ellaferrero's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
5.0
beautiful, mystical, feels like an unwrapping. very strange, very wonderful, very bruised.
andreapetita's review against another edition
5.0
ESPECTACULAR
Uns poemes molt potents, tots. Estic molt agraïda a l'Andrea del passat que va comprar-lo quan encara no s'havia publicat i que em va arribar farà cosa d'un mes, de sorpresa. De veritat que són uns poemes realment bonics i l'imaginari que crea és cru i bonic alhora.
Uns poemes molt potents, tots. Estic molt agraïda a l'Andrea del passat que va comprar-lo quan encara no s'havia publicat i que em va arribar farà cosa d'un mes, de sorpresa. De veritat que són uns poemes realment bonics i l'imaginari que crea és cru i bonic alhora.
gal1's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-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
5.0
lovefromhannah's review against another edition
2.5
[ 2.5 stars ] 'Music for the Dead and Resurrected' is a haunting, descriptive poetry collection by Belarusian poet Valzhyna Mort, draws on a first-hand account of a past grandparent generation of the Soviet labor camps, redistribution of land, and massacres of World War II in Belarus. My favourite poem in this collection is 'Genesis'- especially the opening line: "I've always preferred Cain".
She questions "does everything have to be like a poem?". To answer: no, they don't have to be. I think it would have interesting to see what this collection would have been like as creative non-fiction or maybe even a memoir instead? Despite saying that, these poems are powerful and tell the narrative of Belarus and it's turbulent history.
Thank you to Netgalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for granting me this free eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinion are my own, unbiased views.
She questions "does everything have to be like a poem?". To answer: no, they don't have to be. I think it would have interesting to see what this collection would have been like as creative non-fiction or maybe even a memoir instead? Despite saying that, these poems are powerful and tell the narrative of Belarus and it's turbulent history.
Thank you to Netgalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for granting me this free eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinion are my own, unbiased views.
jshipe19's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
3.5
filaughn's review against another edition
4.0
"Ours is a history whose every tooth is crowned"
"Our history
is a closed-down shop."
"Our history
is a closed-down shop."
kellylovesbooks's review against another edition
3.0
I had read Factory of Tears by this poet and was interested to read a collection that she wrote without a potential barrier of translation in my reading of it. While there were moments of beauty and several striking images in this collection-- particularly of music and history-- I almost wish it was a memoir instead. ("does everything have to be like a poem?") My favorite poems here tended to be the most narrative.
As another reviewer mentioned, sometimes the Western images seemed jarring, and I didn't always find the repetition effective either. That being said, the whole collection does have a haunted, melodic feel to it in the best possible way. I will continue to seek out what Valzhyna Mort writes.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
As another reviewer mentioned, sometimes the Western images seemed jarring, and I didn't always find the repetition effective either. That being said, the whole collection does have a haunted, melodic feel to it in the best possible way. I will continue to seek out what Valzhyna Mort writes.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
davidc_'s review against another edition
5.0
Haunting, beautiful, and vivid, I loved Valzhyna Mort’s latest collection. As a native of Belarus, the poet’s Eastern European sensibility is on display as she grapples with the prevalence of death and its legacy to create a work of true beauty.