| Title | : | When the Barbarians Arrive |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1906570989 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781906570989 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 96 |
| Publication | : | First published July 1, 2012 |
Ranging from unsentimental love poems to sharply satirical writing and audacious medleys, here are poems wry and shrewd, intelligent and sensitive, generous and playful, yet full of paradox; poems that pry, celebrate and unsettle.
This is Alvin Pang's first full-length UK publication.
When the Barbarians Arrive Reviews
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This collection seems positioned both as an introduction to the poet, for an international (English-speaking) audience, as well as a primer for local readers who haven't yet read him. On both counts, I believe it succeeds. Place references do not take the place of poetry, and personal reflections do not take on the caught-between-two-worlds anxiousness that a non-Singaporean reader with a passing interest in postcolonial theory might expect. A very worthy read.
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3.5
The first half started off strong and I could see myself giving a solid 4 at least but the second half didn't quite do it for me; maybe because I had already read some of the poems featured in City of Rain. Nothing quite comes close to that book so it does take a fair bit. I'd still recommend this really as Pang's poetry is beautiful. -
Incredible - not a collection of original poems but a collection of very very good ones.
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Review forthcoming.
