinger/
lanternsjourney's review against another edition
5.0
I love Sara Tantlinger's poetry. Cradleland of Parasites is startlingly honest as she weaves facts, truth, prose, and horrific imagery. She paints a beautifully morbid picture of life with disease starting with the black plague era and going all the way to current times (She even touches on Poe's Red Death!). I am thoroughly chilled and will be thinking about this collection for a long time to come.
meatwad112's review against another edition
I don't want to rate this. I got this book in a subscription box and don't care for poetry and think it would be unfair to rate it so poorly. I would give it 2 stars though.
bespectacled_bibliophile's review against another edition
dark
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
4.5