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annetjeberg's review against another edition
3.0
The idea behind this work is fascinating. Even though I cannot really explain it, nor can I say that I really enjoyed reading this, it was an important project, that has truly given me a different insight in the power of words.
readingcat1832's review against another edition
Not leaving a rating because I don't really read poetry so I don't know how to go about rating or expressing my opinions on it.
Like most readers, I thought this was an interesting collection of conceptual poetry. As someone who generally dislikes conceptual poetry (that is, when I do run across it) I thought this was a really effective use of experimental writing/creation. Some aspects of Abel's book were a little too experimental for my tastes (poems Q-S, mostly) but they worked well enough in the greater context of the collection.
Like most readers, I thought this was an interesting collection of conceptual poetry. As someone who generally dislikes conceptual poetry (that is, when I do run across it) I thought this was a really effective use of experimental writing/creation. Some aspects of Abel's book were a little too experimental for my tastes (poems Q-S, mostly) but they worked well enough in the greater context of the collection.
lovelyliterary's review against another edition
2.0
I can really appreciate what the author was trying to do here, but conceptual poetry just isn't for me. That being said, I still think that Injun is unconventional, clever, and a significant addition to the landscape of Canadian literature and Indigenous literature.
anneke_b's review against another edition
3.0
The idea behind this work is fascinating. Even though I cannot really explain it, nor can I say that I really enjoyed reading this, it was an important project, that has truly given me a different insight in the power of words.
lovepoem4000's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
I get why this book is hailed as being brilliant. I really enjoyed the first section of more narrative erasure poetry. The rest was difficult to get through. The problem is likely me; I just don’t understand how to consume the more concrete/experimental stuff. I got more out of reading a review of the book than reading the book itself.
elizabethlk's review against another edition
4.0
When I heard about Injun, a found poem comprised of words and lines taken from public domain western novels that used the word "injun", I was definitely intrigued. The book itself kept me intrigued all the way through.
While I don't normally prefer the style of poetry used here, I found that Injun had far too many important things to say to let that get in the way. The poem itself is incredible. It made me cringe, but in the sense that the subject matter is appalling. It is incredibly well put together. The notes at the end really added a lot to it. The information about how Abel put the poem together was interesting.
I definitely would recommend this. It's unlike anything else I have read, and it made a powerful statement. I have never been more uncomfortable with westerns as a whole as I am after reading this poem.
While I don't normally prefer the style of poetry used here, I found that Injun had far too many important things to say to let that get in the way. The poem itself is incredible. It made me cringe, but in the sense that the subject matter is appalling. It is incredibly well put together. The notes at the end really added a lot to it. The information about how Abel put the poem together was interesting.
I definitely would recommend this. It's unlike anything else I have read, and it made a powerful statement. I have never been more uncomfortable with westerns as a whole as I am after reading this poem.
schomj's review against another edition
4.0
Clever. Recommended for anyone interested in Indigenous anti-colonialist poetry or digital humanities/corpus linguistics.
kell_xavi's review against another edition
4.0
Stronger, at many points, in what it doesn't say than what it does, but for those willing to think in terms of contexts and language - historically, over time, how they translate currently - it's highly thought-provoking. Recalls Elif Batuman's New Yorker article discussing the normalcy of racism in novels deemed classics, and the need to question and rework the assumptions ingrained in the text and made about the present. In this work, Abel has done just that, both by creating the scenes of his reality and drawing attention in his format to those that are pervasive, harmful, and have a long legacy. Seeing these starting points is good practice for dismantling ideas about ownership, violence, and power, as well as what makes sense, what is right, and what we should accept.