The Overhaul: Poems

Another beautiful expression

I loved it!

Kathleen Jamie gets better with every book. Some of these poems are absolutely breathtaking. "Halfling" should be read aloud to an audience.

Kathleen Jaimie is now a major British poet. Her Costa win is demonstration of that. Buy and read The Overhaul to experience contemporary poetry of the first order.

I'm reviewing this one after just posting a review of Falling Awake as I think I've articulated the reason why I return to these poems - they are anchored in voice, place, specificity as well as evoking the greater picture of our relationship to time and the world around us. Kathleen Jamie's poems work on me slowly - they are accessible and yet the surface is just the beginning, reading and reading brings more and more riches. Whenever I've taken her poems to groups, I've been moved again by how much there is to find here.

Another thoughtful book of poetry from Kathleen Jamie.As always she strikes a chord with my own feelings.

Atmospheric, beautiful poetry. I have gone a bit mad as a result of this and bought anything I can by Kathleen. I love her observations... of the tiny changes and of the deeply profound. Enjoy! Her work gives me a taste of the wild wonderful places of these islands when I can't escape to them.

I like Kathleen Jamie's nature pieces, so I sampled her poetry, which is finely crafted, intimate, confessional, andmemorable. I admire it sufficiently and am vain enough to think I could attempt something similar. I may well be mistaken.

I heard Kathleen Jamie reading some of the poems from this collection on the radio, and felt very moved. The book did not disappoint. Beautiful, mournful, yearning and celebratory poems about the natural world. I'm looking forward to reading them many times.

Just get lost in her words. Her voice is visible. her visions audible. Thoughtful, present, almost smell the world she writes about.

These simple and short poems show a warm regard for ordinary people and the world we inhabit. Kathleen Jamie laspes into her native speech when she's more comfortable there than with formal English. There's always a lightness and good humour.

I bought this book for my partner who is a huge Kathleen Jamie fan and this book follows in line who all her others, great.

I loved her books so thought I would give this a try. It has the same powerful evocation of place.

Having read findings,sightlines and among Muslims I came to Kathleen Jamie's poetry with high expectations. I was not disappointed. Simple, honest and direct with a clarity that made the reader smell the sea. All you could ask for. Anyone who enjoys the written word should find joy in this book and a lot to think on.

this wee book is a cosy blanket of lovely words and observations,,,, I think 'mindfulness' would best describe it. Ms Jamie is a beautiful writer

This is a wonderful book. Share it with as many people as you can. Jamie has become a poet that I seek out. Each volume of her poetry shows gains in both creativity and technique.

Thoughtful, well-balanced, mature collection which invites re-reading. Have always enjoyed Jamie's work but this one seems easily the most accessible of her collections, peoms with which anyone can empathise.

The collection's opening poem, "The Beach", says what I think happens when we read Kathleen Jamie: we are "all of us/hoping for the marvellous". And we are not disappointed. There is the gimlet eye for detail, the poet's sympathetic yet honest confrontation with the natural world, and spare, beautiful, lyrical poetry. In Jamie's hands, everyday observations become profound thoughts or provocative metaphors. She challenges us to see through surface observation and beyond apparent simplicity.After being blown away by her earlier collection "The Tree House", I had been waiting with great anticipation for this one. And I did very much enjoy it. I was moved by many of the poems, for instance, "The Spider" which makes us shriek like silly children, which perhaps we are since "Who caused this rupture? ... Have you never considered/how the world sustains?". But I felt there was more darkness, or pessimism, (or perhaps Jamie would call it 'ruthless realism') to these poems which saddened me. It may simply be the result of intervening years and the poet's maturing vision. After all, the world she watches so carefully is not getting any better.

Poems addressing specific objects were most successful, The Moon, The Spider, Roses. The Nature poems were hard er to hold onto. The Scottish dialect poems added a distinctive texture. The title poem set the context of the collection well. The lino cut cover page is beautiful.