Official Review: Letters From a Broken Man

Cecilia_L · Post by **Cecilia_L** » 21 Jun 2020, 14:22

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Letters From a Broken Man" by Michael Trudeau.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Letters From a Broken Man by Michael Trudeau is a poignant poetry collection. With the exception of the first and final poems, each title includes "Letter to..." and addresses family, friends, God, life, addiction, time, fear, the unforgiven, and the reader, among others. Trudeau's poetry is unflinchingly honest as he expresses his struggle with mental illness:

"Only one thing keeps me from being stronger
My own twisted, failing, crumbling mental disorder."

In the synopsis, Trudeau refers to his personality disorder and comorbid depression. He explains that he writes poetry "...to work out complex emotions that would otherwise be bottled up and misunderstood." As Trudeau examines both causes and consequences of his illness, he conveys his inner thoughts with eloquent passages like the closing lines from his title poem:

"The vault of my disheveled mind is opened
As I journey once more to hope's end."

Likewise, I most appreciate Trudeau's transparency regarding his struggle. He gives readers a glimpse into his thoughts, including concerns about disappointing family, appreciation for his friends, and frustration with his illness. "Letter to Myself" is one of my favorites; Trudeau ponders the "...mind, the soul, the heart, the will, who has control?" He illustrates his stirring contemplation by contrasting a movie director with someone watching the film and a train conductor with someone speeding down the tracks. On a personal note, one need not wrestle with mental illness to identify with "Letter to Fear." Likely, I am not the only reader who can relate to Trudeau's description of fear as an "...unwanted and pesky resident."

The only thing I disliked about Trudeau's insightful collection was that the mere 39 pages left me wanting more. I will also note that I disagree with the suggested age and grade range on Amazon. I recommend exercising parental discretion; some of the content may be too dark for ten-year-old children as well as some sixth-grade students. On the other hand, in cases where a loved one struggles with mental illness, parents who preview the collection may feel the poetry is appropriate and that their child is emotionally mature enough to read the poems.

I rate Letters From a Broken Man 4 out of 4 stars. The collection is exceptionally edited and brings needed awareness to the topic of mental illness. I recommend the book to fans of poetry, those struggling with personality disorders or depression, and readers desiring a better understanding of mental illness. The book contains no profanity, but please note the suggestion regarding parental discretion in the previous paragraph.

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Letters From a Broken Man
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Mutai Marshal · Post by **Mutai Marshal** » 23 Jun 2020, 03:44

Thanks for the insightful review! I can see it left you craving for more, will check this poetic piece too

Sally_Heart · Post by **Sally_Heart** » 23 Jun 2020, 05:05

Poetry is a doorway to the soul and almost every piece can sound relatable even when it's not. I would love to read this book as it sounds like very good poetry. Thanks for the great review.

Dayodiola · Post by **Dayodiola** » 23 Jun 2020, 07:49

Converse with oneself is always filled with enough to be left with, great review.

Gabrielle Sigaki · Post by **Gabrielle Sigaki** » 23 Jun 2020, 07:55

I'm really into poetry books, and this one seems to be very intense. It's not easy to deal with personality disorders and depression. I'm interested to see how the author passed his feelings through his poems. Thanks for the great review!

Cecilia_L · Post by **Cecilia_L** » 23 Jun 2020, 10:11

Seroney_ wrote: ↑23 Jun 2020, 03:44 Thanks for the insightful review! I can see it left you craving for more, will check this poetic piece too

Thanks for your comment.

Cecilia_L · Post by **Cecilia_L** » 23 Jun 2020, 10:11

Sally_Heart wrote: ↑23 Jun 2020, 05:05 Poetry is a doorway to the soul and almost every piece can sound relatable even when it's not. I would love to read this book as it sounds like very good poetry. Thanks for the great review.

Thank you, Sally.

Cecilia_L · Post by **Cecilia_L** » 23 Jun 2020, 10:12

Dayodiola wrote: ↑23 Jun 2020, 07:49 Converse with oneself is always filled with enough to be left with, great review.

Thanks for your comment.

Cecilia_L · Post by **Cecilia_L** » 23 Jun 2020, 10:12

gabrielletiemi wrote: ↑23 Jun 2020, 07:55 I'm really into poetry books, and this one seems to be very intense. It's not easy to deal with personality disorders and depression. I'm interested to see how the author passed his feelings through his poems. Thanks for the great review!

You're welcome. I appreciate your comment.

Elvis Best · Post by **Elvis Best** » 23 Jun 2020, 10:53

This book seems to contain a lot of strong emotion written in the form of poetry. I'd love to read this. Great review!

Sarah A Martin · Post by **Sarah A Martin** » 23 Jun 2020, 11:56

This was a great review! Definitely makes me want to read this.

LinaJan · Post by **LinaJan** » 23 Jun 2020, 12:13

I like reading about real people's real struggles, especially when it comes to mental health, but I do not know whether I can get on board with poetry...

Thank you for such an informative review!

Phelicia Gloria · Post by **Phelicia Gloria** » 23 Jun 2020, 12:26

The suspense used in this book seems to be great, it's seems to be a nice book, great review.

Cecilia_L · Post by **Cecilia_L** » 23 Jun 2020, 12:57

Ekabajong wrote: ↑23 Jun 2020, 10:53 This book seems to contain a lot of strong emotion written in the form of poetry. I'd love to read this. Great review!

Thanks for your comment.

Cecilia_L · Post by **Cecilia_L** » 23 Jun 2020, 12:58

LinaJan wrote: ↑23 Jun 2020, 12:13 I like reading about real people's real struggles, especially when it comes to mental health, but I do not know whether I can get on board with poetry...

Thank you for such an informative review!

You're welcome. I appreciate your comment.