Funny, clever, subversive; bears reading again and again. ( )

Short poems, but working together as a book, not just a collection. Some amazing descriptions and moments when the language is like a horse that Duffy is making show-jump. ( )

Over-all this collection was a slight disappointment. It opens excellently with a poem dense with imagery, a radical re-imagining of the Red Riding-hood story, a complex and thought-provoking piece. Then nothing else in the book matches it, which is unfortunate, since the concept is so good.

THIS REVIEW HAS BEEN CURTAILED IN PROTEST AT GOODREADS' CENSORSHIP POLICY

See the complete review here:

http://arbieroo.booklikes.com/post/773576/the-world-s-wife-carol-ann-duffy

I LOVE this book! I love all the poems and the meanings behind every one of them. I love how she took the wives of these high, important men, and gave a story from their perspective. I do believe that at times it seems a little extreme with how much Carol Ann Duffy tried to make women seem almost superior to men (she did it A LOT). Other than the poems with that happening, I liked all the rest. If you like twisted poetry, I recommend this to you! ( )

"Words, words were truly alive on the tongue, in the head,
warm, beating, frantic, winged; music and blood."

Within every [great- infamous- legendary- mythic] tale of a man is a woman with an equally important story to tell. These poems are Her stories.

From Beauty choosing the Beast because of his repugnant exterior to an overprotective Queen Herod to Mrs Sisyphus suffering a fool for a husband to a middle-aged Mrs Rip Van Winkle and her husband armed with Viagra -- each poem subverts well-known tales with its unique perspective, real or imagined.

I'd recommend this collection to anyone who wants to read poetry but often feels too intimidated to do so. Especially if that person has an interest in the feminist slant on myths, legends, fairy tales, pop culture, etc.

4 stars

"Mrs Midas"
I couldn't believe my ears:
how he'd had a wish. Look, we all have wishes; granted.
But who has wishes granted? Him. Do you know about gold?
It feeds no one; aurum, soft, nontarnishable; slakes
no thirst. He tried to light a cigarette; I gazed, entranced,
as the blue flame played on its luteous stem. At least,
I said, you'll be able to give up smoking for good.

"Mrs Beast"
But behind each player stood a line of ghosts
unable to win. Eve. Ashputtel. Marilyn Monroe.
Rapunzel slashing wildly at her hair.
Bessie Smith unloved and down and out.
Bluebeard's wives, Henry VIII's, Snow White
cursing the day she left the seven dwarfs, Diana,
Princess of Wales... ( )