Official Review: Human Kindness Shortfalls

[HannahsReads]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Human Kindness Shortfalls" by Edmund F Byrne.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Human Kindness Shortfalls is a poetry collection by author Edmund F. Byrne. The author uses free verse to present commentary on topics as wide-ranging as global warming, the Holocaust, abuse of pharmaceutical patents, the Catholic Church, and the evils of war. Each poem highlights something humanity has done that lacks kindness.

I liked that the whole collection of poems is thematically unified. I also appreciated the well-crafted structure of each poem. The author is a skilled writer; he uses vivid examples and complex language to communicate his message. My favorite poems were in narrative form. For example, a poem titled “Dachau Dirt” tells the story of a holocaust survivor. This moving poem uses the image of a small box of dirt kept on a mantel to bring to life the horror of a childhood experience.

I have to admit that I struggled with the heavy tone of these poems. I found the author's view of humanity to be very one-sided. The final poem in the collection does sow a tiny seed of hope; however, overall this collection is a depressing lens through which to look at the world. This quote, from a poem titled “Moral Injury,” sums up the author’s worldview in a nutshell: “Since early childhood, I have known/that humans act inhumanely/towards one another and their world/and all the while proclaim the worth/of love and peace and kindliness./How can both contradictory paths/accommodate the footsteps of/one’s life without destroying in one/all meaning, purpose, and desire?” The title of this collection pretty clearly indicates that the author's intention is to describe the evils of humanity. I do agree that he does a good job with this. I just think that readers might relate more easily to these poems if the ugliness of humanity was balanced out just a bit with the beauty and joy of humanity.

I would recommend Human Kindness Shortfalls to readers who enjoy free verse poetry. I believe this collection is mostly aimed at an academic audience; it has a slightly ponderous tone and frequently uses complex, lofty wording. However, any reader who feels passionately about the many ways humans have abused the world may be drawn to this collection. These poems do not contain any material that would be offensive to sensitive readers. I would also note that this book was very well edited.

This poetry collection is well-written and thought-provoking; however, its language is also dense and rather cumbersome. I give this book a rating of 3 out of 4 stars.

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Human Kindness Shortfalls
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[Luluwa79]

I'm not usually interested in poetry. I t seems like a nice read with lots of moral lesson but i will skip it.
Thanks for the review.

[Tayejim1]

Although dense language is not my forte, I believe there are people who would be intrigued by this work of poetry.

[Chizioboli]

What a subtle way to unapologetically discuss important societal matters. I love this book and what it stands to teach. Great review you've got