Review of Poetry to Make You Think and Smile

[Rebecca De Figueiredo]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Poetry to Make You Think and Smile" by Norman S Pollack.]

---

4 out of 5 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Title: Poetry to Make You Think and Smile
Author: Norman S Pollack

The title of this book of prose and poetry is very apt. Norman Pollack writes about many different aspects inside and outside his family. He poses questions about society, comments on food, and wraps his family around with words of love. There is a lot to smile about. The tone is uplifting and optimistic, even when he is complaining. As he says in the introduction, his wife, Joyce, is featured in a quarter of the book, which is rather lovely, in my opinion. The reader will learn about his love for Chinese food and dislike for the greedy and brutal people in power today. I like his poem 'Driving at night at 86' when he was shocked to learn that the age of his taxi driver was 94!

The prose initially seemed overly romantic and sweet but became observant and intelligent. He has opinions about many different life elements, and I agree with him about most of them. The vocabulary was easy to understand, with adjectives that were not dark, abstract, or random, as so much poetry tends to be: It leaves you feeling upbeat.

There was an addictive rhythm and syntax. The prose may not be the deepest or most talented poetry in the world, but it is personal and comes straight from his heart. His reflections on life are not naive but come with eighty-nine years of experience.

If only there were some better illustrations. I did not like the little cartoonish pictures; the family pictures would have been lovely if they had filled a page.

This would be an excellent coffee table book to pick up at random. Anyone can read it, although children might not understand it. I found a few grammatical errors. I did enjoy it but felt bored at times because some of it was repetitious. Because of these two points, I will award four out of five stars.

******
Poetry to Make You Think and Smile
View: on Bookshelves

[Amy Luman]

Poetry is not my favorite genre. However, anytime an author can use it to express themselves in a way in which they are comfortable I think that it i great. Someone will always love it. Thanks!