The artist, gently aging, looks back on her life so far and what does she see? Memories mostly, both precious and painful, of the small moments and the big events that have shaped her existence. Departing from the narrative formats by which most readers are likely to know her work, she chooses to express her reminiscences and messages through poetry. That turns out to be the perfect vehicle for the concise and introspective nature of the whole endeavor, even if it requires a little more effort from those of us who are unaccustomed to the genre.

In <i>Dearly</i>, Margaret Atwood offers more than five dozen (depending on how you choose to count some of the stanzas) short poems on subjects such as the tribulations of getting older and the pain of memory loss in loved ones, changes in our natural world, gender roles, animal rights, and heartbreaking acts of violence. These are clearly topics the author is passionate about and she brings a forceful and thoughtful approach to addressing them all, which is exactly what you would expect from one of our greatest living writers. What I did not expect was to be so moved by her poetry instead of by the more familiar channel of her long-form fiction.

While each of the poems in the volume stands on its own merit, I definitely had several favorites, including ‘Late Poems’, ‘Salt, ‘Souvenirs’, ‘Betrayal’, ‘Shadow’, ‘Songs for Murdered Sisters’, ‘Zombie’, ‘Invisible Man’, and ‘Blackberries’, to name a few. I was quite struck by just how powerful and personal some of these verses were, although I have to confess that it was not until I read them for a second time that I felt their real force. Of course, that is my shortcoming and not the author’s; you really cannot read poetry at the same pace or in the same way that your read fiction, which is something I had to remind myself of repeatedly. Still, for both Atwood devotees and those new to her work, <i>Dearly</i> is a book that merits attention.

This short volume of poetry from one of our great living authors was a delightful balance of clear, powerful imagery and esoteric reference. The topics felt both personal and universal. It was well organized, and contained some lovely language. This is a must read for Margaret Atwood fans or poetry lovers.

Dearly is a collection of poems from acclaimed writer Margaret Atwood. The poems are beautiful and nuanced, simple but carefully crafted. It's perfect for fans of her other writing and for those who love modern poetry.
Many thanks to Ecco Publications and NetGalley for the advance copy.

Ok so I feel like a dummy for not realizing that Margaret Atwood also writes poetry??? And it's amazing??????

Anyway, I don't know where I've been, but this collection is truly fantastic. It's got poems on everything from aging to love to global warming to, of course, zombies. Atwood's wording is so precise and thoughtful, something that definitely makes her speculative fiction writing very powerful, but is even more evident in her poetry. If you're a poetry lover or a fan of Atwood's fiction writing, you must read Dearly.

Thank you, NetGalley for providing me this lovely book of poetry by Margaret Atwood. Even though she routinely uses hundreds of thousands of words to tell stories, but she’s obviously capable of eliciting emotional responses with only a few choice words. This book will be published on 11/10/2020.

Younger readers may be surprised to find the Margaret Atwood, whom many know for The Handmaid's Tale and her speculative fiction trilogy starting with Oryx & Crake, began her writing career as a poet in 1961 with her collection Double Persephone.

While some may be put off by the "poetry" designation, fear not, gentle reader, fear not. The Atwood readers know from her fiction is still there, shining through, although since poetry tends toward compact impressions, even more so. The Atwood that shines through the fiction - the irony and wicked wit, the bare-bones language that refuses to dress up and put on airs to make its point - she is there.

Having lost her longtime partner, Graeme Gibson, in September 2019, this collection is infused with both his presence and, as he had had vascular dementia, his fading, and flickering absences. Their life together, however, is present as well, particularly their experiences as environmental conservation advocates and bird watchers. Her close observation of the natural world works it's way into her poetry -
"Ears are superfluous:
What are they for,
those alien pink flaps?
Skull fungus."

Fear not, it's not all doom and gloom and vanishing wetlands. There are also sidesteps into the speculative fiction universe with aliens and vampires and, of course, zombies. A fantastic collection, by turns poignant, amusing, and wry, much like the author. Recommended.

Having read some of Atwood's fiction, it was no surprise that her poetry is excellent. Well-written, thoughtful, and with allusions that really worked for me as a fan of horror, sci-fi, and fantasy, using images such as werewolves, sirens, robots, and more.

Don't you love it when you stumble upon a phrase that just jolts you? Or makes you say "Yes!"? Or imparts a scene that's as clear as a photograph? There are plenty of moments like that in this book of new poems by Margaret Atwood.

Dearly shows yet another reason this author is met with such acclaim, and she deserves it!!

My thanks to NetGalley and Ecco for allowing me to read a review copy of this book. Publication is set for 11/10/2020. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Though I have read Margaret Atwood before, I had never had the opportunity to read her poetry. NetGalley was kind enough to send "Dearly" to me and I was very excited to read it! I found much of her poetry simply lovely. There were some poems that I did not particularly care for, but then there were others so moving that I found myself reading lines several times aloud. There is a little something for everyone here, but there will also be some poems that some may wish to pass over. All in all, it's worth reading!

The name Margaret Atwood popped out at me immediately when I saw this book, but I wasn't sure why. I have come to realize that she is the author of many popular books that I now adding to my to-be-read lists.

I can't say that I'm a huge fan of poetry. So often poets seem to live in a world that I can't even begin to understand and I don't get the little nuances that would help me "get" the meaning behind their abstract words. This book on the other hand is wonderfully descriptive and clear to even someone like me.

I thoroughly enjoyed this, and feel it is worth every bit of the 5 stars I feel it deserves.

I'm the only person I know who likes Atwood's poetry even more than her novels, so I really appreciate the publisher approving my request for this title--thank you! Because some of her earlier poems have so much meaning for me, most of my favorites here resonated with earlier works--for instance, "Salt" with "Precognition", or the conclusion of "Shadow" with "Tricks with Mirrors"--and/or each other, as "Shadow" does with the gorgeous closing entry, "Blackberries"; however, I also loved the short, sharp, edges of "Cassandra Considers Declining the Gift" and "Short Takes on Wolves". I always recommend Atwood's work for any institution's poetry collection, and hope that more people will come to discover and love her poetry as much as I do.

Another beautiful collection of poems from Margaret Atwood and one that I want to read and reread as I explore and think about the many different poems. A collection I would share with anyone who loves Margaret Atwood or someone just starting poetry.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
I wasn't sure what to expect as poetry can differ so much from a novel. I liked this collection of poetry though. My favorite was the poem Blizzard. I would recommend if you are a fan of Atwood or if you enjoy poetry..

I am so excited to have scored this one!!! Isn’t it gorgeous?! A HUGE thank you to @eccobooks at @harpercollins for sending me a free ARC of this new book of poems from the great Margaret Atwood! I have been anticipating the release of this since I heard it was being published and I am so so SO excited for the chance to read and review it early. This title will be released in November, so mark your calendars, Atwood fans!!

Margaret Atwood's new book of poems is just as amazing as her work in fiction, and reminds us that she is as much a poet as talented novelist. Her simple lines are steeped in meaning and paint a hauntingly fresh view of reality.

In Dearly, Atwood's first collection of poetry in over a decade, she touches on a variety of themes, from love and loss to the passage of time. Some of my favorite verses brought up themes of memory and time, something that Atwood often includes in her writing. Her new poetry is as introspective and personal as ever, but this collection really resonated with me personally. Atwood lost her husband last year after a long fight with dementia. My grandmother was diagnosed with it, and I can understand and relate to the pain of coping when someone you love is starting to forget who you are.

The poems move through the phases of life, "like moon phases", progressing in parts, like maiden to crone.

The very first poem, Late Poems, seems to set the tone for the collection with a reminder: It is never too late. You may not be able to change the past, but it is never too late to learn from the past. Nothing is meaningless, and it is never too late.

Some poems offer haunting warnings:

Were things good then?

Yes. They were good.

Did you know they were good?

No, because I was worrying

or maybe hungry, or asleep ...

"Oh, beware..." Beware of losing yourself. We must make good memories and not get mired down in worry and laziness. Appreciate where you are now, but know that you will not always be where you are now. We don't know the good ol' days until they are over, so make them last with the ones you love.

Some poems pose questions to the reader, like an existential personality quiz:

If birds are human souls

What bird are you?

or

If you were a song

What song would you be?

But my favorite lines were the lines on memory and time. In Dream the speaker makes clear comparisons between aging to the seasons: "you are young ... and it is summer" becomes "suddenly I'm older ... and it is winter". There are so many beautiful poems about the struggle of aging, fading, and forgetting. Letting go is difficult, but inevitable, and these poems serve as a sort of coping mechanism for dealing with loss.

The clock ticks and the day shrivels.

Dusk sifts down on us.

How long should I stay?

The language Atwood uses to express her losses is simple and straightforward, and that simplicity is what I enjoy most about her verses.  Quick but effective, Atwood’s poignant poems keep readers flipping through pages, getting lost in language.

Books of poetry should be regarded as of the most readable genre of our time. Reader’s attention spans are shorter than they have ever been before; the average person typically will read snippets of text on social media and advertisements throughout the day, but will not sit to read a whole book. Technology is changing our reading habits, and poetry offers a reading experience that imitates the way we read today. Short and simple verses mimic how we read snippets of literature throughout the day (like on Instagram or Twitter). This is the type of book that can be read in a day, and will leave readers returning to it forever.

I am not usually a big reader of poetry, but I have read many novels by this author so I thought I’d give it a go. I thoroughly enjoyed many of the pieces. In particular Shadow, Oh Children and Dearly stood out to me. This was a quick, thoughtful read and I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys poems of nature, love and loss. Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for granting access to this book in exchange for an honest review. I will post this review tomorrow to my Bookstagram and companion Facebook page @thatreadingrealtor.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ecco Publishing for this free ARC.

I've never read any of Margaret's poems before, I actually didn't even know she wrote poetry. Shame on me, I know. These poems were very haunting and had a bitter tone to them. "Betrayed" really hit home for me.

Thrilling to have new poetry from Margaret Atwood. Each poem about climate change, in particular, packed quite the gut punch. This is a volume to savor and sit with and revisit often.

This is the first time I’ve read Atwoord’s poetry. I was worried it wouldn’t be up my alley or unrelated to my personal experience but I found myself enjoying her work thoroughly!

I've loved Atwood's prose since discovering her works in high school (in the early 2000s). The way she tells a story is imaginative and grips you unexpectedly. Her poetry has the same effect, especially as time passes and I age into a deeper experience of life. This collection includes a variety of topics that string together to tell the story of life in today's world, though it doesn't dive into digital culture or current politics. Overall, I enjoyed seeing the world through her eyes for a while.

Thank you to Ecco and Netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC of Dearly in exchange of an honest review. I have read one book by Margret Atwood and I love poetry, so I thought I would enjoy this title by her. I did not enjoy her poetry as much as I thought I would. Some of the poems didn’t make any sense and others were not entertaining. It is probably just that I was not the right reader for this. If people are a fan of Margret Atwood, I would say check this out when it comes out.