The Struggles and Growth of a Man


Poetry - General
100 Pages
Reviewed on 11/19/2017
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Author Biography

I started writing poetry at the age of 13. It wasn't until my late 20s into my early 30s that I realized how much I can utilize my writing to impact others. What inspired me to write this book is life is hard and men go through struggles themselves. The world tells us to be strong, tough and not emote and feel things. I felt it was time to write a book for young men who struggle with life and write a poetic diary of a character that poeple can relate to.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite

The Struggles and Growth of a Man by Jamell Crouthers is a slim and introspective poetic collection that allows the author to look back at his life, uncovering lessons from hardships, observing the harsh realities of life and capturing, in an evocative style, images of his dysfunctional family. The first poem already offers readers a glimpse of the person’s upbringing, the difficult days of his lonely childhood. He writes: “Television taught me so much because mom wasn’t around.” The reader already understands that childhood was difficult, plus he had to take care of his younger brother. Somewhere else, he states: “I’m a struggling man born in a tough environment...” The reader is introduced to a man of grit, following his journey from childhood through adolescence to manhood.

Jamell Crouthers’ writing is beautiful, rhythmic, and laced with imagery. The tone is mellow, the voice compelling and confident; it is original. Although these poems recount the author’s personal story, they are at the same time a succinct statement on cultural issues, examining the place of technology in human intercourse, looking at role models and the place that struggles have in the economy of human growth. I enjoyed the way the author talks about his childhood: “My childhood is tattooed all over my body, / Ink of where I come from, where I’ve been and what I want to be. / Memories and reminders to break the cycle of pain, / And be the man that I should be in this cold world.” The Struggles and Growth of a Man is an entertaining, poetic narrative that reads like healing therapy. It is motivational and inspiring, the kind of poetry that will make readers look at life and others differently.

Gisela Dixon

The Struggles and Growth of a Man by Jamell Crouthers is a poetry book about a fictional character named Robert and his life story. The Struggles and Growth of a Man starts off simply with a short introduction, and then jumps into the life story of Robert written in the form of poetry. The poems chronicle Robert’s angst growing up in a dysfunctional family with a teenage mother and a dad who isn’t the best role model. The book further explores his early years and adulthood, including dating, relationships, marriage, kids, finances, family dynamics, siblings, and - of course - his guidance counselor who has served as his only real role model.

The Struggles and Growth of a Man by Jamell Crouthers is a short and easy read about the life of Robert. It describes, in the form of poetry, what many adults and youths goes through in today’s world where modern technologies are taking over and the importance of family and community is diminishing. This book highlights all of the current world's social problems. Although I liked the basic premise of this book, I felt that the poetry itself fell short. In fact, the book felt more like prose than poetry to me and I didn’t find any lyrical or any particular poetic quality in the poems themselves. Basically, I felt that the book reads more like a line-by-line diary than anything else. Still, I thought the basic idea behind the book is sound and worth a read.