Official Review: Visions, darkness and light.

[Azeline Arcenal]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Visions, darkness and light." by Douglas Snodgrass.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Visions, darkness and light, by Douglas Snodgrass, is a poetry novel that includes poems written in prose as well as a historical fiction horror short story. While the main themes center around horror and sci-fi, a majority of the poems have spiritual themes interwoven in each one.

One of the things that I like about this book is the wide and varied range of subjects of each poem. Some of the poems center around famous historical figures like King Tut and Alexander the Great, while other poems are more personal and center around figures like his mother, grandmother, friends, and past lovers. Most of the poems talk about anguish, pain, and suffering, while other poems are more light-hearted and talk about hope and love. In ‘The Mummy’, the author describes how King Tut was betrayed and put to death, only to rise from the dead as a mummy. In this poem, not only did it have elements of horror and suspense, but a majority of the sentences rhymed. For example, “He holds your life within his hands and will bury your souls beneath the sands. There is for you no promised lands.”

On the other hand, there are poems like, ‘Guardian Angel’, which take on a lighter tone than ‘The Mummy’ where the author showers his appreciation towards his late mother. Also, there is a mix of Christianity in the poems like in “The Resurrection” which talks about the days leading up to the resurrection of Jesus. Other poems like “A New World”, are filled with hope and peace.

Also, a majority of the poems were deep and made me ponder about the meaning behind them. In the ‘Loyal Soldier’, which describes a soldier’s experience in war, one line stood out to me “It rains on the just and unjust”. There were many quotes like this one that was thought-provoking. I enjoy complex poems, and I often had to stop and digest what I had just read in order to process and reflect on the message that the author was trying to deliver.

The last part of the novel is the author’s twist on the Trail of Tears titled ‘Ouijawa’. It’s a historical fiction horror short story, and the suspense that built up as I read kept me thoroughly engaged throughout the story.

Overall, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I liked how this book included the short story at the end, and how it covered a wide range of themes. The black and white photographs that accompanied most of the poems also added a unique twist. What I liked the most about this book was the author’s word choice and the use of descriptions in evoking fear. ‘The Lycan’ sent chills down my back due to the way the author described the setting. There is nothing that I disliked about the book. I only noticed a few minor errors, but besides those errors, the book is well-edited. I would recommend this book to those interested in poems filled with suspense, horror, and conflict.

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Visions, darkness and light.
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[kperm]

This book doesn't seem to be a good fit for me. However, I'm glad to know that you enjoyed the book. Thank you for your review.