Reviews

Landscape with Sex and Violence by Lynn Melnick

sophiejuhlin's review against another edition

3.0

There were a few poems that knocked me off my feet—brilliant and reverberating and speaking in the universal-yet-first-person cry that I anticipated from a Landscape to the female experience (“She’s Going To Do Something Amazing”, “Some Ideas For Existing In Public”, “Landscape With Clinic And Oracle”).

But many poems felt homogenous, repetitive, even ending on the same number of lines or with much the same ending punch. I get it—this is the reality of our collective experience, the reality of the unique experiences of some. But I wanted to see a little more ventured in those parts.

Overall, a worthy and important read. Down to specifics, I might only highlight a few.

rustbeltjessie's review against another edition

challenging dark funny reflective tense medium-paced

4.75

irina_kamara's review against another edition

1.0

No.

rebadee's review against another edition

3.0

Melnick's poems in Landscape with Sex and Violence are powerful, devastating, and also surprisingly funny. That element of surprise and nuance keeps the reader poised, unsure of what will strike them-- word choice, a sudden shift in pacing, repetition. This may also keep readers from fully engaging with the work. There was a lot to process, and because of that I may have come away with a shallow reading on my first go through. Though I was unsure where to begin, I do know that I will revisit these poems and will likely again find myself surprised.

pyrrhicspondee's review

5.0

Kind of like a puzzle, the poems individually sometimes confused me. But they all fit together and the weird edges and odd patterns make sense as a whole. (I've been doing a lot of jigsaw puzzles during this here pandemic.)