tomhill's review
4.0
The essays aren't as emotionally resonant or as beautifully written as they might be, given the quality of Donald Hall's poetry, and they also lack the deep insight of the personal essays of say, Andre Dubus. They are comforting and clever, and offer a glimpse of Hall's life, both before and after reaching age eighty. The haunting cover image of a close-up Hall, sporting the wild, untrimmed beard that defined his look in old age sets the tone for this collection. The essays deal with a lot of the same themes his poetry does: the past, memory, death, grief, but also like his poetry, they focus on the lighter aspects of life and aging. Hall writes of dogs, and horses and farm life and his grandparents, his wives and children, cigarettes, facial hair, his trips to D.C. The common theme is the steady march of time through all of it. Especially fascinating and tragic and ironic is Hall's battle with both colon and liver cancer when he was in his early sixties and his unlikely longevity, contrasted with his wife Jane Kenyon's quick decline from cancer. I believe he's written about it more in-depth elsewhere, but Jane Kenyon's death and its wrongness seem to creep in at the edges of nearly every essay.
bbshams's review
5.0
some beautiful insights in this collection of essays from Donald Hall. it’s always powerful to read reflections on life from people reaching their final stages, and i found out about Hall’s recent passing while reading this collection. certainly gave some of his thoughts a haunting weight. certainly an interesting man, a bit sex crazed in a strange sense. beautiful mind though, and a beautiful life to revisit in past tense.
lovegirl30's review
4.0
Full Review To Come:
I found this to such a beautiful collection of essays. I thought it was like listening to an old man tell his life story, which is something that I always enjoy. I found it quite humorous. I had never heard of him until I picked up the collection. Great stories inside.
I found this to such a beautiful collection of essays. I thought it was like listening to an old man tell his life story, which is something that I always enjoy. I found it quite humorous. I had never heard of him until I picked up the collection. Great stories inside.
mitchellvolk's review against another edition
4.0
I was unfamiliar with Donald Hall before this book and I have walked into a theater at the end of a wonderful movie. Stripped down, repetitious and insightful. He orbits specific moments and relationships in an oval pattern, pulling you in close and then pushing you away to look from a different angle.
carpentoid's review against another edition
3.0
A solid mix of essays from old age. Some are profound, some are meaningless, but all are well written and entertaining.
dylanperry's review against another edition
5.0
This little book stole my heart. Essays After Eighty does a lot in its short page count. There are so many nuggets of truth and wisdom, all told with the execution only a nuanced and seasoned poet could bring, a specificity to the language that is delightful. He does not romanticize growing old, breaks it down into harsh detail and yet handles the subject with humor and respect. He leaves no stone unturned: His brief time as the Poet Laureate. Childhood. Life before, during, and after his second wife passed early from leukemia. How is days blend into one another, and his thoughts on death; He tackled all of this while making me snort and laugh. He seemed like a good man, and I wish I had gotten the chance to meet him. As it is, I plan to dig into his selected poetry collection soon and work my way through his back catalog with a smile on my face. 5/5
ivantable's review against another edition
3.0
Lovely book from an aging poet who, in old age, has has lost poetry so he writes and reflects in prose.
bethreadsandnaps's review against another edition
3.0
Since I’ve turned 40, I’ve become increasingly interested on perspectives about aging. This is a fine memoir, but I really only came away with two takeaways from this:
1. Donald Hall become a poet laureate late in life (I had no knowledge of him before reading this).
2. His second wife Jane died of leukemia, and Donald had a bout of cancer.
Good writing. It felt like he was just getting started, and the book ended. More essays might enrich this.
1. Donald Hall become a poet laureate late in life (I had no knowledge of him before reading this).
2. His second wife Jane died of leukemia, and Donald had a bout of cancer.
Good writing. It felt like he was just getting started, and the book ended. More essays might enrich this.