Reviews

Lyrical Ballads, With a Few Other Poems by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, William Wordsworth

lelelereads's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

3.75

gracesbookss's review against another edition

2.0

I did not mind the poetry and I believe that if I read it on my own, I would have liked it a lot. I enjoyed that Wordsworth was a bit of a rebel. I love the french revolution, and I love that Wordsworth was young and passionate about the revolution.

meliorateh's review against another edition

3.0

Well as much of it as I need to. Still less painful than The Prelude.

millhayward's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

ellieanor's review against another edition

challenging reflective medium-paced

4.0

emmacy's review against another edition

hopeful 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

3.5

errina2's review against another edition

mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

adamz24's review against another edition

2.0

I feel like an asshole, at this point, for not being able to "get" Wordsworth. Every couple of years I read Wordsworth again and there's some very bright, very compassionate, very distinguished-type person who makes beautiful, eloquent arguments in these poems' favour. But I still really just couldn't give less of a shit. I don't know. While I respect Wordsworth, there's a strange personal-type bias I have against the guy. It's a bit more like "I really wouldn't invite this dude to a party at my place." He's a bit dull. Byron, on the other hand. Coleridge. Keats. Mary Shelley probably the most distinguished guest, but only if she left ol' Perce at home. She would provide the sane and sensible, but thoroughly fucked up and entertaining counterpoint to Byron's wanton molestation of other guests, to Keats' mumbling about the beauty of my old 'Oriental' bookcase or whatever, to Coleridge all junked out on the couch.

I'm starting on The Prelude again, though, and it's pretty great. I don't even know why I didn't like it a couple years ago. So things might be changing, after all.

I think I've now accomplished my goal of writing the least insightful review of Lyrical Ballads known to humankind. But there it is.

phdoingmydamnbest's review against another edition

3.0

As you all probably already know I am not really a huge fan of Wordsworth, in fact, I pretty much dislike most of his stuff- and even when I find myself liking something he wrote then I remember he wrote it anddddd I don't like it anymore. 'Daffodils' was in my poetry anthology I studied at school at 15/16 and I remember thinking 'I've never really read anything in this class I've disliked so intensely until we read this.'

Lyrical Ballads as a collection is okay though, I definitely prefer Coleridge's contributions- and I find the Preface to be somewhat unpalatable. It's certainly not an arrangement of poems in a collection I would ever consider putting together myself (although I know fans of the book will say that's part of its charm.)

But since I've started reading the Dorothy Wordsworth journals I've grown to dislike these poems even more, as so many draw on her content but without her eye for detail and vivacity.

I really love Dorothy- look out for my review of her journals coming soon!

bethanydark's review against another edition

lighthearted reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.0