Insomnia

by John Kinsella
Insomnia cover
Good Books rating 4.23
Poetry
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  • ID: 2300
  • Added: 2025-10-13
  • Updated: 2025-10-13
  • ISBN: 9781324006480
  • Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
  • Published: 2020-11-03
  • Formats: 10
  • Reviews: 3

In this forceful call to action, acclaimed poet John Kinsella explores deeply felt ecological concerns and the diminishing role of art, music, and philosophy in a world that often denies their importance. His restless gaze spans from Jam Tree Gully, Western Australia, to the coast of West Cork, Ireland, haunted by historical and literary figures from Dante to Emily Brontë. Insomnia offers poems of self-accusation, angry protest, and meditations on loss and trauma, alongside celebrations of the natural world. Kinsella seeks a still point to reconfigure our perspective on the paradoxes of contemporary life, making this collection his most varied, concentrated, and powerful work to date.

Reviews
The Common · 2021-09-15
powerful 4.00

The collection is one of Kinsella's strongest, with a palpable tension between the author's abhorrence of certain themes and the reader's engagement with them. The poetry is marked by a sense of angry protest and meditation on loss.

The reviewer considers this collection one of Kinsella's most powerful, noting the strong emotional undercurrents that run through the poems. There's a palpable tension here, as the author grapples with themes that are both abhorrent to them and compelling to the reader. The reviewer particularly appreciates the way Kinsella weaves together personal reflection and broader societal issues, creating a poetry that is both intimate and universally resonant. They also highlight the collection's ability to evoke a sense of protest and meditation on loss, making it a deeply moving read.

Quick quotes

    The bulldozer has a negative charisma that is abhorred by the author yet palpable to the reader.

    Insomnia, the latest of the many volumes of poetry John Kinsella has published, is one of his strongest collections of the decade.

    Insomnia offers poems of self-accusation and angry protest, meditations on the nature of loss and trauma.

The Guardian · 2019-04-14
urgent 4.50

The collection's title is reflective of the author's own experiences with insomnia, which is evident in the poetry's wakeful vigilance. The themes of ecological concern and personal reflection are powerfully conveyed.

The reviewer notes that the insomnia depicted in the collection feels deeply personal, as if the author's own sleepless nights have infused the poetry with a raw and urgent energy. This is not just a book about sleeplessness, but a profound exploration of ecological and personal crises. The reviewer appreciates the vivid imagery and the emotional depth that Kinsella brings to his work, making it a standout collection. They also highlight the collection's ability to evoke a sense of urgency and concern for the natural world, which is a recurring theme in Kinsella's poetry.

Quick quotes

    The insomnia that gives the collection its title is, one guesses, not fabricated and the poetry has a wakeful vigilance – Kinsella never lets up.

    The Australian poet John Kinsella's vivid and urgent new collection addresses the crisis of being that currently afflicts us.

    Kinsella's poetry is a forceful call to action, exploring deeply felt and ever more insistent ecological concerns.

Goodreads · 2019-02-21
urgent 4.20

The collection is praised for its vivid and urgent exploration of ecological and personal crises. Readers appreciate the emotional depth and the forceful call to action presented in the poetry.

Goodreads reviewers generally agree that this collection is a standout in Kinsella's body of work, with many praising its vivid and urgent exploration of ecological and personal crises. The emotional depth of the poetry is frequently mentioned, as is the way Kinsella's work serves as a forceful call to action. Readers appreciate the raw and unflinching look at the world's problems, as well as the personal reflections that make the poetry deeply resonant. Some reviewers note that the collection can be challenging, but ultimately rewarding, with a powerful emotional impact.

Quick quotes

    The Australian poet John Kinsella's vivid and urgent new collection addresses the crisis of being that currently afflicts us.

    In this forceful call to action, acclaimed poet John Kinsella explores deeply felt and ever more insistent ecological concerns.

    Insomnia offers poems of self-accusation and angry protest, meditations on the nature of loss and trauma.

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