lumenmews's Reviews (258)

There were a few poems that landed. I enjoyed thinking about what consciousness might look like when the root is intelligence (as opposed to the inverse for human evolution - consciousness then intelligence). That said, overall, reading this was at times very tedious. I am certain that with patience, I could find meaning in some of the strings of words or phrases Choi often uses, but I suspect part of the experience is meant to highlight nonsensicality and frustration.

Didn't speak to me for most of it. I think it can be hard to write poetry about apocalyptic times and make it relatable, which is often what I seek in poetry - words to help me process my right-now in different ways than I had explored alone. The last few poems tied it off nicely though.

I enjoyed it, I just wasn't destroyed by it (which is my preferred experience with poetry).

I feel like I trust the author's intentions, but don't trust her ability to relay her research accurately. Some analogies used to make a point were simply inaccurate, honing in on a specific part of a culture while ignoring the complicated and more complete picture. I often felt like I wasn't sure where she was going with something. The book is extremely heavy on the telling of personal stories and experiences, and unfortunately I just didn't find them stimulating, nor did I feel there was a cohesive direction. 

I think this book might have a place with people who have never really considered delving into themselves before, but it felt a bit pedestrian for me.

I have seen other reviewers say that Quiet was far better researched and put together, so I still intend to read that.