Review by SarahTheReader -- Passions: Love Poems and Oth...
-
SarahTheReader
- Posts: 40
- Joined: 07 Jan 2020, 18:01
- Currently Reading: Mansfield Park
- Bookshelf Size: 41
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-sarahthereader.html
- Latest Review: The Mindset by Ace Bowers
Review by SarahTheReader -- Passions: Love Poems and Oth...
[Following is a volunteer review of "Passions: Love Poems and Other Writings" by Gabriela Marie Milton.]
Passions: Love Poems and Other Writings by Gabriela Marie Milton is a vibrant read for fans of tragic romantic love poems. This book is a compilation of love poems, prose and flash fiction, and broken down into three parts. The first section compiles several short love poems filled with themes of love, loss, passion, longing and destiny. The second part is a selection of poems translated by Flavio Almerighi into Italian, which sit alongside their English counterparts. The final section uses a mixture of vignettes and flash fiction to capture moments in time.
I loved Milton’s use of language and vivid imagery. I could feel the intention she put into her word selection to evoke emotions and brings the reader along the narrator’s journey. Her precise use of analogies brought to life the visceral feelings of loving someone with your whole being. I felt like the naked self-reflection reads like a trusted friend’s journal entry and made it more relatable.
My favourite piece was ’Mistrust.’ It said, “I mistrust definitions. I believe only in that which hides behind them.” This resonates with me because it is about looking beyond the surface and trusting how you feel about something or someone. It is about that instinctive feeling you have, even when it is not tangible. As someone who has made, and continues to make, decisions off of my gut feeling and sometimes is unable to give an exact reason as to why I make my choice, I soaked up this four liner. I found it very thought-provoking and introspective of my journey.
I did not enjoy the third section of vignettes due to the lack of context for the four featured characters: Jacques, Clara, Miguel and Angelo. As the author only provides short snippets of their stories, I felt I was consistently missing out on details and needed to know more about them and their backgrounds to connect. I think the author could provide a little more information about them without taking away from the vignette writing style.
This book is better suited for a mature audience due to themes of sexuality and intimacy shared between lovers are mentioned, but said intimacy is not explicitly described. Additionally, the book was professionally edited, and there is no foul language. I would recommend this compilation of poems for anyone who enjoys reading poetry, especially within the theme of romance. I would suggest readers have at least had some experience reading poetry before dealing with this book, as the fusion of analogies and word selection is very dynamic. I found myself having to re-read her passages due to the complexity of comparisons and ideas, but it did not hinder my enjoyment. Instead, having to re-read portions of her poetry made me sit with her message and reflect.
I give this book 3 out of 4 stars. Although I enjoyed the first two parts of this book, the vignettes at the end of the book were not of my liking. However, this my personal preference and other readers may find they do not require additional clarity to enjoy the vignettes.
******
Passions: Love Poems and Other Writings
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Passions: Love Poems and Other Writings by Gabriela Marie Milton is a vibrant read for fans of tragic romantic love poems. This book is a compilation of love poems, prose and flash fiction, and broken down into three parts. The first section compiles several short love poems filled with themes of love, loss, passion, longing and destiny. The second part is a selection of poems translated by Flavio Almerighi into Italian, which sit alongside their English counterparts. The final section uses a mixture of vignettes and flash fiction to capture moments in time.
I loved Milton’s use of language and vivid imagery. I could feel the intention she put into her word selection to evoke emotions and brings the reader along the narrator’s journey. Her precise use of analogies brought to life the visceral feelings of loving someone with your whole being. I felt like the naked self-reflection reads like a trusted friend’s journal entry and made it more relatable.
My favourite piece was ’Mistrust.’ It said, “I mistrust definitions. I believe only in that which hides behind them.” This resonates with me because it is about looking beyond the surface and trusting how you feel about something or someone. It is about that instinctive feeling you have, even when it is not tangible. As someone who has made, and continues to make, decisions off of my gut feeling and sometimes is unable to give an exact reason as to why I make my choice, I soaked up this four liner. I found it very thought-provoking and introspective of my journey.
I did not enjoy the third section of vignettes due to the lack of context for the four featured characters: Jacques, Clara, Miguel and Angelo. As the author only provides short snippets of their stories, I felt I was consistently missing out on details and needed to know more about them and their backgrounds to connect. I think the author could provide a little more information about them without taking away from the vignette writing style.
This book is better suited for a mature audience due to themes of sexuality and intimacy shared between lovers are mentioned, but said intimacy is not explicitly described. Additionally, the book was professionally edited, and there is no foul language. I would recommend this compilation of poems for anyone who enjoys reading poetry, especially within the theme of romance. I would suggest readers have at least had some experience reading poetry before dealing with this book, as the fusion of analogies and word selection is very dynamic. I found myself having to re-read her passages due to the complexity of comparisons and ideas, but it did not hinder my enjoyment. Instead, having to re-read portions of her poetry made me sit with her message and reflect.
I give this book 3 out of 4 stars. Although I enjoyed the first two parts of this book, the vignettes at the end of the book were not of my liking. However, this my personal preference and other readers may find they do not require additional clarity to enjoy the vignettes.
******
Passions: Love Poems and Other Writings
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Mindset by Ace Bowers
