The Vast Empty- Book Review

Book Name – The Vast Empty

Author– Turiya

Genre – Poetry

This is my first-ever book review of a book. On poetry. I  generally read fiction; poetry has never been my cup of tea. But I decided to give this book a shot for a change, and I am glad I did that.

The Vast Empty is a collection of poems by Turiya, the pen name for Mamta. It is her first ever book, and through the book, she takes the reader on a journey of self-exploration, a journey of self-discovery.

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Most poems are short, some in free verse, but all carry a strong message. The message is subtle, and you must read the poems slowly to grasp it. The beauty is that the poems make you pause and think. They make you reflect on life, death and everything around you. They draw your attention to how we take everything for granted and don’t appreciate what lies around us; the people, the objects, nature, feelings, emotions, and moments. The central theme is finding beauty in what we have rather than crave for more, for which we need to slow down, take a deep breath, look inside our souls and embrace calmness. The poems are profound. They touch your heart because they seem so true and so close.

The poems urge you to take a break, feel the sunshine, feel the rain, breathe in the air, feel the love around you, smile that smile, seize that moment and, most importantly, look inside you. Once you do that, you will find answers to most questions that may bother you and find peace. The poems make you relive those phases/parts of your life, facets of your personality that have somehow gotten lost in the mayhem of life.

What worked for me was that most of the poems were simple, short, and quick reads but profound and impactful. I could relate to most of what the poet was saying, the most vital thing being that in the ultimate analysis, it is the inner journey that matters and not the outer. But we all spend our lives running here and there to find meaning and peace.

So if you like to read and have only ever read fiction/non-fiction but never poetry, then exploring this form of expression will be good, which allows you to convey so much in just a few words.

But my advice would be to read the poems slowly and let them seep into your soul. Only then will you be able to understand, absorb, and learn from them.

My favorite poems include Serendipity, Fallen, On Living, Oasis, Hours, Breath, I’m here and Obsession.

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I would give the book a rating of 5/5.