Scan barcode
jgh514's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
shelbyelby's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
jackieh346's review against another edition
4.0
Great collection by the people’s poet! My favorite poems were: “Taking off Emily Dickinson’s Clothes,” “Paradelle for Susan,” “Moon” and Picnic, Lightning.” Billy Collins never disappoints! I truly cherish his simplistic style, profound observations and wittiness.
julialou's review against another edition
5.0
This is the first time I’ve read a complete book of poetry! I really enjoyed the experience and would like to try it again soon.
riverss's review against another edition
"And find another shore to darken with my pain.
And find another shore to darken with my pain."
And find another shore to darken with my pain."
tiedyedduck's review against another edition
5.0
I read this in college, but I still have an appreciation for this poetry.
klarastan's review against another edition
3.0
The title alone - a reference to Nabokov's Lolita and the way that Humbert Humbert's mother died - makes the book worth reading, and then you get to the poems (which are also good).
dotorsojak's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this book quite a bit. This is conversational, witty, easy to follow poetry. One of the nice things about Collins is, even when you're following along the rhythms and mental flow of his verse, there are continual surprises, often comic. In "Marginalia" appears the following stanza, at which I laughed aloud:
And if you have managed to graduate from college
without ever having written "Man vs. Nature"
in a margin, perhaps now
is the time to take one step forward.
Here are some of my favorite poems: "Marginalia," "Fishing on the Susquehanna in July" (an ekphrastic poem possibly about a painting by J. F. Cropsey), "I Go Back to the House for a Book" (sort of a time-travel/counterfactual history poem), "Musée des Beaux Arts Revisited" (another ekphrastic poem, also an homage to the Auden poem of same name), "Paradelle for Susan," and "Passengers" (sort of about fear of flying, with hilarious last few lines). I recommend this book, particularly to those who don't read much poetry and want to go more deeply into it.
And if you have managed to graduate from college
without ever having written "Man vs. Nature"
in a margin, perhaps now
is the time to take one step forward.
Here are some of my favorite poems: "Marginalia," "Fishing on the Susquehanna in July" (an ekphrastic poem possibly about a painting by J. F. Cropsey), "I Go Back to the House for a Book" (sort of a time-travel/counterfactual history poem), "Musée des Beaux Arts Revisited" (another ekphrastic poem, also an homage to the Auden poem of same name), "Paradelle for Susan," and "Passengers" (sort of about fear of flying, with hilarious last few lines). I recommend this book, particularly to those who don't read much poetry and want to go more deeply into it.
librarylapin's review against another edition
2.0
I got this book because Billy Collins appears everywhere in the poetry isles of life. I wanted to know what all the fuss was about. This book did not help. He had some lovely metaphors about memory and dreams but for the most part I didn't connect at all. I also found a couple of poems pretty creepy. There was one about a Victoria's Secret catalog and another about undressing Emily Dickinson. I am going back to Audre Lorde.
nicolejacobsen's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5