The Bone Library

by Jenni Fagan

These poems are alive with electricity, pulsating with a frequency that vibrates throughout.

In a journey from there to here, The Bone Library examines and interprets all of human life. Throughout the collection Jenni Fagan responds to broader themes of identity, of place, of love and the unloved.

Written in the old Dick Vet Bone Library during the author’s time as writer-in-residence there, this is a vivid exploration that is honest and searching and cuts to the very core of what it is to be alive.

Genres: Poetry

114 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 4, 2022

About the author

Jenni Fagan has published four fiction novels, one non-fiction memoir, seven books of poetry and had scripts produced for stage and screen. She has three degrees, concluding as Dr. Of Philosophy, specialising in structuralism.

Jenni is an award winning, critically acclaimed poet and novelist. She is published in eight languages. A Granta Best of Young British Novelist (once-in-a-decade-accolade), Scottish Novelist of the Year (2016), Pushchart nominated, on lists for BBC International Short Story Prize, Impac Dublin, The Sunday Times Short Story Award, Encore, among others. The New York Times called her The Patron Saint of Literary Street Urchins.

Fagan is also an artist who exhibits canvas and sculptures, her bone artworks are on permanent display at Summerhall, where she kintsugi’d the building with poems in gold.

Jenni has written articles for the Independent, NY Times, Marie Claire. She has held Writer in Residence positions at the University of Edinburgh, Robert Louise Stevenson Fellowship and Gavin Wallace.

She has worked extensively with women in prison, and those from deprived backgrounds.

She is currently adapting The Blade Artist by Irvine Welsh for tv, also The Panopticon, Luckenbooth and Hex.

Reviews

[By Book and Bone (Sally) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm definitely going to have to reread this to have a full opinion on every poem within. I enjoyed the collection though and found myself turning the page nonstop. The language is easy to digest and that's not always a bad thing with poetry.

[Worm · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5/5 - I liked approximately 2 and a half poems.... This would do numbers on 2012 Tumblr. I really need people to stop writing poetry like this, it's so uninspiring.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An outstanding poetry collection that encompasses all manner of human life. At times gentle, others raging. Definitely looking for more of Fagan's poetry.

[jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars ✨

[August Bourré · Rating 1 out of 5]

The only good things about this book are the cover and the title, for which it receives the one star. I am so astonished by the near-complete absence of craft in these poems I’ve almost come back around to being impressed that 100+ pages of poetry can be written without producing a single memorable line. The images are pedestrian, the line breaks are painfully obvious, the diction is all over the place, but not in a way that seems purposeful. This author has praise from Granta, was nominated for the Pushcart, etc.—in retrospect, all accolades for her prose, and not for her poetry. The unearned confidence on display in some of these pieces is staggering.

[Karen Mace · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short and punchy book of poetry that explores all aspects of what it is to be a human - life, love, identity, sex, loneliness - and through it's dark, gritty language I found it to be thought provoking and a really interesting read.

Some of the poems took me a couple of read throughs before I could fully absorb their impact, and, as with some other poetry collections, some I didn't connect with, but it still made for an affecting and dynamic look at life through the powerful use of words.

[Edina V]

I haven’t DNFed a book in a long time.

This year, I decided to actually do that with books that don’t sit right. This one is one of them.

I admit, I haven’t finished it so I won’t rate it in any way.
It’s just not for me. I don’t get it.

I picked it up because I loved Jenni Fagan’s book “Hex”. It will always be one of my favourite books. So my recommendation for everyone is to go read “Hex” instead of “The bone library”.

[Holly Wedgwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some poems were simply fine, while others really struck a cord. The whole collection feels passionate, thoughtful and at times even angry. I enjoy the way Jenni Fagan captures women, not just in their being but in every sense of a women’s essence.

(I don’t usually actually read poetry, so I am not sure if I really think this is 3 or 3.5 stars. Either way, I liked it)

[Lynsey Gilmour · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really interesting and engaging collection, that I found myself reading almost in one sitting. I found some of the imagery in the poems stayed with me, and resonated for quite some time after my first read and definitely demanded a second or third read. I'm certain I'll be dipping back in and out of these for a while.

[Lula · Rating 4 out of 5]

picked this little guy up in waterstones wells, read one poem and bought immediately and boy oh boy did it not disappoint

one of the best collections i’ve read in a long minute

apparently she wrote it on a writing retreat and sometimes you could tell- some poems felt forced but on the whole it was a all round success

thank u jenni fagan i will be searching for another of your books xx

[🌶 peppersocks 🧦 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reflections and lessons learned:
“I know who I am
although others often make me forget”

A much more brutal and adult collection than I expected - some good, some very random! I’m still intrigued by the author/s

[Kristy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sadly, this just didn’t do anything for me. It’s written in a style I’m not fond of, and I now know this with certainty after getting back into reading poetry. I’m sure others will enjoy this collection, if you like this style of poetry. Simply wasn’t for me.

[Velina Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

A page turner. I couldn't put it down.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this. Easily digestible language, and an interest in the subject matter helped. Particularly enjoyed “Mary Dick” and “Monkey Love Experiment”.

[martina · Rating 1 out of 5]

i gave fagan so many chances but none of her work impressed me. this will be the last book/poetry collection by jenni fagan that i read.

[Abigail Compton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first poetry book I have really read. Some definitely struck a chord whilst others seemed very easy to skim past, but on the whole I really enjoyed this.

[Bob · Rating 1 out of 5]

A collection of ‘poems’. Some interesting but largely unconnected ideas loosely strung together in no sort of recognisable form.
When one is used to reading Homer, Virgil, Shakespeare, Donne, Browning, Barrett, Plath, Leonard Cohen etc etc this is not poetry.