The Book of Jane

by Jennifer Habel

The Book of Jane is a perceptive, tenacious investigation of gender, authority, and art. Jennifer Habel draws a contrast between the archetype of the lone male genius and the circumscribed, relational lives of women. Habel points repeatedly to discrepancies of the grand arenas of Balanchine, Einstein, and Matisse are set against the female miniature—the dancer’s stockings, the anonymous needlepoint, the diary entry, the inventory of a purse.
 

Genres: Poetry

110 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2020

About the author

Jennifer HabelGood Reason and The Book of Jane, which won the Iowa Poetry Prize. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Reviews

[Reading_ Tamishly]

Sometimes I feel really lost when I open up a book to read. Maybe I got confused with the book description. I picked up this book because of the description, the book cover and thought it as a full-fledged book. Somehow it should turn out okay as I do read a lot of poetry/verse formats too and actually enjoy reading them. Somehow this one just didn't tick. I so wanted to connect with the words, I tried my best to get along with the situations described; I tried to get into the emotions in between the lines. Somehow I just couldn't. Maybe it's just me. I felt like reading a checklist of things done, felt and used being listed in the book. I just couldn't feel more than that. But yes, I appreciate the new style of presentation. Maybe if I was more used to the new format, I would have been able to enjoy this book more. And yes, contentwise I couldn't find much of anything significant as per the description I was looking for something about feelings and writings about 'gender, authority and art.' Sadly, it didn't make much of an impact.

Thank you #NetGalley for the book #TheBookofJane

[Luna]

The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It was hard for me to connect with her writing style, thus most of the time I was just scamming through the pages and not really reading them. I had my hopes up and I wanted to like the poems but it wasn't really my cup of tea.

[Ellen]

so this is the book that will make me cry how am i supposed to not cry when they're talking about little girls samplers hello

[Anne]

Poetry is always difficult to review because it speaks differently to different people and differently at times to the same person. I pick up some of my favourite poetry books and then put them down because they are not connecting as I’m not in the “right mood”. The Book of Jane is a bit like that. It reverberated some times but not others and I do need a couple more rereads.

There are some beautiful lines in here: “Another memory is of the kindergarten teacher saying “Goodbye, children,” at the end of the day and my envy of the girl whose name I assumed to be Children.”

There are short poems with short lines and longer more in-depth works but the frame overall is small and the contrast between the lives of women and men and how they are “seen”. There are many good ideas here and it will definitely be reread. I hadn’t come across Jennifer Habel before but I will look out for her other work.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review.

[Kaoutar Chahbane]

I usually do not write reviews but I’m starting now.

I can see why people would like this book. Unfortunately, it was not for me. I understand what the author was trying to do and I liked different parts of the book, the idea is there (not new but interesting), yet I think the execution was not very successful. I give this 2★, but I still recommend you to check this book, since I appreciate the research done by the author.

I liked this part:

“I google ‘iconic paintings by women’
The engine gently corrects my proposition to “of”, and provides a list of what it calls Famous Classic Paintings of Women” "


I received a free copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

[Yu]

I would say that this book is a bit of a disappointment for me. It does have quite some parts talking about various literary names, but I found it shallow and reluctant. On sentence goes like the womb is a cul-de-sac. It feels like trying too much. The way each part has been put together gives a feeling of day-to-day account, and stimulates less echo for me as a reader.

[Annette]

Meaty and complex, these poems contain wit and frustration, the combination of words alternating in lyricism and abruptness. Likewise, I alternated savouring some and skimming others. Overall, a challenging and impressive collection.

[Julia]

I haven't read poetry in quite a while, but this was a great dive back in. Jennifer Habel's poetry is humourous, intense, complex and beautiful. The way she depicts the role of women - in history and both in present day - is powerful and lovely. It wasn't an easy read, but it was a lovely one!

[Sigrun Hodne]

What a beautiful unusual text - will definitely read whatever she writes after this 😊