Review of Lunar Cave

[Dimi1]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Lunar Cave" by Joan D’ Illyr.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Lunar Cave by Joan D’ Illyr is a collection of poems written in prose or free verse or a combination of the two, while rhyming keeps coming and going in most parts. There is no emphasis on following a certain meter or pattern. The poems are concerning various daily topics and inner concerns that seemed to occupy, during times, the poet, and some of them could speak to the wider public.

When the author liberates herself from the obligation of keeping the rhyming, one can see beautiful images in some of her poems and real soul-searching poetry that can engage the reader. There exist tender poems that can speak to the casual reader. Although an expert might not classify them as belonging to the so-called noble poetry, they are vivid and bright. In this context, I liked “My flying dog” and “Myself”, i.e. poems that are representational and colorful. Also, the last verse of “Warriors in the Cave” seems to express a beautiful life stance that could probably speak to people’s inner self. The book is free of typos and errors, which is, however, assisted by the fact that the wording is practically under the aegis of the poetic license.

On the other hand, it seems that in some poems rhyming is forced and stilted to the point one has to read some poems aloud to get there, and this isn’t, any longer, poetry’s purpose. In some parts, it seems like the author’s sole purpose is to stick to the rhymes’ assonance at any cost to the point that the word choices don’t seem to make any sense. In this respect, I fail to see what’s the inner message when reading “muscles that are edgy” and “brads that are sedgy” in the same verse. Also, the language used seems a bit stereotypical in some poems. The “almighty Eye” that is “up in the sky”, although describing a clear image, seems like an overused expression that is far from being characterized as vibrant wording. Lastly, I failed to recall any memorable or strong lines that one could keep in the course of life.

Overall, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars for some vivid poems, its fresh and clear images, and its insight into the poet’s soul. One star was deducted because of the noticeable persistence to keeping the rhyming even if it isn’t so important and for the usage of some hackneyed expressions that could be avoided or could be given more theatrically.

Given the above, the book will surely appeal to casual readers with a limited amount of time during the day that would enjoy a pleasant reading. Due to a very minor profanity, the book seems suitable even for teenagers.

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Lunar Cave
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[Dzejn_Crvena]

I'm not a huge fan of poetry, but I loved the "novels in verse" that I read recently.
May this book help me appreciate reading poems.
Thank you for your detailed review.

[TheMazeRunner]

Forced sentences are really distracting. I think this book is not for me. Great review!

[El_limitless]

I've been a lover of poetry, and I'm sure I'll find this book interesting. I'll definitely be checking it out. Great review.

[markodim721]

I'm sorry that the rhymes are not better and more elegantly worded. Thanks for the honest review.

[Kavita Shah]

Sounds like a unique collection of poems. I fall under the recommended category and would love to read it. Thank you for a beautifully written review!

[NetMassimo]

Poems in a language that's not my primary language can be difficult to appreciate for me, even more when rhymes are forced. Thank you for your informative review!

[Joyful17]

Interesting analysis. I don't care much for rhymes as well. I just love to enjoy spontaneous poetry. Great review.

[Chigo Nwagboso]

Thanks for your insightful review and recommendations. I'm not a lover of poetry, but I believe it will interest folk that enjoy this genre.

[Reader-247]

Lunar cave is a nice name for a poetry book. I like your honest review. Thanks

[Jagiine]

When I write poetry, I almost always feel the need to keep some sort of rhyming scheme and rhythm. It's hard to balance that with finding the right words. Nevertheless, kudos to the author for putting together so many meaningful poems. Thanks for your review!

[Ellylion]

Amazing review! I love poetry, but without some unnecessary and heavy metaphors. Thank you very much!

[Chizioboli]

Fantastic review. Love it

[Raluca_Mihaila]

Poetry is surely very subjective, as art . It seems like the book managed to deliver, despite its minor flaws. Thank you for your recommendation!

[Khushboo Barwar]

I’m a fan of poetry. I live by it. But I don’t think the forced parts, the unnecessary rhymes would allow me to enjoy it.
Great review!