Reviews

Varför alla hatar poesi by Ben Lerner

conoraflynn's review against another edition

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funny informative reflective fast-paced

4.5

simply one of the best writers of this generation - terse, exacting, nuanced, impassioned - informed by reading as much as experience and artistic praxis, a joy to read

the_music_of_waves's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective

5.0

saturatedcotton's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective

5.0

marcellelovesbooks's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective

4.25

kidasquared's review against another edition

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challenging informative medium-paced

3.75

as a novice to lit crit and a shameful avoider of poetry, Lerner created a welcoming introduction into those worlds. the title allows the interested and the skeptical to walk in easily.  it's digestible at under 100 small pages, offering history and insight into the complicated definition and criticism of poetry.

this was my first exposure to Lerner. I felt safe among his beautiful prose as he tackled what I thought were somewhat difficult concepts to a dilettante like me. while the topics might not be for everyone, sometimes falling into futility, it's worth a read if you have any interest in attempts to uncover and excavate the depths of art.

B

dexterw's review against another edition

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challenging funny hopeful informative lighthearted slow-paced

4.0

mikkiokko's review against another edition

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informative medium-paced
Shoutout to my Creative Writing professor for assigning this read as homework! I liked it and understand more about my relationship with poetry because of it! Excited for the poetry unit after break! 

rienarblaster's review against another edition

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5.0

cathartic

danigurl's review against another edition

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this is too dense for my brain lol

officialkohls's review against another edition

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3.0

The first half of this text is tightly focused on the American view of poetry, and is absolutely fascinating. The second half falls off the rails and gets into politics and citizenship. Is poetry inherently political? Perhaps. Is this book unable to maintain one thesis for 80 pages? Certainly.