Live Love Life by Philip Lister is beautiful to look at. The cover is just great. It doesn’t really fit the collected poems inside, though.
The book’s description had me expecting a little more whimsy and a little less angst. (And more rhyming than there actually was.) many of the poems just came across as kind of preachy.
I can see how Live Love Life would be empowering for the poet to write but it fails to connect with readers. One of the reasons for this is that it doesn’t seek to be universal but, rather, says “This is my experience, I don’t care if you like it.”
Another reason it just doesn’t work for me is a lack of flow. There’s no Rhythm to lose yourself in. There’s also little in the way of figurative language, which shows a lack of mastery on the poet’s part. It can also be mundane and cliched in places.
Live Love Life seems like an important personal journey for the poet but doesn’t speak to me on any meaningful level. I don’t recommend it.
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