Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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5.0 out of 5 stars
A Collection of Poems, a collection of Art, 27 Jan 2008
Buildings In A House Of Fire is a work of art. When when people read Graham Tiler's poetry, they have to talk about it. Either to discuss the content and try and discover what is really being wrote about, or just to share with other people the fantastic words that the poet has put together.
I have had the book for a few weeks now, and like studying a painted art-piece, I have had to go back and revisit the work.
I came to appreciate Poetry when I studied English literature at A'Level, and absolutley loved to disect a poem line by line and eke meaning from the words, and formations of the poems themselves. It has been many years since I have had the opportunity to do this, as I fell in love with traditional heart-on-your-sleeve-tell-it-like-it-is poetry, which didnt need disecting or analyzing, but was beautifil none-the-less. Now with Buildings In A House Of Fire I can indulge in this once more. I can surely see Tiler's work appearing on an A'Level syllabus in the future, and the students who studied it would very extremely lucky.
His words have deep meaning, and I cannot feign that I know what the meanings are, and to spend one day in Tiler's creative mind would be a privalege.
If I can share with you my favourite poems from your book so far:
Make Good The Promise
The Final Day Of Reckoning
It Has Been Sometime
I will be reading this book for a long time into the future, and lets hope there's another on the way.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant, 10 Jan 2008
This book demands applause. With no holds barred, it unlocks the route (in)to Graham Tiler in a big way. It echoes a personal journey that so many will relate to (in the context of their own experiences). The language is direct and engaging, persuasive and atmospheric, and as a result, I found myself completely immersed.
It is evident that this newly discovered Glasgow poet has undertaken some serious personal 'excavation' to produce a wide range of penetrative poems/prose that just ooze emotion and intellect. You'll find in this book some powerful and evocative images that peel back the strata of an interesting life, images that will transport you straight to the heart and mind of one who writes with illuminating honesty, sincerity, integrity and a bone-deep reflection (which frightens even the most resilient of us at times! ). This poet is a brilliant observer, and I was particularly struck by his unwavering responsiveness to the world around him, even through adversity.
It was a beautiful, poignant (and at times intense) reminder that we don't always get it right. We all rise, fall, scream, cry, win, lose, make mistakes, collide and falter without exception. It's part of the human condition. For me as reader, it addresses one of the most important questions in relation to life and existance: do we submit or conquer ? Love, fury, anguish, regret, memories, excitement, bitterness, isolation, rebellion, desperation, disassociation-- it's all here, and serves to reaffirm our need for connection to self, others and the world around us.
The bleeding and emphatic despair conveyed in poems like "The Rehearsal" and "I do not thank you " were two of my favourites, but every page reveals a panoramic insight into the author and his experience at a given moment in time.
Poetry is always a great mechanism with which to deploy your most intimate self, but to do it with such precision and clarity is no easy task. Graham Tiler does it in his own unique way with a strong assertive voice that interacts on so many levels. This guy knows, really knows what it means to be human. His spirited pilgrimage was well worth the read and the residue will remain for many years to come.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE ANARCHY OF SUBVERSIVE POETRY, 4 Jan 2008
It's always difficult to compose a review that lets people know exactly what you will find within the covers of a book because such things are incredibly personal from one individual to another - BUT if you are someone who reads, comprehends and enjoys ANY aspect of poetry then you owe it to yourself to purchase a copy of this book to see how an author can actually get across the messages of angst, torment and animation in our modern world!
If you cannot find something within this book that resonates with you or the experiences you have had at some time in your life... then, I respectfully suggest that you must either be dead or devoid of any of the desirable aspects of being human.
Graham Tiler explores a wide range of emotional responses, especially love lost - found - and lamented... if you've never experienced any of these feelings then you have my sympathy... if you have, then you will find a new perspective, a familiar resonance and even pleasure in someone else's misery and sometimes an amusing, wry, reflection that might make the next bitter taste just a little more palatable.
From 'DADA' like pieces of a few lines to extensive works that encompass flashes of Burroughs, John Cooper Clarke and even hints of The Sex Pistols - it would be a harsh critic who could not find something to appeal and captivate them within 'Buildings In A House Of Fire' [and if not a harsh critic, then perhaps someone who has yet to venture out into the world and live for the first time].
A major standout piece is 'More Dream Sinister' which drags the reader on a bizarre, fascinating journey filled with uncanny imagery and prose like gems that automatically flash images into your head like the best David Lynch film you have yet to see or imagine in your darkest moments of introspection.
I could point out why you will, why you should and why you can only enjoy this work... but then, why should I? If you can't risk less than a tenner to experience something new, fresh and vital then pop down to the pub or switch on your TV and drift back into the same sleepwalk pattern that defines your everyday life and each breath you take... but for the imaginative and stimulation hungry people who want more from their waking hours - I simply say "BUY IT" because it will not disappoint you or those you will end up buying a copy for as a means of waking them from the sleepy trance that defines their bookshelf!
If you enjoy this literary work as much as I have, just spread the word rather than sending me thanks or large checks for tipping you to something it will take a while for The Sunday Times to get to grips with - be a part of The Last Generation rather than another casualty of The Lost Generation!
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