Review of Cataclysm

[Ivana Tomaš]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Cataclysm" by Daniel Hufford.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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I would say that poetry is one of the most abstract literary genres. I believe that there are few who really enjoy poetry and who read it with gusto. The reason for this is its abstract nature and frequent lack of unequivocal content. One such work is the subject of this review. Cataclysm by Daniel Hufford is a very short collection of poetry consisting of only seven poems.

The poems in this concise collection mainly deal with the themes of life, love, destruction, and finality. The author allegorically depicts life as a circus, attributing each circus's role to a different aspect or situation in life. The poems are mostly of a sad and depressive character and encourage the reader to think about life, its transience, and finality. The author also writes about the love, pain, and sorrow that love brings with it. The last verses of this book refer to death but also to the allegorical spring that comes after that.

I honestly have to say that this book didn't impress me too much. I believe it is too abstract and short for my taste. However, I liked the symbolic depiction of life as a circus in the first poem called "Marque of Life." Also, I like that the poems are enriched with rhyme that gives a melodic flair to the whole collection. Another positive aspect of this book is the fact that different readers may interpret these poems in different ways, which is why this collection might appeal to a wider group of people.

Although the book has some positive factors, I must, unfortunately, declare that they are not enough for me to like the book as a whole. Primarily, the book is too short and somewhat vague. I have interpreted the poems in my own way, which does not necessarily mean that it is in line with what the poet wanted to convey. Also, the atmosphere of the book is a bit melancholy, which I don't usually prefer. Likewise, I don't like that there are no punctuation marks in the poems. Although I know that omitting punctuation marks is poetic freedom, I think poems would have been somehow more organized with them.

For all the reasons mentioned, I decided to give the book 2 out of 4 stars. The reason for this is the fact that I did not enjoy the book enough to give it a higher rating. I wish it was a bit longer, with more concrete and joyful content. Although I came across only two errors in the book, I think the author should have used punctuation in the text. I would recommend the book mainly to all those who like short books and conceptual poetry.

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Cataclysm
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[PeterRabitt20]

I love poetry, but I also struggled with the intended meaning versus what I understood. Thank you for the honest review.

[ibrahim bishar]

Unless one is a die-hard fan of poetry, it's not everybody's cup of tea, especially with all the doom and gloom.

[Amenrodion]

I love poetry but your review makes me know that this book of poetry is a lacklustre one and so no point in picking it up

[Mildred Echesa]

Poetry, creates a magnificent world of it's own