Review of To James & Sarah With Love

[Dimi1]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "To James & Sarah With Love" by Shontay Celinda Luna.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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To James & Sarah with Love by Shontay Celinda Luna is a collection of poems based on expressions used from the 1920s through the 1940s by a generation that lived hard times and whose “sole focus was to get a good job”. The poems are heavily based on the author’s connection with her paternal grandparents and are highly emotional and sensitive. In this respect, with the exception of the haikus somewhere near the end, no particular meter or pattern is followed, while the focus seems to be on applying words and expressions that have faded out during the years.

The author uses a common language that provides nostalgic images and a glimpse of the era she refers to. All of the poems seem approachable to the casual readers and some of them seem to touch their inner feelings. I particularly liked “The Gaffer” and the lovely sentimentality it features; it’s a typical example of soul-searching poetry where the author deposits her deep feelings on her grandfather and this is probably appealing to everyone. The book doesn’t have any typos or errors, but this actually seems minor, considering that we speak about poetry where supposed errors are often intentional.

On the other hand, some of the poems, i.e., “Segregated Signage”, “Keys”, “Poor Chronicles One”, etc., are using descriptive and explanatory language that seems to not hide anything. Considering the overall purpose of poetry, which is to stimulate the reader to identify hidden meanings from allegorical words and expressions, this seems like a major drawback since everything seems crystal clear. Also, the particular author’s philosophy will probably lead the reader to wonder whether this is practically poetry or just very sentimental prose. Nevertheless, one cannot overlook the fact that even if it’s prose, it’s still well written and quite powerful while the wording is very interesting and engaging.

Overall, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars for its beautiful expressions, powerful images, and sentimentality that probably touches everyone’s heart. One star was deducted because of its prosaic character in some parts, which deviates from the poetic character that the author wishes to establish.

Given the above, the book will appeal to readers wishing to gain access to a hard era with its ups and downs. Due to its simple and loose wording and expressions, it is likely that the book won’t engage meticulous poetry lovers, but it’s highly possible that it will engage all people being nostalgic for old times.

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To James & Sarah With Love
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[Josephe-Anne]

The concept of writing poetry based on old-fashioned expressions is very interesting. I appreciate your expert eye and analysis of the technical and stylistic aspects of the book. I agree that poetry should convey ideas in an allegorical manner. Despite the issues mentioned, this collection sounds entertaining.

Thank you for another great review.

[Emily_Jen]

I'm not a fan of poems and find them a hard nut to crack. While I'm pleased to see that you generally enjoyed the book, I would pass on this one. Thanks for the review.

[NetMassimo]

Language is deeply connected to its culture and the environment in which it's developed, so a dig into the language used in a certain period in a certain nation helps to understand the people who used it. Thank you for your great review!

[zainherb]

I prefer my poems to have a metre or cadence. That's how they sound pretty to me.
Might give this a try though.

Loved reading the detailed review.

[markodim721]

A very unusual approach to poetry that exudes nostalgia. Thanks for the good review.

[Raluca_Mihaila]

It seems like a creative and interesting collection of poems, just perfect when you are feeling a little nostalgic. Nice review!

[Jagiine]

I typically prefer for my poetry to be poetry, not prose, but this collection sounds very intriguing. I might give it a chance or at least recommend it to my husband. Thanks for your insightful review!

[Reader-247]

Thanks for an enlightening review. The book description caught my curiosity, will be reading it soon.