Customer Reviews

Writing and Enjoying Haiku: A Hands-on Guide

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is one of those rare books I did not want to end. I wanted to savor each word as I highlighted, wrote in and slowly weaved my way through it.

The author, Jane Reichhold, manages to write from a place of expert while staying exceptionally accessible. This book could be embraced by those new to haiku as well as those who have been exploring haiku for a lifetime.

Reichhold balances the rules with license for freedom, "sternness" with light humor and is graceful the entire way through.

What a delight. I will have to buy several copies to give to anyone remotely interested in poetry..... actually, in living a fulfilling life for that matter!

I am giving this a 4 star review mainly because of the first section of the book. The author gives some great insight in how to read and interpret japanese and more modern forms of haiku. I wish there had been more examples of haiku's outside of the author's own selections but she does show some definite poetic talent.

As the book progresses into renga, tanka and other forms of japanese poetry I found the descriptions lacking. The later chapters seemed rushed and an after thought to fill space.

This is a great resource and worth the buy just for the few exercises in the book. I wouldn't list this as my favorite source but a good resource none-the-less.

I'm not sure if I will ever finish this book! Divided into four sections --"Four Things to Do Before Writing Haiku", "The Guide to Haiku Writing","Enjoying Haiku with Others", and "Using Your Haiku Skills in Related Poetry Forms" -- the book can be read straight through, but proves itself far more valuable as a homework assignment. I'm currently experimenting in a chapter called "Twenty-Four Valuable Techniques". What a great way to break Writer's Block -- try to approach the subject with various techniques until you find the right one for the haiku at hand. I hope each of you is able to enjoy this book as much as I am!...

This book is a beautiful how-to book on haiku writing that is accessible to all levels and on all levels. It is obvious that the writer is an experienced writer and teacher who shares freely of that experience. She transmits her clarity and joy regarding the realm of haiku in a way that is truly inspiring. Once you've read this work -- and it's easy reading! -- what else could you do but grab some paper and a writing utensil and get started. Although haiku is a simple form, it can be complex to grok. This book makes that complexity easy to comprehend, and the world of haiku easy to enter.

Years ago, when I first started writing haiku I read all the how-to books that were then on the market. Thus, when I heard about Jane Reichhold's new book "Writing and Enjoying Haiku: A Hands-on- Guide" I thought, there probably won't be much that I don't already know, but I bought the book anyway, just because it was written by Jane. Was I surprised! I learned so much that was new not only about haiku, but tanka and renga as well. Now, after reading the book, I feel I can look at a haiku and understand so much better why it works or doesn't, and have the vocabulary and tools to analyze and improve my own work and that of others. Only Jane Reichhold, with her extensive background in literature and journalism and her genuine passion for the Japanese forms, could have amassed and synthesized all this material and then made it so clear and accessible to anyone. Bravo! I am recommending the book to everyone I know!

The book offers plenty of helpful information about the nature of haiku and how to write it. However, the author's examples--with very few exceptions, all her own haiku--usually do not conform to the canons of mainstream haiku. Her haiku are often very subjective in tone and abstract rather than concrete. The examples are misleading to the novice and troubling to the haiku practitioner.

Last night I bought Jane Reichhold's book, WRITING AND ENJOYING HAIKU -- A HANDS ON GUIDE. I must say, after reading this book, this is the absolute BEST instructional book on Haiku (and Tanka and most all the other Asian genres of poetry) that I have ever read! And anyone who has seen my personal collection of Asian poetry books knows that I've purchased and read very many of them!

It is Jane's ability to condense into a readily-consumable, easily-digestible liquid form the often uncatchable mist of Haiku's do's and don'ts, rules, and advice, that makes this book THE ONE book you MUST have in your collection! It's all there, laid out for the reader to ingest and absorb--the poetic nutrition for the growing or maturing Haikuist or Tanka poet. It is the most complete handbook to date that I personally know of.

I'd like to personally congratulate Jane on producing such an important book, and to thank her for making this most complex of poetic genres so easy to understand!

This book is of great value to all of us who are striving to learn and hone our skills in haiku and tanka. I recommend it to everyone!

In my various experiences with japanese, i had long ago read many of r. h. blyth's works (including his book on senryu) and count his "zen in english literature and oriental classics" among the seminal books in my japanese experience. I also read henderson, but I must admit I never got around to higginson. I had tried my hand at translating some haiku and senryu as well, which I found quite interesting and would have been happy if someone had ask me to do some serious translating on either. I thought that i knew a little about what haiku and senryu were doing, but there was always something missing. At the same time, i had a great interest in japanese rhetoric, and sato nobuo's "retorikku no kankaku" was one of the most important, if not the most important, book in my study of japanese (and in a sense of english as well). And then i happened on jane reichhold's work, and haiku and rhetoric were brought together. For the first time, i realized what haiku was truly about. I now feel that i might actually write something of worth, and i definitely feel that i could do a better job of translating haiku or senryu (because i would now know what they are doing in terms of language). Ms. Reichhold has done a magnificent job of explaining the techniques involved in writing haiku, while at the same time not ignoring the spiritual side. She deserves great thanks for making haiku understandable.

I received the book by Jane Reichhold while I was studying abroad in England for a semester of college. I loved every minute of the book. As a beginner to writing and understanding Haiku I found the book to be very thought provoking. It challenged my way of writing and encouraged me to become more "in touch" with what I was experiencing while living in a foreign country. I now have pages of my own Haiku that I can refer back to and remember the many cherished moments I had in England.

I highly recommend this book to beginners. I have since then began purchasing other books written by Reichhold. I think she is a profound writer and I will continue to encourage others to read her work.

Very well written. Quietly draws the reader into enjoyment, enlightenment and understanding of haiku. A pleasurable reading experience, besides its excellent instructional content.