Review of Hallway of Messages

[Roy Nick]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Hallway of Messages" by Diana Thornley aka Rainy Knight.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Hallway of Messages by Diana Thornley aka Rainy Knight is an installment diffused with street poetry and songs. They range from love to war to real-life calamities. To emphasize, one poem is about hunger. The author says, “Famine is the satiated hunger of an ascetic’s dream.” Such poems will transport a reader to real-life situations where some people sleep on empty stomachs for lack of finances or food. Other poems will enlighten a reader to appreciate nature, like sunshine being a source of vitamin D. The book is short, so it is easy to devour and relate to. While at it, one can reflect on the message relayed by each poem and song.

I admired a couple of things in the book. To begin with, the language used is as poetic as any reader would love. Some poems and songs left me pondering what they were addressing, so I had to think critically to comprehend. The beauty of reading poems is that they’re not one-dimensional. I mean, Diana Thornley may have composed a poem or song with an idea to address something specific, but a reader may end up interpreting it otherwise.

One particular song left a lasting impression on me. It was about going to trial for a crime the persona did not commit. The author’s ingenuity is witnessed in the songs she composes, as a reader can tell they’re written with enthusiasm.

I enjoyed the songs more than the poems. The reason is that I could create personal rhythms in my head and hum them. I have a resounding love for music; therefore, it always comes easy for me to produce a rhythm of a song. Not to be funny, but I have performed bathroom auditions and cover songs in secrecy.

And while I enjoyed the book, there are poems I did not comprehend. One was about ovens; I felt like it was a bit ambiguous. I tried relating it practically and literally, but it did not make sense to me. Another was about potatoes. I felt as though the author was trying to look down on struggling people who may be surviving solely on potatoes. Those are the only things I disliked in the installment.

There were no grammatical errors in the work; therefore, it is professionally edited. Though I noted some aspects to dislike, they were not robust enough to make me fault the book’s rating. As a result, I rate it 4 out of 4 stars. I propose this publication to lovers of music and poems.

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Hallway of Messages
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[Francis Kapola]

I prefer reading poems to songs. Poems are instructive and provoke thought. I don't like singing. Reading music is not enjoyable for me since, unlike you, I am unable to create rhythms.

[Monicah Wainaina 1]

I love how the book provokes critical thinking through the poems and songs