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A review by prosewhore
The Book of Martyrdom and Artifice: First Journals and Poems: 1937-1952 by Allen Ginsberg, Bill Morgan, Juanita Lieberman-Plimpton
5.0
4,5 stars**
I really enjoyed reading these journals -what a surprise eh ? Not-. If you are looking to learn more about the Beat generation, this book might not be for you, while Ginsberg recalls certain moments he spent with his friends and fellow students and at times brings up his relationships with some of them, this is not your chance to dive into their uni dorm rooms (Shame, I would have loved that but let's not talk about what I wish this was...). Instead most of the entries are self analysing think pieces and recall of bizarre dreams. Bits of writing that came under such or such influence (drugs) and lists of books Allen Ginsberg read over time.
It doesn't make the book any less interesting. Although he often seem to have felt that he was too still, Allen Ginsberg was obviously an incredibly intelligent and a fairly productive person. He travelled and was quite social. All in all his adventures and his self discovery gave him a lot of material to write yet rather than what he thought about, how he put it down is what fascinated me most.
I guess as it often is the case with journals, this might not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you like Ginsberg's way with words in prose form as well as in poems and are generally interesting in his thought you might like this. It was very nicely edited as well, (not only in production, I mean well put together).
Overall it is lengthy but beautiful. I was thrilled by the poem portion of the book (about a 100 pages at the end) and cornered many, many pages..
I really enjoyed reading these journals -what a surprise eh ? Not-. If you are looking to learn more about the Beat generation, this book might not be for you, while Ginsberg recalls certain moments he spent with his friends and fellow students and at times brings up his relationships with some of them, this is not your chance to dive into their uni dorm rooms (Shame, I would have loved that but let's not talk about what I wish this was...). Instead most of the entries are self analysing think pieces and recall of bizarre dreams. Bits of writing that came under such or such influence (drugs) and lists of books Allen Ginsberg read over time.
It doesn't make the book any less interesting. Although he often seem to have felt that he was too still, Allen Ginsberg was obviously an incredibly intelligent and a fairly productive person. He travelled and was quite social. All in all his adventures and his self discovery gave him a lot of material to write yet rather than what he thought about, how he put it down is what fascinated me most.
I guess as it often is the case with journals, this might not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you like Ginsberg's way with words in prose form as well as in poems and are generally interesting in his thought you might like this. It was very nicely edited as well, (not only in production, I mean well put together).
Overall it is lengthy but beautiful. I was thrilled by the poem portion of the book (about a 100 pages at the end) and cornered many, many pages..