The Stone Age

by Jen Hadfield
The Stone Age cover
Good Books rating 4.42
Poetry
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  • ID: 2289
  • Added: 2025-10-13
  • Updated: 2025-10-13
  • ISBN: 9781529037333
  • Publisher: Pan Macmillan
  • Published: 2021-03-18
  • Formats: 11
  • Reviews: 3

The Stone Age is a poetic journey through the rugged beauty of Shetland, where Jen Hadfield's vivid imagery and innovative language bring the landscape to life. Her work celebrates neurodiversity and offers a unique perspective on the world, inviting readers to engage with the environment in a deeply personal way. /n/n Hadfield's collection is not just a poetic exploration but a philosophical one, suggesting that everything around us has a consciousness that can be communicated with. Her unapologetic use of high-stakes wordplay and lyrical lines creates a portal to a different kind of existence, enriching our shared experience and extending the boundaries of poetic expression.

Reviews
The Times Literary Supplement · Genevieve Stevens · 2021-08-13
rapturous 4.50

The collection is praised for its vivid and imaginative language, bringing inanimate objects to life through metaphor and music. The reviewer highlights the depth of attention and rapturous quality of the poems.

Genevieve Stevens from The Times Literary Supplement is captivated by Jen Hadfield's 'The Stone Age'. They applaud the collection for its extreme attention to detail and the way it transforms ordinary objects into something extraordinary through metaphor and musicality. Stevens finds the poems to be rapturous, creating a sense of wonder and animation in the inanimate. They appreciate the depth and richness of Hadfield's language, which brings the wild landscape of Shetland to life in a unique and compelling way. The reviewer suggests that this collection is a testament to Hadfield's skill as a poet, offering a fresh and imaginative perspective on the world around us.

Quick quotes

    The Stone Age is a work of extreme attention.

    In Jen Hadfield's rapturous poems, inanimate objects become animate, taking flight through metaphor, music and ...

    Hadfield's collection is a testament to her skill as a poet, offering a fresh and imaginative perspective on the world around us.

Northwords Now · Anne MacLeod · 2021-01-01
delighted 4.00

The reviewer is delighted by the opening poem and finds the collection to be a concrete representation of joy and ecstasy. They appreciate the unique and powerful imagery throughout the book.

Anne MacLeod, writing for Northwords Now, is immediately drawn to 'The Stone Age' by the opening poem, 'Stone Circle', which she describes as a concrete representation of delight. MacLeod is captivated by the ever-circling, ecstatic O's that open the collection, setting the tone for a journey filled with joy and wonder. They praise Hadfield's ability to capture the essence of her Shetland home through vivid and powerful imagery. MacLeod finds the collection to be a testament to Hadfield's unique voice and her ability to evoke deep emotions through her poetry. They appreciate the hard-won speech and the balm of silence that permeates the poems, making it a deeply moving and satisfying read.

Quick quotes

    Stone Circle, the opening poem in Jen Hadfield's new volume is a concrete representation of delight.

    8 ever-circling, ecstatic O's.

    The Stone Age is a testament to Hadfield's unique voice and her ability to evoke deep emotions through her poetry.

Poetry Books · 2021-01-01
visionary 4.75

The collection is described as the work of a singular artist at the height of her powers, dramatically extending and enriching the range of our shared experience.

The reviewer from Poetry Books hails 'The Stone Age' as the work of a singular artist at the peak of her abilities. They believe that Jen Hadfield's collection dramatically extends and enriches the range of our shared experience, offering a unique and profound perspective on the world. The reviewer appreciates the depth and breadth of Hadfield's work, which transcends the ordinary and delves into the extraordinary. They find the collection to be a powerful and visionary exploration of the natural world, filled with moments of awe and wonder. The reviewer suggests that 'The Stone Age' is a must-read for anyone seeking to expand their horizons and experience the beauty of poetry at its finest.

Quick quotes

    The Stone Age is the work of a singular artist at the height of her powers.

    One which dramatically extends and enriches the range of our shared experience.

    A powerful and visionary exploration of the natural world, filled with moments of awe and wonder.

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