Can't read friend's book

[LanguidLobster]

She was putting pressure on me to get it and I have, it wasn't what I was expecting at all, instead of prose it's a collection of extremely unorthodox poems. Even unorthodox for her, and she's an unorthodox person.

I've had several attempts and can't get into it.

I guess I'm going to have to go to a café tomorrow, order a strong coffee and just read the entire thing so I can write to her about her book?

She's quite sweet and it's about a shitstorm of a time she had, I need to be able to read it properly even if I still don't like it. I do care about her, it's my duty!

I eould try and find one that I liked enough to tell her how good it was. Poetry is not everyones cup of tea but there can iften be one that speaks to you even a little bit. Maybe one that makes you think of her even.

That's probably good advice @Rhynswynd.

I've just gone through the book a little more and luckily there aren't any poems about me and I can see some things to say to her.

It makes me feel boring actually, it's all about belonging to the city and the night sky where we used to live. And the drugs she used to take!!

Can you tell her you will take your time over it. Reading a few at a time as it can take a while to fully absorb the different layers of a poem and you would like to mull them over in your own time and maybe read them when you are in different moods/frames of mind. I like poetry but I wouldn't read a whole book in one sitting.

It sounds very therapeutic for her. Is she asking you to read it in the hope she is understood a bit more? Are you a safe person for her and why she is hoping you will read it and provide feedback so others might understand her?

Is this a published book, or is she looking for feedback before seeking a publisher? I mean, does she want admiration or constructive advice?

Start at the back pick a poem from every 10 pages. Don't have to read them all. Pick one you like/ ok with. Thats now your favourite. Pick one you don't understand and mention those. Job done. You're a good friend if it's not yr cup of tea. You could always get another friend to look over it all if author friend would be ok with it. Then she'd have 2 opinions.

Yes it's published, and I was quite interested to read her introductory and discover she'd had several awards for writing.

I was honestly just expecting it to be a novel and not beatnik poems. It's quite jagged and random. Anyway she may well spend Xmas with us so I can bop her around the head with a chocolate advent calendar if I can't take to it

I'll try to understand it, I do love her and appreciate it's how she felt so that's what she wrote.

She's a nice person and would care about people around her so I know she wants me to like the book and I'll do my goddam hardest to

Take it with you next time you go on one of your long walks and find somewhere quiet to sit and read it. Don't wear flipflops this time though.