Whispers: Poems

Jonathan Russell
Peter E. Randall Publisher (2008)
ISBN 9781931807708
Reviewed by William Phenn for Reader Views (12/08)

 

“Whispers” is a book of poetry by an award-winning writer. As Jonathan Russell contemplates life, nature and the human interaction with all things, his writing encompasses the core of life itself.  Beginning with “The Love That Passed Us By to Child of Heaven,” his poetry is a flowing reminder of nature’s wonders. In “Whispers, Jonathan Russell offers up a plethora of verse from every aspect of life. He reminisces about love as a young man, reflects upon the calming effects of natures’ wonders, tells the tale of a brave captain and takes the reader down a path of mental adventure like no other.

Some parts were puzzling as I tried to find the meaning behind the verbiage. Others were quite descriptive and very crisp in their presentation. The vivid descriptions in “Through a Glass Staircase” kept me reading and were typical of the passages on every page. With a colorful flair and a bit eccentric, “Whispers” entwined earth, wind and fire with the human element to create a volume that was not typical of the average poetry book.

I was not impressed with the editing job and it lost points over that. An example of this is the author’s award winning poem, “When the Milklight Breaks.” But yet, on page 28 of the book, the obvious poem on that page is this award winning poem, which is called “When the Moonlight Breaks.” 

I was not very impressed with the book “Whispers.”  It did not keep my interest and was a bit hard to comprehend in spots. Though his intentions were well-meant, I think the author could have done a better job in his presentation. The verbiage was a bit extravagant for a general audience and all things considered, I had no choice but to give it a C.

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