thelexingtonbookie's review against another edition
2.0
I somehow managed to go almost a year without reading poetry, even though I have about seven collections on my TBR… so I was happy to break the streak with Tomorrow’s Woman. According to the publisher notes, this is Bellamacina’s first United States publication, with her distinct French and British influences.
The collection is broken into four sections: Tomorrow’s Woman, Pregnancy, Love, and Loss, Grief, and Thunder. There is an introduction by Robert Montgomery who instantly disects the uniqueness within Bellamacina’s poems, and gives insight to the reader about what you will experience as you read on. One of the things he notes is,
“I have believed passionately that poetry in English, to be new, needs to forget the English language as much as possible…Twenty years ago, I began to look for a poet who could do that- when I found Greta, I finally found that poet.”
This unique style of Bellamacina’s, however, is quite possibly something that the average dabbler in poetry (like myself) wouldn’t be able to “get”. I say this because, as I read through the collection, I kept thinking, I have no idea what she’s talking about. However, for the sake of this review, I’m going to give it my best interpretive shot.
Tomorrow’s Woman is the section about women’s oppression, and the will we have to move beyond it, to push through that figurative glass ceiling we always mention. Pregnancy is a little more obvious, discussing the miracle that is a woman’s body, discussing birth, rebirth, miscarriages, and other aspects of womanhood. Love recounts the obvious, of emotions and feelings surrounding love, being loved, and of heartbreak.
Loss, Grief, and Thunder is about life and death, and the whirlwind of personal relationships.
This collection covers topics that should be relatable to most women, but because of Bellamacina’s style, it’s really hard to comprehend what I’m supposed to be relating to. It feels as if the poetry has gotten lost in translation, or honestly as if she strung together some lofty, creative words to form a stanza that should create some sort of imagery, but it doesn’t- or not consistently enough for me. There are some lines that I did think were beautiful, or that caught my imagination, but the poems in their entirety did not leave a lasting overall impression.
In the end, this was a bit of a disappointment for my return to reading poetry. Although there were some lovely high points, they weren’t the majority of my reading experience.
The collection is broken into four sections: Tomorrow’s Woman, Pregnancy, Love, and Loss, Grief, and Thunder. There is an introduction by Robert Montgomery who instantly disects the uniqueness within Bellamacina’s poems, and gives insight to the reader about what you will experience as you read on. One of the things he notes is,
“I have believed passionately that poetry in English, to be new, needs to forget the English language as much as possible…Twenty years ago, I began to look for a poet who could do that- when I found Greta, I finally found that poet.”
This unique style of Bellamacina’s, however, is quite possibly something that the average dabbler in poetry (like myself) wouldn’t be able to “get”. I say this because, as I read through the collection, I kept thinking, I have no idea what she’s talking about. However, for the sake of this review, I’m going to give it my best interpretive shot.
Tomorrow’s Woman is the section about women’s oppression, and the will we have to move beyond it, to push through that figurative glass ceiling we always mention. Pregnancy is a little more obvious, discussing the miracle that is a woman’s body, discussing birth, rebirth, miscarriages, and other aspects of womanhood. Love recounts the obvious, of emotions and feelings surrounding love, being loved, and of heartbreak.
Loss, Grief, and Thunder is about life and death, and the whirlwind of personal relationships.
This collection covers topics that should be relatable to most women, but because of Bellamacina’s style, it’s really hard to comprehend what I’m supposed to be relating to. It feels as if the poetry has gotten lost in translation, or honestly as if she strung together some lofty, creative words to form a stanza that should create some sort of imagery, but it doesn’t- or not consistently enough for me. There are some lines that I did think were beautiful, or that caught my imagination, but the poems in their entirety did not leave a lasting overall impression.
In the end, this was a bit of a disappointment for my return to reading poetry. Although there were some lovely high points, they weren’t the majority of my reading experience.
thewoollygeek's review against another edition
1.0
Not really my style of poetry, I am not really the target audience I don’t think, or at least if it’s aimed at tomorrow’s women how about we focus a little less on pregnancy, maternity etc, yes I get women have babies but it’s not our sole purpose. I just didn’t find any kind of connection with the poems, nothing resonated with me and this is rare, some just didn’t make sense. Not for me sorry.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
livewonderstruck's review against another edition
5.0
This striking cover caught my eye and the thoughtful poems it held did not disappoint. The poems vary in length from a few lines to two pages, giving it a nice rhythm without getting monotonous. A good number of these poems fall into the form of writing that is not necessarily readily understandable, but is truly beautiful and allows for reader interpretation. Those who love to interpret passages on their own will enjoy these poems. Readers who prefer to have things simply stated may be less comfortable.
starrybooker's review against another edition
4.0
I always appreciate when poetry goes all-out in its language and finds new ways to describe things that we live with and know- I’m not sure it always succeeds, but it definitely makes a swing for it
alexys_tenshi's review against another edition
3.0
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Greta Bellamacina's "Tomorrow's Woman" hasn't catch all my attention.
The collection is divided into four sections: Tomorrow’s Woman, Pregnancy, Love, and Loss, Grief, and Thunder.
Sometimes I had to stop reading or skip to something else to do. Maybe it was me that couldn't understand entirely the beauty of these poems.
I have appreciated the Tomorrow's Woman' section.
My approach to poetry is at the beginning and maybe, with another reading of this poetry collection.
Greta Bellamacina's "Tomorrow's Woman" hasn't catch all my attention.
The collection is divided into four sections: Tomorrow’s Woman, Pregnancy, Love, and Loss, Grief, and Thunder.
Sometimes I had to stop reading or skip to something else to do. Maybe it was me that couldn't understand entirely the beauty of these poems.
I have appreciated the Tomorrow's Woman' section.
My approach to poetry is at the beginning and maybe, with another reading of this poetry collection.
have_you_read_this's review against another edition
2.0
"Greta has powerful, beautiful imagery, of trees as star-pillars and meteors which rain down like tears, which would be lost without the reader’s ability to subvert their understanding." - Full review available at Have You Read This.
starrywhatever's review against another edition
4.0
I always appreciate when poetry goes all-out in its language and finds new ways to describe things that we live with and know- I’m not sure it always succeeds, but it definitely makes a swing for it