Customer Reviews

Breathing on Your Own

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As an avid quotes collector, I really appreciate that this is Richard Kehl's personal collection culled from various areas of his life, instead of a trite regurgitation of the same old tired quotes that appear in every anthology. And as with all collections, I loved some parts more than others. Some of the quotes were fabulous; others seemed weak and somewhat baffling when printed out of context. A line severed from the conversation in which it took place doesn't always make sense. Sometimes you need the framework of the conversation, either in part or in full, in order to understand what that line means--or to better understand its impact.

My biggest gripe with this book is that Kehl cited only the quotees' names and gave no additional information about where the quotes came from. And some of the quotes had no citations at all! I was thinking, "Okay, great, so this line was said/written by WS Merwin, but where? In one of his poems? If so, which one? Or was it something he said in an interview? Did he write it in a letter to a friend? And this next quote has no name or source affixed to it; where did it come from?"

On one hand, this is just a personal pet peeve of mine: I hate partial citations. Sometimes they can't be avoided, especially if quotes are obtained from secondhand sources. I myself unfortunately have a few such quotes in my collection. But the problem is that Kehl's entire collection is set up this way.

On the other hand, pet peeves aside, I think Kehl missed a great opportunity to open readers' eyes to literature and poetry that they might not have otherwise discovered. For example, maybe a reader will see in this book a quote that he absolutely loves, and it will spark a desire to read the entire poem/book in which the quote appeared. But if no poem/book is cited, how will he find it? Maybe he doesn't have the time or energy needed to read everything ever written by Rainer Maria Rilke in order to find the excellent work in which that one particular quote appeared. Googling the quote sometimes solves the mystery, but not always.

Aside from the citation issue, I did enjoy this book. I think it contains a fresh collection scattered throughout a wide array of subject categories--some of which are delightfully unconventional.

Wherever you dip your mind in this one-of-kind collection -- and you are, after the first taste, tempted to dip it often and at length, you find words and ideas from memorable figures, from poets to philosophers, that move you, move your heart or soul or intellect in myriad directions; quotations that intrigue, inspire, provoke, stimulate, delight, encourage. For anyone with a desire to light some sparks in their own mind's eye, this is definitely a book worth having on the shelf and savoring. I own many books of quotations, and this is far and away my favorite.

I received this as a birthday gift and just love it! It's about as far as you can get from the familiar books of quotation - wonderfully artful and quirky. I enjoy opening the pages randomly and never fail to find something unique and memorable.

This collection was obviously collected with love... the table of contents will lead you to something you desire or you can randomly have a good time just flipping to any page.... I found it remarkable when looking for a quote to express my thoughts after September 11th. Highly recommend to writers and lovers of great quotes.

You never know what you are getting ready for. This book wil remind you to trust and swim in the mystery of your process.

Need a new perspective? Thumb through this delicious collection of quotes. This book is my new I Ching. Close your eyes, pick a page and stumble across another fresh idea. Even if you hate books of quotations you might very well love this one. I did. It's sort of a jump start for your brain. Great present too.