Oh, To Be Human

by Liian Varus, Britney Newman (Illustrator), Kimberly MacNeill (Editor)

A maniacal crow tells a sad odyssey about his strange entanglement with depression.

Genres: Poetry

197 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 5, 2018

Reviews

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never usually read poetry but having seen this author on social media and very much enjoying his dark humour, I thought I'd give this a go.

It's very dark. Its emotional. It gives an insight into how depression feels that is truly terrifying and inspiring at the same time. It's hard to imagine how people exist and even get out of bed every day when they feel like this.

This is a book that will stay with me. It's not a book I can say I 'enjoyed' but it leaves an impression for sure.

[N.P. Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is beautifully brutal. Exquisite language and starkly vivid imagery make this an emotionally charged and powerful snapshot of the depths of depression. Anyone who loves dark poetry from the likes of Ted Hughes, Edgar Allen Poe, Charles Bukowski and Emily Dickinson would almost certainly enjoy this impressive debut.

[Ashley Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't say poetry is my go-to genre. I can't even promise that this isn't the first poetry book I've ever read....

I'm pretty sure this is the first one I've read...

but what an intro for me. The only poetry I have experienced is the ABAB or AABB format. I also like a good haiku.

But this...THIS book...I enjoyed quite a bit. It was dark and depressing and just so damn beautiful. I appreciate the range of vernacular used. I also may or may not have had to look up the definition of a couple of words. I loved the flow and how the rhymes just kinda popped out at you like a surprise and the fact that everything was written in regular paragraph format.

I also learned that Liian is a crow.



Not to sound like a fan girl or anything, but the dude is also just so cool. I've seen him post in a book group I follow and he personalizes all the books that he sends out. Dude has got jokes too. Weird contrast to the subject matter he writes but I dig it.

Anyways, I already have Is Stranged. and will be reading that one too. Hoping to sink back into the beautiful depression.

[貝晨珊 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I guess I can appreciate the love an author puts into their work, but this was some of the laziest and most pretentious writing I have read in recent years. Beyond that, the formatting was awful and it almost seems like this book was simply stretched out to reach 200 pages when it could have been 100 pages long with normal formatting. I've never considered giving the almost empty pages of a book (of which this one has many) a second life by ripping them out and taking notes on them, yet here I am.
More space was wasted with the "introductory quotes" underneath each headline. It would have been cool if the author had found something interesting to quote at this stage, but citing your own poem - especially the 1/2 to 2-page long poem we're about to read anyway - makes this awfully redundant. Keep the headlines and maybe even continue to repeat them over and over and over again in awfully repetitive poetry, but maybe refrain from quoting the already redundant lines before the beginning of the poem. I hate to be this negative, but this one is so bad I wonder if the author is actually writing satire on poetry.

[Alexander Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a book of poetry. This is a battle. A struggle of great proportions only imaginable by the poor bleeding soul turning its pages. Perhaps a Pyrrhic victory for Mr. Varus and those he takes with him on an unimaginable struggle to confront the looming monstrosity that poisons the minds and souls of so many. How well, how valiantly he meets this beast that one can witness the sweat and blood of the author spatter unto each page and run down in small columns to create each aching sentence.
When the smoke clears and you are standing on the battlefield with the sun in your face. You are alive. You are in pieces, scattered among uplifted soil, but remember the extraordinary rains of Plutarch and then maybe, only maybe, something ripe will grow from the fertile flesh of your struggle.
Buy this and take this fight with strength and courage.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this collection of writings. The author is telling a story and it is quite apparent how dark it is if you think that it is dark. But also there's some really funny stuff in it if you have a sense of dark humor. If you don't have a good vocabulary or some semblance of intelligence, this book is not for you. Flat out. The words that are used, they really stimulated my brain and I found it quite wonderful. If you don't have the ability to read poetry and understand it for the depth that it is, this will be a slow paced book for you. If you are a person who enjoys poetry, especially dark poetry, then this will be a fast read for you. I got through it in about 4 hours, and quite enjoyed the book. Now if you really want to experience it, have Alexa read it to you like I did. It is unparalleled to anything that I have ever had Alexa read to me.

[Ruth Collier · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm never really sure what to say about poetry. I'm not totally sure this is poetry, I'm not sure what this is. It's like Stream of consciousness with the odd rhyme, and it is strange and dark and touching.
On a surface level interpretation- it makes me feel things. Someone more practiced with poetry might offer a better interpretation. Some of the imagery and phrases are striking, but sometimes the symbolism is so thick as to be impenetrable to me. That said, I'm going to keep this book for a future re-read and maybe then more meaning will come through, I think it's definitely one of those books.
I found some of the phrasing/sentence structure a bit confusing, but I suppose that's a risk with poetry.
I imagine this would work well as spoken word : letting the words and images flow over you without consciously understanding every sentence.

[Charlie Seon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is quite possibly the most visceral representation of depression thar I've ever read. This book of poems doesn't hold back from the miserable and brutal. If you're hoping for a lovely romanticization of depression, this book isn't what you're looking for, but it is your wake up call. I've never felt this sort of comfort reading about another depressed person's personal nightmare, but it's refreshing to see that I'm not the only one slogging myself through life despite desperately wanting it to end.

[Joaquin · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is the first book I read from this autor and let me tell you that I loved it! Such a good book, very well writen with a brutal a depp poetry that gave me chills. I felt so Many emotions and that's what I'm looking for when I read a book, but must of all, poetry. Amazing job! definitely a must read!

[Shana Congrove · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dark, but brilliant book! If you've ever experienced depression, you'll relate to author Liian Varas's, "Oh, to Be Human."
This will take you on a journey of how depression can put you in a dark hole. The emotions in each page is heartfelt and relatable to me. I've been in those places many times.
Checkout this book, written by true talent that can express so much more than words.

[Nichole Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each poem contained in this book holds a piece of the author. You can feel the full gamut of raw emotions he has carefully crafted into every word. So much of the author was left on the page it felt like a gift. Truly exceptional. Poetry is not an easy artform, and the writer makes it look effortless.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED IT!!! A very well written prose. Interesting, horrific, sometimes scary, an in depth look into the mind of a poet. Think Chuck Palahniuk meets The Nightmare Before Christmas. Truly original! Looking forward to see what this writer does in the future.

[Ashley Greathouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

These poems take you on a terrifying journey where you'll hold hands with depression while skipping to the tune of misery and heartache. This poet knows just how to show you the beauty that hides in pain and darkness.

[Kelsi Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a journey through my own mind, the twists and turns, the deafening silence. The battle of depression is a long and tedious one, but this collection is a healing salve for injured and inflamed minds. Oh, To Be Human is a take-along for sure.

[Stefanie Nici · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful

Raw. A baring of ones soul. The inner, most darkest thoughts of this writer shared on paper for the world to read. You just can’t help turning the pages to find out what else is going on inside of this persons head.

[Roma Simone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such deep, raw writing. Think Poe. His style of writing is amazing, it really draws you in, captivating you page by page until you feel like your drowning in his emotions. Beautifully written, definitely recommend.

[Damon Laws · Rating 5 out of 5]

A surprise read!

Didn't know what to expect as I have only read your standard poem collections. This really got me going in the way the poet set up the emotional side of each poem.

[Vanessa Romanov · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book isn't just a book, it's a battle of a person's mind through deep depression. It's a fantastic read for someone who's gone down that road before. Kudos Liian for allowing us into your depressive state!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

These poems were all deeply emotional and interesting to read. The prose format was an interesting choice, which I found a bit distracting, but overall I enjoyed the poems enough to not let that bother me too much.

[Cat Vermillion · Rating 5 out of 5]

More than just relatable

I loved the poems. It's as relatable as they are unique. This collection of words helps me relate to what's going on with myself with out adding or diminishing what their going through versus what I'm going through.

[Martina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read. Love the metaphors. The dark stuff is relatable and makes me want to give my ex a slap in the face.

[Norma Burdette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a lover of Poe so when I started this book I was not expecting to love it. Dark, thought inducing and well written.

[Christopher Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, To Be A Brilliant Read

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh how I struggled with this book. I love the writing style and the author speaks so poetically however the subject matter was far too dark for this bipolar sufferer to enjoy.

[David Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

A interesting collection of verse, that was both dark and funny, absolutely entertaining.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard to read emotionally and should come with a trigger warning....but....beautiful.

[Robert Ormsby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightfully Dark

I've never read anything quite like this.
And I mean that in the best way possible.

It's dark, and just a bit disturbing. It's vivid and so well written, that I'm actually turning a shade of green while writing this review.

I figured I'd check out a few pages to start. And next thing I know, I'm reading all the way through to the back cover. And then I'm ranting and raving to my wife, "you HAVE to check this out."

I lack the vocabulary to give it it's proper praise. All I can say is you should check it out for yourself.

[Glacia Cronk · Rating 5 out of 5]

An eternity within the soul of a depressive, bound by irrational grief for the existence of reality and freed by the hope of a merciful end, is held captive. An eternity made finite.

A moment within the heart of a romantic, wound round the scared hope for the future and the scarred fear of the past, is made free. A moment made infinite.

Expect to be moved.

I was. I am. I will.

[L. Higginson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book because I found the writer highly amusing on Facebook, so I was kind of like "Okay, let's see what this guy is about." To my surprise, this book wasn't filled with sexual innuendo and pen!s jokes as I sort of expected it to be. Instead what I found was a book that's like a haunted house, dire and dreary, where behind every door to every room there's a new passageway into the darkness of the human heart. Love, rotting corpses, death, madness... all of it intertwines to create a tapestry that is at times difficult to look at and at the same time impossible to forget. Loved it! don't think it's for everyone, but it certainly was for me.