Ten Commandments

by J.D. McClatchy

Book Overview

Ten Commandmentsis a book-length sequence of poems that plot the rules we were raised on, rules we forget but can't evade. Here is the whole underworld of desire, its tasks and perversions. Here are... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0375401377
• ISBN13: 9780375401374
• Release Date: March 1998
• Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
• Length: 104 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

A book of conceits and confessions, most interesting

First, I want to mention how I stumbled on this book. With luck I did stumble on it, too. I was searching for poetry about The Ten Commandments. This is a book that is like a series of confessions and conceits, a book about living life and the failings that we even good people have when it comes to the yardstick of The Ten Commandments. A lively hardback, to my surprise the book arrived with a charming art-like dustcover, in hardbook, on good paper and well layed out all for a song. Remember, I'd not heard a word of this book of poetry before finding it. Now I am a fan of J.D. McClatchy, for anyone who can capture and poetically state a tenor of lives caught in living, and wrought with a poet's sense is someone well worth the time to consider. I suppose I am raising my very modest voice to a host of others, but mostly I am saying this is probably an overlooked book because it says "Ten Commandments." Take Adultery: "Out beyond your head, slumped now over your breasts, the horizon's Hit on the day's first mirage--lolling palms, a milky water hole,..." No other God: "Week after week I've had to wwatch the old needle tracks and the new habits-- aerobics, twelve-step meetings, the soup kitchen-- so where you used to speak in tongues, now it's a day-glo bumper stickers, meaning given way to motto."... So what if you're religious and looking for something theological? Maybe this isn't on the ordinary or extra-ordinary reading list? Maybe it should be. I think so. It's also a kind of entertaining book. One should not say "kind of" but here it fits because like good poetry this entertains, but it also brings the world a little larger and through its use of words and ideas widens the spectrum for this reader. I recommend this book to people interested in learning about our American world in a sophisticated rendition of modern, free verse poems on The Ten Commandments. I came across it by surprise, and you, too will find it worth the time to read and a prize--I hope, as did I. You can see I liked this book of poems. --Peter Menkin, Mill Valley, CA USA

A fine book for regular readers of contemporary poetry

Fine, fine poems. Definitely NOT cheap, vulgar, mean-spirited or disgusting, as another reader found them. And not a tract on the ten commandments in any hyper-religious sense (not a theological book, obviously).

amazing

this is a book of poetry that should get people reading poetry again. not only is it miles above any book of poetry published in recent memory, i am sure i will not read anything that will surpass it in the near future. ten commandments is a book that will burn your fingers as you turn the pages. the year's best book of poetry is an understatement.