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Title: While Searching for Love and Self: A Journal in Prose and Verse 1986-2003 by Don Paul Martin ISBN: 0-595-27244-4 Publisher: Writers Advantage Pub. Date: 01 March, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $13.95

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Average Customer Rating: 4.75 (4 reviews)

Rating: 5
Summary: The trip we all take, one moment at a time
Comment: For us young ones in our forties, who once upon a time kept a journal, a book like this one is a bittersweet reminder of reminiscence-and-regret that we did not keep up with them. I read this book in two sittings, and found myself in the unfamiliar role of a young man, experiencing a transformation not too unlike the one I, a mother of five and grandmother of one, went through in those years.

To begin with, I read this book because I was visiting my daughter and I was bored. I had minimal expectations. What I found was an uncanny reflection on my own life, and I was surprised at how unique yet universal Martin's work is. It sent me on a bit of a sentimental tangent, and I must say a needed one that I've put off for some time, through a wide variety of basic to complex emotions.

I really did enjoy the experience, and hope to read more of Martin's stuff soon, if he has any.

Rating: 4
Summary: A review of life
Comment: After the first few poems, I thought I'd made a mistake and should have borrowed another book from a friend who had pushed this one on me. You can tell that the first few poems were written by a teenager, and I was at the point where I was just going to put it down and watch tv instead. But then I read "Where Once There Was a Cage" and I found myself going from my cranky mood to just having a complete tearburst, and then I was hooked. I realized that the poems before that WERE written by a teenager, and that is the POINT of the book. It takes you from that awquard stage of adolescense and moves you forward, as if you were developing (not aging, so developing is the only word I have)from the perspective of the writer. Like, these are his thoughts and emotions from the most personal perspective that you can get in a book, as if you had the driver's seat in his heart and mind. And the book brings you places that I as a woman don't think men go to often enough, or at least I don't see it often enouth, but that's my issue!

There was some stuff that I thought he experimented with that didn't quite work for me. There are two poems that he frames into shapes, one of a dollar sign and one of a skull. I thought the dollar sign one was very funny, but it was gimmicky. The skull one was too bitter, but I guess that's an emotion too. The "Ode to a Rag Doll" poem was very touching, and for my whole life I wish someone had written a poem like "Forbidden" for me. And there are a couple of others in there like that, really good love poems. The two haiku poems were really good; one was very amusing and the other I just adored because my mom was Japanese and she loved eastern poetry and she would have liked that one alot. Theres probably more than 80 poems, so I can't review them all, and I'm not even mentioning my favorites (except for the Cage and the Forbidden poems).

The closing was very fitting. Someone else wrote that now she wanted to know what happens to the man next, and I hope I don't have to wait more than a decade to find out, either.

To summarize, I gave this book four stars because I think five star books should be classics or staples on everyones booksehelfs. But I am very glad that I read past the first couple of poems because it was so worth it, and it took me on a ride that I was in no way expecting. It was very emotional and fun. Each poem made me think about my experience through life, and like my life I didn't know what the next poem was going to be about, or how my life would turn. I related to it FAR more than I thought I would relate to a book of poetry written by a man. It wasn't an artsy-phartsy collection of poetry, it was just very open, honest, and I have to say really brave for the man to let you in the way he did.

I have read the book twice, and my advice is to pick up a copy and do the same. Bring kleenex and let a friend borrow it.

Fran

Rating: 5
Summary: I highly recommend it
Comment: Read it. Loved it. Bought it. So that sounds backwards, but sue me, it's America. :)

I found so much of myself in this book, I thought it was about me. Sadness, happiness, rage, I related. I borrowed it from a friend at work, and it was really funny because the poems that she thought were going to me my favorites were really good guesses, but not my favorites. Poems like "Forbidden", "Saturday After Work" and "Antihero" hit me like a ton of bricks, but the ones I liked the best were the ones like "Day 11,736", "Regret", "Pretzel" and "Collusion" (oo, and "The Forgotten Words of God" too, very existential) were my favorites because they were a little more abstract and mysterious but still descript enough to draw conclusions by.

Anyway, I need to say also that although the title makes you think that the book is all about relationships, that might be a little deceiving. Some relationships are parent/child or other family relationships, some are about relationships with friends, pets, nature and experiences. There are a few poems that are just about fun. All of them put together are like reading a person's life as they grow up.

Anyway, pretty cool, and I think that this kind of writing should be looked at by high schools and colleges as a project for there students. I highly recommend the book because it's kind of like a movie that you can go back to and feel comfortable from watching it. I hope that made sense.