Customer Reviews

The Good Thief (National Poetry Series Books)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Marie Howe's first book of poems, "The Good Thief", is a splendid debut, presenting the maturity, courage and self-awareness that will sustain her role as neccessary reading for years to come. The compassion of her poetry easily puts her in the category of poets, Dorianne Laux and Sharon Olds. Fine examples of how the author achieves such beauty, is seen in "Death, the last visit", "Veteran's Day", "Menses", and others.

In her sophmore collection, the author surpasses the accomplishment of "Thief" with "What The Living Do", a collection of elegies dedicated to her brother, John, who died of AIDS. Over a dozen customer reviews praise her second book, on amazon.com. It is an absolute reward to purchase and revel in both of Marie Howe's collections.

"What the angels left" is clever while "Death,the last visit" is so touching and puts forth a new idea of death.At the beginning of her career she really began with a bang.

I went through two bookshelves of poetry at my local bookstore, and two hours later came away with just this one book. I read a poem each night before going to sleep. The writing is intimate and airy, refreshing when life has become too narrow.

I've read many books of contemporary poetry and few have excited, frightened and compelled me to keep reading the way this one did. Marie Howe is a true mystic and everything she writes feels as if taken down, as if she is listening to a voice only she can hear, a voice that has everything to tell us about our lives.

Sparse, beautiful writing--the theme of redemption is potent in nearly every poem--everyone must read this!!!

This book changed my life! Read it. Buy it. Read it. Your life will be transformed

Ms. Howe's vision is suspect when her over-intellectualized poems prefer pat phrases and obvious cliches over direct treatment of the subject