shanviolinlove's review
5.0
Wow.
How can my words even begin to do justice to the force of Pinsky's? My clumsy attempt: his creative, tangible imagery, his practiced but seemingly effortless use of rhyme (when he uses it), the raw and innovative subject material, from prisoners in Guantanamo to his left hand, all are to be greatly admired. I was not surprised that he is hailed as a major American poet, as I found myself re-reading entire stanzas, entire poems, as if hungering for that which his poems conveyed. Several of my favorites include "2. Book," "Keyboard," "Rhyme," and "Banknote." After walking away from my first encounter with Pinsky's work, unable to resist frequently circling and underlining his diction, allusions, and words of imagery, I felt that this man somehow redefined poetry for me.
How can my words even begin to do justice to the force of Pinsky's? My clumsy attempt: his creative, tangible imagery, his practiced but seemingly effortless use of rhyme (when he uses it), the raw and innovative subject material, from prisoners in Guantanamo to his left hand, all are to be greatly admired. I was not surprised that he is hailed as a major American poet, as I found myself re-reading entire stanzas, entire poems, as if hungering for that which his poems conveyed. Several of my favorites include "2. Book," "Keyboard," "Rhyme," and "Banknote." After walking away from my first encounter with Pinsky's work, unable to resist frequently circling and underlining his diction, allusions, and words of imagery, I felt that this man somehow redefined poetry for me.
cgcpoems's review
3.0
This was well-written poetry, it just wasn't quite my style. There were a few poems right at the end, though, that were absolutely wonderful. I also really enjoyed the Author's Note at the back. Overall, enough to pique my interest in the writer.
mattleesharp's review against another edition
4.0
There were some missteps and some nonsense scattered in this collection, but I generally felt excited throughout the reading. This is my first book length exposure to Pinsky, and I have gathered from the comments here it might not have been the best start. If that's the case I'm really looking forward to the next reads.
More...