Dumbed down for an American audience
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Clearly aimed at the not-so-bright American who likes to think he/she is cultured. Many American poets and spellings. The cover of a miserable girl is off putting enough!
You are better off with Penguin's "Poetry for Life".
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truly alive
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a brick packed dense with all that is valuable; thought, beauty, nature, humanity, love, friendship, redemption.
This book is an escape door.
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Beautiful...
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My boyfriend bought me this book as he loved it. I've not really got in to poetry before, and wasn't aware of many poets names or styles etc. This book opened up a new interest for me, and therefore recommend this to everyone else out there.. If anyone is looking for a good gift for someone??
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Some wonderful poems, but...
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'Staying Alive' contains many poems which are memorable and enjoyable. Unfortunately, Astley, after writing in his introduction about his disdain for poetry books being "dumbed down", then proceeds to supply a book which feels so simplified. Undeniably, contains some great poems, some well known and some less so, but could've been more. Astley's "How to Read Poetry" at the end of the book, is only useful to those with some knowledge already and his glossary, somewhat abysmal.
With a majority of very good poems however, the book is certainly a book, as the Times says, to leave around the house, but fails to live up to it's title.
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Essential Modern Poetry Reading
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Staying Alive and its' companion volume Being Alive are essential volumes for readers/lovers of modern poetry. You will be introduced to many poets - some not so well known and some with poetry volumes that are out of print. A third volume - Being Human- is scheduled to come out 2006/2007 and I eagerly await news of publication.
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United States | 
United Kingdom | 
Canada