Among The Lost: In Dante's Wake: Book 2 - Seth Steinzor

3 Stars

ABOUT THE BOOK -

Among the Lost, set in the modern American rust belt, is a meditation drawn from Dante’s Purgatorio. To Dante, Purgatory was the mountain where souls not damned went after death to cleanse themselves of sin in preparation for entering Paradise. What, Steinzor asks, are we preparing ourselves for, having lost the fear of hell and the hope of heaven, in the course of our daily urban existence? And whatever that is, how do we go about preparing for it?.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR (or Poet) -

Seth Steinzor protested the Vietnam War during his high school years near Buffalo, New York, and his years at Middlebury College, advocated Native American causes after law school, and has made a career as a civil rights attorney, criminal prosecutor, and welfare attorney for the State of Vermont. Throughout he has written poetry. In early 1980s Boston he edited a small literary journal. His first, highly praised book, To Join the Lost, was published in 2010.

MY THOUGHTS -
This was a story (kind of) told in poems, which I love. This review is hard for me to write. Parts of this I loved and parts couldn't keep my attention and other parts I just didn't get. I think part of the problem (actually 2 problems) was that - this was book 2. Another reviewer said it didn't matter and this could be read as a stand alone. But in this case I think you should really read the first one, at least in my case I think I would have "gotten it" if I had. And the second - I never read the original Dante, I know! I can hear you gasping through the computer. I always wanted to but never did. And again - I think if I had I would have like this better or at least appreciated it more.

I will say that the writing was excellent!. The parts that I liked - I really liked. Like in the very beginning where he is describing a woman giving birth in the delivery room. This was very real and I actually liked this part very much. I just wished the whole book could have held my attention more. I definitely think if you are a fan of the original Dante you would probably love this.

I voluntarily posted this review after receiving a copy of this book from Poetic Book Tours. Thank you! 

Order your copy from Amazon - HERE