Official Review: Reflections of a Wandering Celt

[Theresa Moffitt]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Reflections of a Wandering Celt" by Christopher Mahon.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Reflections of a Wandering Celt by Christopher Mahon is a beautiful book of poetry focusing on various topics. Mr. Mahon is an Irish writer and his collection of poems includes several poems about Ireland. His descriptions of Ireland are beautiful and detailed. In the Romance section of the book, he wrote about heartbreak and love with honesty and vulnerability. It is easy for readers to relate to finding or losing love. Most of the topics of the poems are relatable to readers. The poems are beautifully written and engaging.

Each poem contained in the book is heart-felt and captivating. In the poems about Ireland, he addresses the history and conflicts in Ireland. “Thoughts of Erin” focuses on Irish history and the pride the author feels for his heritage. The poem “Belfast City” focuses on the conflicts in Ireland. The author finds beautiful words to describe a dark time in Irish history. In the Reflections section of the book, the poem “Street Party” addresses homelessness in Dublin. He assigned personalities to four winos he regularly encountered on the streets of Dublin and imagined what their lives were like. The poem is creative and interesting to read.

I enjoyed reading the poems in this book. The book is divided into themes, but each poem is unique. The author finds beauty in everyday activities and creates a beautiful poem to reflect his impressions. For examples, in “The Rear-View Mirror” he creates a poem based on a husband and wife driving in their car. I appreciated the author’s ability to find beauty in these types of normal events and activities.

Several of the poems in the book focus on history. The historical poetry is not limited to Irish history. However, I enjoyed reading the historical poems about Ireland. The author’s love for Ireland shines through in his words. I especially appreciated that Mr. Mahon included a glossary of Irish terms following “Thoughts of Erin” for readers that may not be familiar with some of the language. This was a nice addition to the book and provided additional understanding of the content of the poem.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. It contains well-written and heartfelt poetry that is beautiful to read. I believe the book was professionally edited because I saw one error that did not take away from my enjoyment of the book. The book would be suitable for young adult readers who enjoy poetry because it doesn’t contain profanity or sexual situations. However, I would recommend this book to anyone who appreciates poetry.

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Reflections of a Wandering Celt
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[Samwisekoop]

I
MUST
GET
THIS!!
This book sounds awesome! I love reading poetry from a foreign poet. The whole book piques my interest, but you're mention of historical poetry sounds really cool! Your review is very concise, informative, and intriguing. Thank you! I am definitely adding this to my Bookshelves!