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cemarci's review
3.75
Enjoyed. Short and sweet poems. Liked but can’t relate to the Appalachian perspective.
alyssaakdefusco's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
If you're going to read....an elegy....about Appalachia....might I suggest this one over certain others? *Cough cough*. In all seriousness, this book of poems was lovely and moving. The use of natural elements to establish a sense of home, birthright, and lament was really beautiful. There's an introduction about the importance of being wild and hooks' connection to her childhood that was really special.
izzyvb023's review
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.0
bell hooks herself describes the book perfectly in her introduction: “Dirge-like at times, the poems repeat sorrow sounds, connecting the pain of a historical Kentucky landscape ravaged by war and all human conditions that are like war.”
‘Appalachian Elegy’ was a beautiful meditation on the spiritual and natural elements that linger over Appalachia and give it its unique character and sense of place. I much prefer hooks’ prose to her poetry, but I still really enjoyed this short collection of poems. To anyone who wants to read ‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ I would highly recommend reading this book instead.
‘Appalachian Elegy’ was a beautiful meditation on the spiritual and natural elements that linger over Appalachia and give it its unique character and sense of place. I much prefer hooks’ prose to her poetry, but I still really enjoyed this short collection of poems. To anyone who wants to read ‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ I would highly recommend reading this book instead.
giocdavis's review against another edition
2.0
the introduction was quite interesting and engaging, but i did not like the form or structure of the poems. this is the first book that i’ve read by bell hooks, but as a poet, her style is not something that i particularly enjoy. the theme of the work is something that i think could have been written about in essays, but i understand why she used poetry to share her thoughts. i most likely will not be reading more poetry written by bell hooks, but i will read her essays and nonfiction works.