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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Punchy and relevant; modernity without the fluff & nonsense, 22 Jul 2005
"...I don't write
through a belief that I can stop wars
or coax a gullible woman into my chamber."
-Twelve SecondsWith an engaging conversational style, here is a voice showing that "unpretentious modern poet" is not an oxymoron. O'Sullivan explores modern London life, indeed modern city life, through many eyes and personas. From a jaded cab-driver to a hassled immigrant store-clerk, an elusive picture of London-beneath-the-surface is somehow bottled in his words. Whereas the subject matter is not purely London-based (extending to Ireland and transcending geography), it is certainly a predominant feature in this collection. O'Sullivan offers a raw perspective and style that could be likened to a polished uncut gem - finished, but losing none of its natural beauty. Expect little conventional form, but neither flat prose nor self-indulgent fluff. I especially enjoyed the variety of styles that O'Sullivan employs, from a fast-paced semi-surreal rat chase to the comic tragedy of a schoolboy's first kiss (not what you might expect). Its direct tone and sheer variety lends itself to a wider audience, and I would recommend it even to those leery of poetry. In fact, a lady reading over my shoulder on the Tube got enough in two pages (I was reading The Vale Estate) to ask who the poet was, and did he have any other works. If you don't believe that modern poetry can be good poetry (in which case you're hardly likely to be reading this review), read this collection before finalising your judgement.
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