"Outside a dog a book is man's best friend, inside a dog it is too dark to read!" -Groucho Marx========="The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." -Jane Austen========="I don’t believe in the kind of magic in my books. But I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book."-JK Rowling========"I spend a lot of time reading." -Bill Gates=========“Ahhh. Bed, book, kitten, sandwich. All one needed in life, really.” -Jacqueline Kelly=========

Friday, November 19, 2021

Tanka-poetry Book Reviews


Thanks to Lark Writes for giving me the inspiration to write short, poetic book reviews. Hers are called 'Haiku Reviews.' I'll make mine a little longer and call them tanka-poetry reviews. Similar to haikus, tanka poems are short, using only 31-syllables in the cadence pattern of 5, 7, 5, 7, 7. I'm catching up here on past-due reviews.


The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham
(Vintage, 2006; originally published in 1925)
 
Love-starved Kitty Fane
Lives in Hong Kong with husband.
After an affair,
they move to cholera zone.
She learns to love and forgive. 

4 stars



The Legend of Auntie Po by Shing Yin Khor
(Kokila, 2021)

A graphic novel.
Mei re-imagines the myths
Of Paul Bunyan, starred
By a Chinese heroine.
Set in logging camp of old.
 
3.5 stars


Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau
(Custom House, 2021)

Coming-of-age tale,
'70s in Baltimore.
Mary Jane nannies.
Family hiding rock star.
Summer changes young girl's life.

3 stars


Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis
(Macmillian, 1969; originally published in 1951)

The four Pevensie
kids return to Narnia.
Meet Caspian, fight Miraz,
Restore order and magic
Helped by Aslan the Lion.

4 stars
2nd book in series

-Anne

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1 comment:

  1. Lark November 19, 2021 at 1:28 PM

    Love your tanka reviews! You summed up The Painted Veil perfectly. :D

    ReplyDelete

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