Children's book review: The World’s Wife- Carol Ann Duffy

Book Review By Gemma E Mclaughlin

This week’s book review is a little different in two ways: first off, unlike most of the books I review, this was originally published in 1999. Secondly it is not a novel but a collection of poetry.

I was excited to investigate this brilliant work -which I’ll admit is my first time reading Carol Ann Duffy- because of the poet laurate’s role in Danny Boyle’s Armistice Day project which is being staged today. Carol Ann Duff has written a new poem for the event.

The main theme of this work is based around a phrase we’ve all heard but never considered in as eloquent and witty depth as Carol Ann Duffy has here, that phrase being “Behind every famous man…” The work contains clever and humorous poetry written from the perspective of the wives of famous men all through history, legends and fiction. The short, snappy poems range from Demeter and Mrs Midas to Queen Kong and Mrs Quasimodo.

Although all of the poems are fun, lighthearted rhymes they portray an excellent message of feminism and add a novel twist to all the stories we already know. I adore the message expressed in every one and the excitement of discovering a new facet of stories grown dull by the passion of time.

My favourite poem in the book and perhaps favourite excerpt from any book I’ve ever read comes from a short peek into the mind of Mrs Darwin. “7 April 1852.

Went to the zoo, I said to Him- Something about that chimpanzee over there reminds me of you.”

When I read this I found myself doing that strange almost-laugh we tend to do when alone and no one is there to laugh with- a nose exhale and a small smile. I have never yet encountered a book which could make me even consider laughing while entirely on my own and for that I greatly commend Carol Ann Duffy. You don’t get to be poet laureate (top banana poet person) without being skilled at the job.

The humour of this book, mixed in with the fabulous message and more than a few references to mythology along the way, is a glorious kind of enjoyment I never expected to find between the pages of a poetry book.

The book itself is simply adorable and fits inside almost every bag (unless you’re the sort of person to carry an unreasonably small bag in which case you’re not worthy) and almost glows, as though to tell those around you that you’re the sort of well educated, fabulous sort of person who casually carries poetry books. I am delighted to finally be that sort of person and to have become so with such ease and hilarity.

The World’s Wife is exactly the kind of book I would recommend to everyone I meet and that I shall do. So to all of you who may have been unconvinced of the pleasures a poetry book can contain, I beg of you to pick up a copy and prepare for the many almost -laughs to come.