I was looking forward to reading this collection of Yeats' poems. I hadn't read anything before, but had of course heard of him. However, I found I was a little bit disappointed, especially by his love-poems. They seemed rather simple to me and either way didn't resonate with me. His poems concerning the situation in Ireland, I liked best in this collection, but I don't think I will be reading more of Yeats.

~Little Black Classics #98~

If I had to pick my least favorite day of the year, it would be April Fools' Day. For one thing, I already have an overdeveloped sense of mistrust, so the last thing I need is a day which amps that up to 11.

 

Another reason is that all of the attention paid to April Fools' Day overshadows the fact that it's also the start of National Poetry Month. A couple of years ago I committed to use the month to read more poetry, though I made the commitment at the tail end of it. Last year was even more disappointing, as I remembered about it only at the end. I blame April Fools' Day for having distracted me from it.

 

This National Poetry Month is starting out more promisingly. Not only did I remember it this time around (no thanks to April Fools' Day), but I even got things off to a fitting start by pulling off of my shelves my old copy of W. B. Yeats's poems. Though I haven't really read them since grad school, seeing them again brings back more than a few memories. I look forward to dipping into it again in the days to come.

Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.

 

W.B. Yeats

 

William Butler Yeats, the Irish poet and dramatist who became one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature, was born on this day in 1865.

Bunny Finds a Friend - Hazel Yeats 'Bunny Finds a Friend' is primarily a coming-of-age story of a gentle, funny and somewhat quirky thirty-something(!) woman. Flitting from job to job and girlfriend to girlfriend, Cara thinks of herself as an adventurous, restless, free-spirit. Her sisters think she just can't commit to anything long-term. But a chance encounter with a complete stranger in a department store at Christmastime sets Cara's heart in a tizzy. When she finally tracks down her mystery crush, she turns out to be a popular author of children's books, Jude Donovan. Sparks fly fast and the rest is history. But history may be short-lived as Cara deems herself unworthy of the more accomplished Jude. Can she handle the usual and inevitable relationship challenges, like their unequal station in life, and Jude's excess baggage?

There is so much to love about this book. The beautiful Amsterdam settings, the charming rom-com atmosphere, a lively gaggle of nosy, judgmental but ultimately loving and supportive 'sisters', a sweet and adorable pairing, and enough drama to liven up pages. From start to end, this is Cara's story. The romance is not the central theme of the book (Cara's long-delayed journey to adulthood is) but it did get real quality time, and features some of the most romantic moments I've read in quite a while. People who come into the book expecting it to be all about Cara and Jude (as romances go) will be a bit disappointed as they also spend quite a bit of time apart. In between, we have Cara and the meddlesome sisters. They're occasionally overbearing, but the smart dialogue, witty quips and cheeky back and forths that characterize their exchanges save them from being just caricatures. Plus, they serve as an excellent narrative device to fully explore Cara's dealing with love, life and growing up.

4.75 stars

ARC from Netgalley and Ylva.

P.S. Throughout the book I kept picturing Cate Blanchett as Jude and Roonie Mara as Cara. I wonder why? :)

Bunny Finds a Friend - Hazel Yeats *This book was given to me by Ylva in exchange for an honest, unbiased review

"Bunny finds a friend" is a very nice story written by Hazel Yeats in 3rd person. The setting is Amsterdam in the Netherlands, about a woman, Cara, who is aimless in life meeting another woman, Jude, who is very focused and quite successful. They fall into a quick love that surprises them both, but neither are mentally or emotionally prepared for the depth of this instant attraction.

I should say in the review of this that there is no description of sex or the erotic in this.

There is a subplot which grounds things and enables the author to flesh out Cara's thoughts and feelings for the reader. Cara has three sisters and they all live in Amsterdam and get together once a week. They are explored, as characters, enough to know who they are when speaking. They are amusing, help to add some variety to the story and are vital to the ending.

I enjoyed the story probably more than I normally would with this theme as Ms Yeats' style of writing is very fluid and well edited. I only found one typographic error in the book. The author includes a "Dutch thing" referring to the northern principality of Groningen as having its own language that is difficult for the rest of Holland to understand. Groningen and Friesland both have a myriad of dialects and Friesland her own language and are frequently teased by their southern neighbors.

Cara seemed real to me, a real person, with Jude slightly less so only because the narrative does not include her. Both women's thoughts and feelings are well described and known. The dialogue in the story is very well thought out and natural enough for me. This is a romance, but with more. I recommend this book and author.