Howl and Other Poems

Rating:
Summary: Good reading by a great writer
Review: While he doesnt have the same finesse with these readings as I have heard from him in the past, the words are still the same beautifully crafted, and powerfull words they always were, if not even more important today. A must for a Ginsberg fan

Rating:
Summary: If you could give a book more than 5 stars this would be it
Review: Allan Ginsberg is my god!!! He is the best writter the world has ever seen. He died on my birthday. This book kicked butt

Rating:
Summary: An Experience of Angelic Darkness!
Review: This is a harsh walk down the dark streets of poetry. Not for those who live in the well lighted rooms of learning. But certainly an adventure filled with offensive words - at war with the world of the 1950's and today!

Rating:
Summary: Well, Howl was good
Review: I really enjoyed reading this poem, as a matter of fact, I read it several times. The only problem was that it was the only one that I enjoyed reading. I would recoment this poem to everyone, it is a symbol of where we all came from. I do not, however, nessasarily recomend all of Allen's works, none are quite as good as Howl.

Rating:
Summary: Greatest Literary Feat Of Our Time
Review: When Allen Ginsburg first began reading the poem "Howl" in coffee shops around San Francisco, he was immediately berated by city and state officials for breaking obsenity laws. Instead of backing off, he continued to write and read his poetry despite these official inquries. In doing so he established himself as one of the most out spoken writers of his time. In "Howl" he captures the universal feeling of hopelessness, yet does so with a small glimmer of hope. This feeling can best be described in the opening line of "Howl", "I have seen the greatest minds of my generation destroyed by madness" Truelly a great work, in my humble opinion one of the best ever.

Rating:
Summary: Wow!
Review: I think that tbis is a very good book. It was really good. My favorite poems in the book are Howl and A supermarket In California. If you get the chance, you should read this book as often as possible

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Summary: Poetry's newbreed
Review: A marvelous use of words to induce images of pain and torture and love and lost. A must for any person willing to give Ginsberg's style a chance.

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Summary: An incredible journey through the life of a Beatnik
Review: This book is phenomenal, mostly because it showcases the life of the underdog, rather than that of one in charge. The late Ginberg uses such devilish wordplay and mind-boggling situations that by the end, you'll be wondering about your sanity. It also highlights how badly Americans were and are currently treated by the establishment in such a brutal way. This book is god-like.

Rating:
Summary: Splendid
Review: While the small-minded may wiew this book as "abstract" and "weird", this book is a masterpiece. The late Ginsberg summarizes how the establishment treated the Beat Generation in such a creative way, you won't be able to put it down! Also, he never spoon-feeds anything to you. He makes you wonder what precisely he is trying to say, and in doing so, creates one of the greatest, if not THE greatest poetry book of all time.

Rating:
Summary: overrated
Review: Even critics who are sympathetic to Ginsberg, such as David Perkins in his "History of Modern Poetry," admit that he was a one-hit wonder. T. S. Eliot pointed out, speaking of Milton, that a poet can be great but still exercise a bad influence on those who follow him. I myself, speaking of "Howl," would use words very similar to those Tennyson used in describing "Sordello" -- I liked only the first line of it. There are better free verse poets than Ginsberg, just as there are better critics of America than Ginsberg.