Mrs Death Misses Death: Salena Godden

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Together Mrs Death and Wolf talk about the role of death in the world, the reasons why death happens, the people it happens to, and the effect it has on people. At times the book feels more like a stream of consciousness rather than a story, and there are sections written from Mrs Death’s point of view where we become swept up in her unique perspective. We get to see the world as she sees it, this being who has existed since the dawn of time, since humans took their first breaths. We see what hundreds of thousands of years of walking through the world unseen and ignored, crossing people over the threshold of death has done to her, how tired it has made her. The Writing It is clear Salena Godden can write. This is my first introduction to her work, and she writes solidly. I have never read any of her poetry so it was great seeing a bit of it included in this book. She writes convincingly so much so, I started feeling sorry for Mrs. Death. From a poet whose most famous poems (widely performed by her and by others at many protest marches from ER to #MeToo to BLM) include “Pessimism is for Lightweights” (which also provided the title of her published collection) and Courage is a Muscle” – its is no surprise that this is actually a book which despite its darkness has a message about optimism, endurance, activism and courage. Wolf's writing is often a bit repetitive and it feels like the author gets so fascinated and hooked by a certain idea that he needs to explore it to the fullest. There are many quotable parts in the book overall and Wolf shares a lot of thought-provoking ideas like when he explains to us how our society often refers to higher powers as male, but that Death is certainly female. I am Death. I am a glorified rubbish collector. I am a cleaner. I clean. I collect the spirits up and carry all those burdens away.

I have never read a book like this before. This book skillfully combines prose and verse in a very engaging way. I would love to listen to this as an audiobook. Writing about the death of Prince and the simultaneous public outpouring of grief that usually follows the death of a celebrity, Godden spears the feeling of this particular type of loss, where art is the connective tissue between us and a stranger we felt we knew. Above I gushed about how strong a premise this book had. When I see a strong premise not strongly executed it makes me sad, maybe even a little mad because I know with tighter edits and stronger editor the book would have been great. The actor-comedian and the poet advocate for their favourite books. Andi chooses The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary, Nikita loves Mrs Death Misses Death by Salena Godden and Harriett goes for The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett.

She’s tired of it, tired of male pronouns taking over the world when men are brought to death just the same as women Now, If you told the 1990s me that 2020s me would be standing here today, that she would be thriving and healthy and happy and making the work she wants to make, she would not believe it. She was self doubting and self sabotaging, she was rejected and underestimated, struggling in a world that told her that her story, her voice, her work did not belong and did not matter. A modern-day Pilgrim's Progress leavened with caustic wit . . . This is not light-hearted stuff, yet Godden has produced a miraculously light-hearted novel . . . an elegant, occasionally uproarious, danse macabre Guardian

It’s a superbly written piece of work which I devoured BUT and a big but, by the middle of it I need to be honest here, I felt quite depressed and miserable. Caught by the River began as an idea, a vision and a daydream shared between friends one languid bankside spring afternoon. Dark at times - with compelling stories about miscarriages of justice, murder and racial oppression - it is nonetheless celebratory and life-affirming, aglow with love, fortitude and compassion Daily Mail Mrs Death Misses Death: This is about you and me and us. This is her story, the story, the story of the life and the time of the death of us. This is the life of life and the time of time. For what a time it is and what a time it was and what a time it will be. The Dance of Time and Life and Death, the hours and the breath, the sky and space. The last big sleep. All your fears are here, all your fears are inside here.

Waiting For Godden Archives

It’s the idea of when you’re not speaking your truth, and not saying something you really want to say,” she explains. “When you keep putting something off, you berate yourself and put yourself down for not getting something finished. It’s easy to have a really good idea, it’s difficult to finish something, isn’t it? So to pursue it, and to persist in finishing it, hurt, but it hurt a hell of a lot more giving up.”

I mean, obviously YMMV and there will always be outliers, but I feel pretty comfortable saying that if you only read poetry irregularly and often find yourself being impatient with it when you do, and it’s mostly an exercise in frustration for you like it is for me, then you will probably feel pretty similarly to me regarding this book. I am upset about it, though, because the premise sounded so good, and the cover was so pretty.Salena Godden was walking through Whitechapel when she heard the voice of her narrator, crystal clear, for the first time: “I know a lot of dead people now.” Clay by Melissa Harrison is published today by Bloomsbury. "Instantly beautiful in its calm and wise tone" says Robert Macfarlane.... This beautiful Barnes & Noble Exclusive Edition includes an exclusive alternate cover, an exclusive short story, unique color endpapers, unique color cover stamp.