Last Updated: 20 April 2025
Composed in the style of a memoir, she shares her experiences through words and photos. This window into her emotions reveals the dark side of love as it narrates the journey through relationships, friendships, it's-complicated-ships, and self-identity. But really, it's a story about finding beauty in pain through growth.
I really wanted to love this book, but I just... didn't.
I wanted to read Escapism since I first came across it, as I was fascinated by the concept and intrigued to see the relationship between the poems and the photography. In my mind, I was envisioning this book almost as a work of art, effortlessly combining multiple different media to tell a very personal, emotive story.
And while my initial impressions were correct, to a degree at least, I just didn't interact with the book in the way that I hoped I would. I felt disconnected and a little lost; many of the poems were vague and open to interpretation, meaning that a lot of the narrative got broken and distorted on the journey through the book.
As a result, I struggled to understand the aim of the poetry, and therefore the collection as a whole. Much of the poetry felt same-y and, in all honesty, a little childish. It's also clear to see that the process of creating this book must have been very cathartic for the author, yet it also felt very personal, to the extent that I felt a little awkward reading it!
'Pressed Flower' was the poem I felt most connected to, I think largely due to its clarity and emotive nature. The accompanying picture of the pressed flower referenced in the poem also helped to drive the point home, providing a reminder that this poem - and this book - are about real people and real feelings. It's more than a little sad.
My favourite aspect of Escapism was the photography. Candice Lee is clearly a skilled landscape photographer, and her style of photography lends itself very well to the bleak, melancholic nature of her poetry. I felt the two art forms went hand in hand brilliantly, yet I also enjoyed looking at the photos on their own merits, too.
I finished Escapism left in a rather reflective and melancholic mood, brought on by the sadness seeping from between the pages of the book. I know how it feels when your world is suddenly brought crashing down around you, and I sincerely hope that the author has managed to go on to happier times since the book was published.
I wanted to read Escapism since I first came across it, as I was fascinated by the concept and intrigued to see the relationship between the poems and the photography. In my mind, I was envisioning this book almost as a work of art, effortlessly combining multiple different media to tell a very personal, emotive story.
And while my initial impressions were correct, to a degree at least, I just didn't interact with the book in the way that I hoped I would. I felt disconnected and a little lost; many of the poems were vague and open to interpretation, meaning that a lot of the narrative got broken and distorted on the journey through the book.
As a result, I struggled to understand the aim of the poetry, and therefore the collection as a whole. Much of the poetry felt same-y and, in all honesty, a little childish. It's also clear to see that the process of creating this book must have been very cathartic for the author, yet it also felt very personal, to the extent that I felt a little awkward reading it!
'Pressed Flower' was the poem I felt most connected to, I think largely due to its clarity and emotive nature. The accompanying picture of the pressed flower referenced in the poem also helped to drive the point home, providing a reminder that this poem - and this book - are about real people and real feelings. It's more than a little sad.
My favourite aspect of Escapism was the photography. Candice Lee is clearly a skilled landscape photographer, and her style of photography lends itself very well to the bleak, melancholic nature of her poetry. I felt the two art forms went hand in hand brilliantly, yet I also enjoyed looking at the photos on their own merits, too.
I finished Escapism left in a rather reflective and melancholic mood, brought on by the sadness seeping from between the pages of the book. I know how it feels when your world is suddenly brought crashing down around you, and I sincerely hope that the author has managed to go on to happier times since the book was published.
Rating: 2 stars
Escapism: Words and Photos is available to buy now (paid link; commission earned).
If you like the sound of this book, you might also enjoy...
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Will you be reading the book? Let me know in the comments below!
No comments:
Post a Comment