Posted November 7, 2017 by lynlynsays Book Reviews

The Good and Sad Times: Thoughts on Memories

Memories (2015)

By Lang Leav

My friend got me Lang Leav’s Memories as a birthday present. When I first saw the presentation of the book online, I was curious as to why it’s different from the other ones. This poetry book is presented in hardcover binding as opposed to paperback and also the images are in color print rather than black and white. I was curious as to why this particular poetry book deserved the special binding. It wasn’t until I read the introduction of this poetry book that I learned that it consists of poems from her two previous books, Love & Misadventures and Lullabies as well as new content.

While I was reading this collection, I wondered why Leav selected certain poems above others. My guess is that these poems hold a special significance to her as if they were written alongside a memory, an intention, an emotion, or a reader in mind. It would make sense since the title of this poetry collection is Memories. However, this is only pure speculation.

I also noticed that the poems she did select related mostly to either heartbreak or the longing of a significant other. I think such topics definitely relate to “memory” and such memories are what we may keep close to our hearts. For me, while reading these poems, I couldn’t help but recall my own personal experiences and memories and it was nice that Leav put my feelings and memories about love, longing, and heartbreak into words. In fact, as I said before, she is one of the people that inspired me to try and write creatively.

As a huge fan of hers, I recommend buying this poetry collection even though some of her work is recycled from the other two. I think with this book, it’s a bit more personal because these are poems that are selected by her and I do think they hold a special place in her heart, hence as to why she is reintroducing her readers to them.

5/5