There are a few things we could ask of reviews.
1) that they tell us something about the books in question. This Allison's
review does extremely well. I think she gives enough examples of the verse
for any reader to make his or her own decisiona about it. I find myself
agreeing with the reviewer in this case, but don't always. I do think a
fair reviewer provides enough examples for readers to make decisions other
than the reviewer's. Allison has done this.
2) that they demonstrate care, concern, & committment to writing. Allison's
clearly does this.
3) not always to be found but a delight when it is: that they entertain &
illuminate; & that is certainly the case here. It's clear Allison has
really worked at this review, in fact, I would say she gave these books far
more attention & thought than I would have done. Rereading them, _studying_
them, truly, and thereby assuming a seriousness of purpose that, sadly, she
couldn't really discover in them.
I'd agree with Gillian, that the review helped me -- to realize these
aren't poems for me; but it could easily tell other readers that these
poems are for them. What more could we ask?
Douglas Barbour
Department of English
University of Alberta
Edmonton Alberta Canada T6G 2E5
(h) [780] 436 3320 (b) [780] 492 0521
http://www.ualberta.ca/~dbarbour/dbhome.htm
. . . by then I had knownfor many years that in a democracy
it is frequently necessary to enter the polling booth holding
one's nose.
Bernard Levin
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