Reviews

Readings from the Book of Exile by Pádraig Ó Tuama

raoul_g's review against another edition

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4.0

Pádraig Ó Tuama, in this collection of poems, offers us a glimpse of his ability to write deeply personal and delicate poems. His style is simple but compelling, and contentwise the poems mostly revolve around the topics of faith and fear, love and loneliness, meaning and mourning.

I will remember and return to many of these verses, but the very last poem of this collection will always have a special place in my hear:

The task is ended

The task is ended. 
Go in pieces.
 
Our faith has been rear-ended
certainty amended
and something might be mended 
that we didn’t know was torn. 

And we are fire
Bright, burning fire, 
turning from the higher places 
from which we fell,

emptying ourselves into the 
hell 
in which we’ll find 
our loving, and beloved
brother 
mother
sister
father
friend
 
And so friends, the task is ended. 
Go in pieces 
to see 
and feel your world. 

gohoubi's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective fast-paced

4.0

ofloveandlayovers's review against another edition

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challenging inspiring reflective

3.0

girljames's review against another edition

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5.0

Everything a book of poetry should be: resonant, thoughtful, beautiful. Deep enough to reveal new gems on rereading while still being clear the first time. This was a gift from a friend and it gave me LIFE, which I assume was her intention in giving it :)

joel_buck's review against another edition

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4.0

I never know what to say about poetry. I can't really discuss it on a technical level with any degree of authority, so whatever I have to say tends to be about personal/emotional response.

That feels far too intimate to just be sharing with people.

oliviaosley's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective slow-paced

4.0

taraetrask's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing medium-paced

5.0

pastaviking's review against another edition

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3.0

I couldn't tell if his poetry was clear and concise or a just a bit thin. Overall, intrigued me enough to read more of his poems.

revseminarian's review

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inspiring medium-paced

4.0

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