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Member Reviews
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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me this eARC to review. Sadly the content within this book is not good for my mental health which I did not realise at the time so I am very sorry for that! I will give this 3 Stars as I couldn't review it properly. Apologies again!
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With a book of spiritual verse spanning time and different beliefs, there are bound to be poems that inspire deeply and others that make no mark. But this is a wonderful book that is full of surprises, inspiration and wisdom. Every time you open it you discover something of interest and often deep spiritual meaning.
Highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy of the book.
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A fascinating and inspirational book: spiritual poetry and spiritual experience. Gorgeous cover and a great book.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
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I enjoyed this book and after reading it cover to cover, went back and dipped in and out, finding old favourites and new words that I found connection with. The diversity of this book is wonderful, showing that the Divine is not the property of any one religion, time or culture but permeates everything.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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The voice of the editor is a major part of this volume, so you may be distracted by it if you were looking for a simple collection of religious poetry. But I enjoyed his thoughts on the quest for the spirit and his commentary on the poems - a mixture of history and personal connection.
The range of poems is across time, space and gender. and sometimes the spiritual aspect is not immediately apparent. But for me, that moment of connection to a distant unknown voice is the same as that glimpse of the light which may be divine.
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I was drawn to this book by its minimalist, yet magical cover,
In the introduction written by Akbar we learn about the author and the part played by poetry in his recovery from alcohol addiction. I particularly found the writer's own experience of growing up in Iran and arriving in the US as an immigrant set the town for the selection of poetry in this book.
He writes;
'Poets have always looked to the skies for inspiration, and have written as a way of getting closer to the power and beauty they sense in nature, in each other and in the cosmos.'
The book introduces the reader to 'spiritual verse' from poetry that transverses time and culture.
There is a wide selection to appreciate and one marvels at Akbar's depth of knowledge.
The Penguin Book of Spiritual Verse is highly recommended.