Elegies by Douglas Dunn

Hello, Helen here! Slightly late this week due to illness and a stampede of assignments charging my way, for which I apologise. Here is my review for a book of poetry that I read some years ago but will forever and always be my absolute favourite.

Book: Elegies

Author: Douglas Dunn

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Elegies-Douglas-Dunn/dp/0571134696

Written after the death of his wife from cancer, Douglas Dunn’s Elegies are a collection of poems about grief, love, and the struggle to keep going after profound loss. Perhaps the first thing I should say about this wonderful, wonderful book, is that it is the first – and only at the date of writing – set of poems that have made me cry. Dunn’s grief is smeared across every page for the world to see, in a way that is so raw and ragged that it takes your breath away.

One of the things I found most heart-wrenching was the way Dunn interspersed the grief of the present with memories of their life before her diagnosis, when he and his wife were happy and in love without the shadow of death hanging over them. I have been told that one of the best ways to write tragedy is to give the reader something happy to hold onto – the hope that something good will happen and change the ending and let us close the book with a smile on our faces. Whether Dunn’s inclusion of these brief, shining moments of joy were intended to cause this effect is perhaps unclear, but nonetheless, they certainly help you understand exactly what Dunn has lost, and how helpless he felt watching his wife’s health slowly decline, knowing there was nothing he could do to stop it.

The most famous poem from Elegies is probably The Kaleidoscope, which is widely available on a manner of poetry websites, often accompanied by a recording of it being read aloud. Written in sonnet form, The Kaleidoscope details Dunn’s loss of direction after his wife’s death. He describes, in aching detail, how he still half expects his wife to be in their house, and how he can almost see her watching him, if only he’d turn around. It’s probably one of my favourites from this collection, along with Birch Room.

I will say, however, that this isn’t really a book to pick up lightly. It deals with a lot of sensitive and emotional aspects of life and death and love, and even those who claim to be completely hard-hearted will probably finish reading this with a lump in their throat. It is likely that you might need some time to process the book after you have read it – I know I did! – so please bear that in mind.

Having said that, I would heartily recommend this to anyone and everyone who likes poetry, and to most people who don’t! It flows and captures you in way that some older poets might not, and I promise, you will never be bored when reading it.

Love in Between

Hey there, it's Lydia here. I'm really happy to be posting on the blog again, as you can see you'll be hearing from a member of our eccentric trilogy team once a week! This week I'll be discussing Love in Between by Mercy Jane Porquez Ballesteros.

Love in Between is a collection of classic and contemporary poems. It is inspired by the works of William Shakespeare and Edgar Allan Poe, both are my greatest influences. The short stories reveal a lot about human relationships, the concept of love, and how humans behave in it. This book will appeal to readers interested in contemporary romance and young adult fiction. It is inspired by the different emotions of love, for love manifests itself in many forms. At times, it can only be conveyed through words, exploring life’s lessons and suppressed passions. (Description from the author)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-Between-Mercy-Porquez-Ballesteros-ebook/dp/B076Y56M94/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1537277078&sr=8-3&keywords=love+in+between

Before I properly begin my review, poetry is an extremely personal form, in which everyone writes and interprets in many innovative ways. Each author is credited for expressing themselves no matter of anyones judgement or opinion.

The collection of poems and short stories addresses the romantic themes of: heaven, truth, heartbreak, jealousy, Godly love and life after love. While being a sucker for romantic fiction myself I read this collection with anticipation and eagerness. The book is separated by two sections, in which poetry presents itself first and the short stories second.

The author's poetry drew me in very rapidly, with her use of creative imagery and descriptive techniques, as well as some dialogue amongst her stanzas which I found very refreshing. Her use of Shakespearean dialect created a sense of nostalgia from when I studied many of Shakespeare's sonnets during my GCSE's and A Levels. The author greatly illustrates that 21st century writers are still influenced by the works of Shakespeare. However, like all collections of fiction, not every piece will be liked. I found that some poems were very similar in style, structure and content. That while some stanza's were very complex, others were rather simplistic and monotonous. Some poems had a lyrical flow that reached a satisfying conclusion, while within others I felt slightly lost when I met its ending.

While reading the second half of the book, I was presented with a similar reaction. The author presented some interesting introductions within her six short stories; creating a setting that both looked back into some characters pasts, while they reflected on their present emotions and surroundings. However I felt that the stories focused too much on the plot and not enough on the language that would express the characters complex feelings. This presented the characters to be rather flat and static.

My two favourite poems from the book are 'Midnight Flower' and 'For once, My Knight'. Both have a beautiful Romantic style, through the use of rich pastoral imagery which represent the speakers deep emotions. Although, what I enjoyed most was how both poems explore the truthfulness of love, whether that be about the innocence and honesty of love or the lack of truth it emits.

I lastly felt that within both the poems and stories there was a rigid sense of heterosexuality. There was heavy focus on the physical features and attraction between the characters, yet, they were always between a man and woman. It would be more appealing to see a more gender neutral atmosphere, so all people of all sexualities may find their romantic experience within the language.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys getting lost within the lyrical garden of poetry and atmosphere of love.

You should also take a look at other books published by Mercy Jane Porquez Ballesteros; these include 'A Taste of Revenge' and 'Poems of Love & Short Stories', in which can all be found on Amazon. You can also find her on her website www.mjaneballesteros.com and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/mjane207/.

When Life Gets In The Way

Hey its Lydia here! I haven't posted for a few weeks now, but here's my next book review. I ate this book up!

Author: Ines Vieira
Published: 1st August 2016
Publishers: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Romantic-comedy, Teenage love
Length: 314
Rating: 18+

Description from Amazon

A wise man once said that life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans. Cassandra Mackenzie had only one plan. Get into Berkeley, University of California. That was her one purpose and nothing was going to get in her way or sidetrack her from that one goal. Her life would finally begin once she moved from the quiet streets of Plymouth, Massachusetts to the sunny hills’ of San Francisco. That is if her family doesn’t fall apart before she can make her dreams come true. Isaac Silva never made any plans his entire life. His only objective was to have the nightmare he lived day in and day out, to finally come to an end. To Isaac, graduating wouldn’t mean college, it would mean freedom. But when these two meet, all bets are off. “When Life Gets in the Way” is a story about overcoming diversity and the grueling challenges that illness and violence can cause. But it is also a story of experiencing that one feeling that surrounds us all. Love It can either make you or break you.

Review

I have many words to say about When Life Gets In The Way. My first initial reaction when I first started reading on my iPad was, why is the font so big? And that it was longer than I expected it to be. However, I came to realise that something had happened when I was sent the PDF file, and actually the book is only just over three hundred pages long - the fundamental struggles of being a reader and reviewer.

What I enjoyed most about this book was the duel narratives of Isaac and Cassandra, where in each chapter the reader hears the perspective from each of their point of views. As both a reader and writer it was quite refreshing to hear a male voice in a YA romance book, something I haven't often come across until now. It brought a sense of masculinity to a genre that is mostly seen to be read by women, and it also allows readers to see inside the brain of a teenage boy, understanding all his deep thoughts and emotions. It was wonderful to read, as for many years men weren't known to be in touch with their emotions as much was women are, however the reader has such an intimate relationship with Isaac's thoughts that really their should be no emotional division between men and women.

The language used amongst the pages was very figurative, expressive and seemed to capture the characters emotions well. However, while it was lovely to read and imagine, there were parts were I thought the language was quite dull and literal. So there was a strange sensation of euphoria combined with an ache for something more descriptive. What was also captivated well was a sense of reality. In Vieira's book, her characters battle with the unfortunate circumstances of life, one being mental illness and domestic abuse, elements which hundreds of people daily are burdened with. Even though it can be distressing and heartbreaking for a reader to imagine, it brings a sense of human life and the realistic tragedy that people face in their lives. Although I enjoyed the language, some of the dialogue irritated me somewhat. The repetitive use of the word 'baby' when Isaac and Cassandra tried to sooth each other became slightly corny and cliche at times. However, it may be a British thing, as people in romantic relationships, definitely the ones I've been around, don't refer to each other like that. It is probably me just being picky, but every time I read the word, it reminded me of a pop song.

While I'm a reader for about forty per cent of the time, the other sixty is critically analysing the book: its style, language and foundation of plot. I was really impressed with the plot, the story started quite calmly, then as the reader was introduced to more and more characters, and each event starting to unfold, the tension rose really well. Along with the sexual tension between Isaac and Cassandra, meeting the climax of when they had sex. Moving on, love and the implication of love engulfs this story entirely. Obviously, Isaac and Cassandra are at the center, but I like how the author draws comparison to different relationships and marriages, especially the parents of the younger characters. What was quite touching and sentimental is that love changed the two main characters. Isaac, who thinks that to love and be loved is impossible, discovers that, despite all the odds he is able to love. Then Cassandra learns through love that the future cannot be controlled to suit ideas and ambitions, she sees that life and love are a rattling time bomb, patiently waiting to explode, no matter how hard you try, you can't keep it honed in.

I don't particularly have a favourite characters, but the one I most relate to is Cassandra. Like her, I'm always afraid of the future, and my brain is always filled and fueled by buts and what ifs. I too always want to keep the future safe and confined, but inevitably life is anything but smooth. So I really see myself in this characters, as I don't always put myself out in the world enough or take risks, but by the end of the book she finds herself within Isaac.

All the while when reading I couldn't help but be reminded of Nicholas Sparks books, so if you enjoy him as an author, then this book is definitely for you! I hope you enjoyed my review, go check out some of the other reviews on our blog by my co-writers Heather and Shani.

Jane Eyre

Hey everyone! Its Lydia here. I finished Jane Eyre yesterday and thought I'd voice my views on the well beloved classic.

Author: Charlotte Bronte
Published: 16th October 1847
Publisher: Smith, Elder and Co
Pages: 448
Genre: Romance, Gothic, Romantic

Description (from Amazon)
Jane Eyre ranks as one of the greatest and most perennially popular works of English fiction. Although the poor but plucky heroine is outwardly of plain appearance, she possesses an indomitable spirit, a sharp wit and great courage.

She is forced to battle against the exigencies of a cruel guardian, a harsh employer and a rigid social order. All of which circumscribe her life and position when she becomes governess to the daughter of the mysterious, sardonic and attractive Mr Rochester.

However, there is great kindness and warmth in this epic love story, which is set against the magnificent backdrop of the Yorkshire moors. Ultimately the grand passion of Jane and Rochester is called upon to survive cruel revelation, loss and reunion, only to be confronted with tragedy.

Review

I've had Jane Eyre on my bookshelf for some time and I started to read it at the beginning of this year. However, I only got about a third of the way through before school work intervened. But my sister this year bought me a really lovely limited edition of the novel for my birthday, so I said to myself, "come on, now that you've got the time, you have to read Jane Eyre".

Jane Eyre is a novel with quite complex language, so if you're new to reading classics, I would perhaps start off with an easier book, like Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, or 20th century classic like The Great Gatsby or To Kill a Mocking Bird, which are some of my personal favourites. I urge this as the first time I started to read some of Jane Austen's novels, I was around twelve or thirteen, and for good part of the time, I didn't understand the language.

Now, like in all my reviews I like to discuss aspects I both liked and disliked within the book. The first quality I enjoyed about Jane Eyre was Bronte's creation and style of narrative. The first person narrator (Jane herself) has a welcoming and polite tone, as she directly addresses the reader occasionally, creating a confidant relationship between the narrator and reader, forming a close and personal atmosphere. This adds wonderfully to the plot and direction of the story, as Jane is retelling her life experiences.

Jane is a lovely character: she's strong minded, independent and direct in speech - qualities I find in myself, and it seems other people find compelling in other reviews I've read. The characters traits are quite interesting given the time and age of the book. As I've written above in the details, Jane Eyre was published in the 19th century, and directness and openly opinionated women weren't seen to be very attractive (but that seems to be a different case in the book, I'll discuss this further down). It's additionally evermore curious that Bronte published the novel under a male name, Currer Bell. As a reader, I can see that Bronte was able to secretly express her personal characteristics while avoiding the female hypocrisy in society.

Judgement is something that Jane is confronted with all her life, with her Aunt Reed (her legal guardian), at school and even by some of the minor characters of the book. From a little girl, Jane has been cruelly judged. Personally, I think she is judged for many reasons, all very unreasonable, but mainly because she is forthright and expresses her opinions. Most women of that time didn't directly challenge people, as society would have seen it to be unfeminine. However, when Jane meets Mr Rochester, I think that it's what he likes most about her, that she openly speaks her mind.

Continuing with Mr Rochester, I'm brought to the theme of love and passion in the novel. It is clear, not at first, that Jane and Mr Rochester love each other. But what I like about their romance is that it isn't based on their physical appearance, which a great deal of Romantic novels are based upon. The couple fall in love because they find each other equally unattractive. At the beginning, it is made quite clear that Jane isn't beautiful, other characters and Mr Rochester even expresses that she is 'plain' looking, yet equally Jane comments that Mr Rochester isn't an attractive being either, and occasionally tells the reader he is ugly. This conveys that they love each other for sense of conversation and intelligence, and the colloquial term 'it's what's on the inside that matters'. This gives a certain warmth and sentimentality to their relationship throughout the novel. However, there are some moments in the story where I thought Mr Rochester to be quite an abusive lover, not physically, but mentally. He tricks Jane into jealousy, becomes possessive and becomes quite aggressive when he doesn't get his way. Yet he does openly express he loves Jane and doesn't convince or force her to marry him, like another marital interest attempts to do.

The last aspect I enjoyed about Jane Eyre was the Gothic side to the novel. Amongst all the beautiful pastoral language were dense and dark concepts. There is a sense of supernaturalism at the beginning, and scenes of morbidity and horror. I really enjoyed these moments, as it gave the novel a balance of both affection and hatred, as well as light and dark sentiments. I'm a big Gothic reader, I studied Frankenstein and Dracula for my coursework in my A levels, but even when I was slightly younger I enjoyed reading The Woman in Black and I'm the King of the Castle, which I studied for GCSE. These are all brilliant books, and if you like horror books, I'd give these a read next.

I hope you enjoyed my review of Jane Eyre! Sorry if it was very long, I had a lot to say about this wonderful book.