This is a cut&paste of an Amazon Kindle Book Review.
This is Not a Spectacle Isabelle Kenyon
A powerful poetry collection, an experience that will haunt you.
five stars
As always, do not let my star count override your judgement of content. More on the stars, counting, and my rating challenges later.
In the first poem, Lonely Hearts, Kenyon will ambush you. In the next, Mumbai, you will feel a sense of otherness, ending in irony. Then in sweat shop you will feel the discomfortable motivation of a worker. These fine poems are too short to quote from without giving them away.
I will skip forward to Car Park Scene, which like much of Kenyon is a trace harsh and strongly written, for example this: “but your tears are endless and /convulsing shoulder – shadows play in the /darkness. /She does not console you but…”
For a heartbreaking experience, turn to Hospital. Here’s a teaser quote, see if you can figure out what’s happening: “You couldn’t have known but you /Smiled when I said I loved you and /Told me how to cook rice: I said /‘We’ll talk about it later’ as they /Wheeled you away….”
Again in Identity: Granny Olga we find this: “You in a hospital room, becoming a bionic woman.” Kenyon’s voice in this collection is a powerful one that is not for the faint of heart.
Spoiler warning: this is the ending of Teenagers at a Bus Stop: “Who are we? /We are drink, we are music; we are pretending, we are stumbling, we are lost-In the dark we are only teenage hunger. /We are always famished, starving: /Love us. Feed us. ”
I have other favourites in this book, but the above should give you a decent feel for the voice, power, and experience which Kenyon has captured for you. Now for the star count boilerplate.
My personal guidelines, when doing an ‘official’ KBR review, are as follows: five stars means, roughly equal to best in genre. Rarely given. Four stars means, extremely good. Three stars means, definitely recommendable. I am a tough reviewer. I try hard to be consistent. Kenyon brings strong description and powerful emotions into your brain. Roughly equal to best in genre? I think so; five stars it is, and extremely recommended.
Kindle Book Review Team member.
(Note: this reviewer received a free copy of this book for an independent review. He is not associated with the author or Amazon.)