Scan barcode
zeinabali's review against another edition
4.0
In a world that has become nihilistic, illogical, and schizophrenic, how can one find meaning? The Waste Land is a terrible look at the consequences of modernism on man's psyche. The disconnected storyline, bizarre noises, miserable humans, arid environment, and filthy mud all murmur coldly and inhumanely: "chaos." That sense of dysfunction is genuine and vivid nowadays, like a disease that has only grown worse since Eliot's time. The Waste Land is a journey into the unsteady floor of the modern world, with postmodernism, ideologies, and totalitarianism on the rise followed by the loss of Righteousness, resulting in the frustration that Nietzsche predicted so accurately: “the highest values devalue themselves. The aim is lacking, and ‘Why’ finds no answer.” If we are to sort out the chaotic situation that has been handed to us, we must first get ourselves in good enough shape. Create order inside ourselves before attempting to create order in the world. Killing the collective illness that society is suffering from requires the elimination of the disease that exists inside ourselves. We, the individuals, reflect the possibility of finding meaning in ourselves, society, and the world. Eliot's poem despite its difficulties is one that should be read again and again, to remind oneself that its themes are, tragically, still relevant. With political ideologies and postmodernism buried deep beneath the dirt, and God's burial buried deep beneath the soil, we have lost ourselves. We have drifted far from religion and the spiritual tranquility that God provides. We have been lost in the process of living; we are trying to survive after all the suffering we have gone through; fearing we will not, but still trying. This poem must be read in order to comprehend how to survive in this brutal modern society, both intellectually and psychologically.
jgurniak's review against another edition
3.0
These poems are not something you can just breeze through and leave it at that. The work of T.S. Eliot is meant to be read slowly so that you absorb every word.
tregina's review against another edition
4.0
I will freely admit that I admire Eliot's work more than I enjoy it, but I enjoy his poetry more than I enjoy his plays, and I enjoy (if enjoy can be said to be the right word) The Waste Land more than most other poetry, so it alone boosts the rating. Though that said, the supplementary materials in the book also give it a boost; I often don't read supplementary materials, preferring to get to the meat of it, but these were insightful and illuminating and I particularly appreciate the contemporary reactions to Eliot's writings.
beachybookstack's review against another edition
3.0
I hope you realize, potential reader, that this is 50% Wasteland end notes. Also, some poems are in French or have random sentences in French. I live in California, I took high school Spanish. I skipped all the random French, if it had been Spanish I could have read it. 4 stars would have been for translations.
Anyways, some of the poems are more enjoyable than others. I quite like the Hippopotamus poem, and the section of The Wasteland about Fire.
I'm not a poetry reader, so this was a nice foray into trying something new. Worth it, I believe.
Anyways, some of the poems are more enjoyable than others. I quite like the Hippopotamus poem, and the section of The Wasteland about Fire.
I'm not a poetry reader, so this was a nice foray into trying something new. Worth it, I believe.