My initial experience with When the Night Agrees to Speak to Me was one of excitement: first, because this would be my first ever read from Mauritius, and then because when I opened the DRC in the Shelf app, I saw that this edition does my favourite thing poetry books can do — it includes the French originals alongside the English translations! I was so happy to see that I could both enjoy the poems as intended by the author, and that I had an opportunity to give feedback on the translation as well.

My excitement quickly fizzled out as I read on, which I regret to say was caused by both the originals and the translations. I am truly saddened I’m writing a negative review, especially because the author, Ananda Devi, seems to be a wonderful person who stands against all sorts of bigotry.

Her poems rarely resonated with me, in that they rarely felt lyrical. Most of the time, the language did not flow, and as such, they did not really feel poetic. I could not feel anything, when evoking feelings and sentiments is the whole point of poetry.

The bigger problem, however, is the translation. The poems were both mistranslated, and completely rewritten by the translator! The translator felt within right to change the order of the lines at times, even though the original structure still does not create a comprehension issue in English; to completely change verbs and words at times, the simplest example being the translation saying ‘a(n)’ or ‘the’ when the author wrote ‘my’, and vice versa (some of it felt like the translator does not actually know or understand French, like when the adjective and noun were swapped in “pure fatality” so it became “fatal purity” in the translated version; to omit certain words from the poems while adding in other words that do not exist in the originals; to change punctuation marks for no reason (like a dash being replaced by a colon even though the dash can be and is used the same way in English)… these not only cause erroneous translations, but completely rewrite the poems! Nothing angers me like a translator rewriting an author’s original piece, which is nothing short of disrespectful and unacceptable.

This edition includes an email interview conducted by the translator with the author, which wasn’t of much interest to me either due to its nature. I understand that it was during the first year of the pandemic, in August 2020, but an email interview is not something spontaneous, and the answers are not natural but tailored. I really wished I could have a glimpse into Devi’s mind on the spot instead.

Finally, there is a sort of analysis of Devi’s poetry, written by a scholar, but this too failed to be of interest to me as I saw no appeal in her poems or the way she expresses. Overall, this book was a total miss for me, and I could not recommend it to anyone at all due to the fact that the English translations are not faithful to the originals, so what you read will not be what was written by Devi, unless you know French and can read the originals included.

[DRC provided by NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers India.]

5 stars

This is a translated poetry from the French and I loved being able to read it in French as well as English. My French is very basic and I'm not good at it since I haven't taken a class in it since middle school and the people around me tend to speak Cajun French as opposed to French, but it was fascinating to see how much French I do know. At least while reading. Speaking...that's a whole different ballpark. I loved Ananda Devi's voice and the lyrical precision that each poem delivered. There was intense heartache and frustration. This is a collection I want to buy and re-explore with a deeper reading and annotation experience than the quick read I had on my phone. I was incredibly impressed with this collection and I left feeling entranced and this sense of wonderment, very similar to what the translator described. Highly recommend this one!

I loved loved this poetry collection! It was raw, lyrical and very truthful! The way the original French comes before the English is unique and lovely. I’ll definitely be checking out more of the author’s work!

Beautiful, lyrical poetry in an incredibly visceral piece collection. Definitely going to be checking out more of Ananda Devi's work. The interview between the translator and Devi gave a real insight too.

"When the Night Agrees to Speak with Me," by acclaimed author Ananda Devi, is a beautifully written collection of poetry that incorporates natural images to express the agony that lies in womanhood and the search for consolation after a tragic loss.
The narrator, a woman who recently lost her life, begins the collection by acknowledging those who wander through the woods "like silent [cats]," desperately sifting through their memories to find some sort of explanation for her death. She understands that those who seek her are distraught and scarred by rage; however, tonight is a rather special one in which the earth has granted the deceased woman a short window of time to explain herself and her abrupt passing before her "lips are sealed shut by the mouth of the wind" once again.
To the narrator, the truth and the ability to communicate such are tricky rights, often ignored or denied by higher beings of false superiority. For the first time, though, she finds herself granted the chance to communicate her truth: her compliance.
Many believe that her expiration was a self-inflicted consequence for "dancing with the devil." Death is an inevitable foe for life and joy; however, a waltz with Lucifer himself can make one’s dying day come earlier than expected. She urges those who seek the truth, though, to "peel back [her] skin," "unclothe [her] of [herself]," and strip her of the rumors many naively believe about her death.
She elaborates on what was the catalyst for her death: her "desire for pills that were delicate and white." Her relationship with self-medication was comparable to that of a lover or a spouse. The pills brought her "oblivion" and a "kingdom of silence," something she believed nothing else could. When she had neither the will to eat nor the courage to survive, she relied on the simple task of ingesting a capsule of liquid poison to "abolish life" and send her into a state of blissful euphoria.
After this discussion of her own faults, she delves deeply into the impetus for such dangerous actions. The narrator believes that she did so to erase the memory of the "moon-wild beauty," a nickname for the man who once took advantage of her and, likely, countless others. She understands that many would perceive her state of death and his state of life to be unfortunate fates; however, the narrator knows that despite the pride he may exude to those who know nothing of his maniacal spirit, internally, he is an "odd one out" who hides his sorrow through exaggerated gestures of self-assurance and innocence.
Now that the narrator has passed, she is able to reflect on both her self-medicating and the abuse she suffered and wishes that during those periods of self-loathing and trauma she had remembered the beauty that lies within nature and love. She thinks that perhaps if she had considered the more potent natural inebriation caused by the dynamic, complex world around her, she wouldn’t have become so dependent on artificial substances to whisk her away from the clutches of reality. She also addresses the women who refuse to advocate for themselves and choose instead to silently suffer. She believes that if women do not advocate for themselves, they cannot prevent these same atrocities from happening to their peers, thus allowing passivity to continue the cycle of violence and misogyny that has plagued women for centuries. To her, womanhood is a period of life to be lived jubilantly, but unless women make strong strides and advances to protest sexual injustices, they will continue to live a life "free but crippled, crippled but free."
The biggest flaw within the collection is that the writing, while very colorful, can be perceived as vague and requires a read-through or two to truly comprehend. However, once comprehended, it is very impactful and powerful. Perhaps, if more collections of poetry were added or more lines of detail were added to each poem, the author would have properly expanded on her main themes without the literature feeling occasionally hazy.
Something that was impressive, however, was the smooth transition from the French to English translations. One would think that the constant transitions would take out the nuances and spirit of the writing; however, it flowed rather cohesively. Also, the author’s use of second person creates a personal sort of dialogue between the narrator and those she wishes to address. Each line, so well-crafted and direct, feels almost like a letter designated to a dear friend or past lover, detailing a preventable death, or, as the narrator describes it, a murder.
Overall, "When the Night Agrees to Speak with Me" is a wonderful read for those interested in writing containing feminist messages, images of botanical and magical essences, and impressive poetry.

This book of poetry is full of raw emotion and hard truths. I found myself on the verge of tears several times throughout the poetry section. I found the ebook to be formatted a strangely, but that might just be because it's a book meant to have the French and English translations side by side.

A book full of beautiful raw poem that go deep in and shines what's inside. A bit of madness. I love that it translates from French and keeps the original right by the English. I would recommend this to a few friends, the cover is eye catching and the title is what drew me in.

A beautiful, heart wrenching collection of poems. I love that the original French text has been kept in alongside this wonderful translation so that both can be enjoyed together.

Thank You Netgalley and the publishers for sending me and allowing me to read this E-ARC.
I didn't enjoy the poems in this that much.

I have mixed feelings about this poetry collection. I enjoyed some poems, but others fell flat. This is hard to review as poetry is so subjective, and what I don’t like, others may really enjoy. I’d still recommend checking this one out if you like poetry, but it unfortunately wasn’t for me. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher, for a chance to read and review this book.

Ananda Devi is an award-winning Mauritian novelist and poet with an extensive body of work. Over the course of her career, she has published eleven novels on top of several short stories and poems. WHEN THE NIGHT AGREES TO SPEAK TO ME was translated by Kazim Ali, an American poet, novelist, essayist, and professor.

This poetry collection may be short, but it’s by no means a quick read. This book requires a small degree of work and dedication from the reader to appreciate the writing fully.

At first, this is because the book is in both English and French. From my limited understanding of French, I could tell that most of the short poems at the beginning had direct translations. I became uncertain as the poetry transformed into prose and the English and French were interwoven in the same piece.

The collection is autobiographical. As someone who does not know much about Mauritius, I enjoyed reading poetry from a new perspective. The subject matter was still relatable. Her writing discusses universal sentiments and fears such as loneliness, desire, violence, and aging. Her writing is vivid and, at times, disturbing.

My only real dislike is that the poems are numbered and not titled. However, this is merely a personal gripe because it’s easier for me to remember the title of my favorite poem than its number.

The book includes an interview at the end between the poet and her translator. This was helpful because it added context to the writing and subject matter. It shed light on the poet’s intention and tied it back to her unique multicultural experiences.

I recommend this poetry collection to the curious reader who enjoys re-reading and dissecting poetry and prose. If you’re like me and you approach poetry like a puzzle, you will enjoy this book.

Note: The publisher allowed me free access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have mixed feelings. On one hand, there are poems that have this lyrical portrayal of nature with allusions on despair, relationships, body image, sexuality and inner feelings of an outer world, on the other hand there are graphic images of violence and decay, which make me uncomfortable.
As a whole this is a small book! Most of the poems are short, and the book also contains an interview with her. I liked the interview because I feel like I got to know her a bit better as a result, and there are a few poems that really stood out to me.

Kazam Ali has done a wonderful job in translating this deep, lyrical and dark poems.
Poems are not my thing but this was really good set of poetry.

One of my favourite poem from the book is -

"I will not live more than I need This is what my mother said This is what my father said You have to know to leave when there is still time."

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the arc.

When The Night Agrees To Speak To Me reads like one long night of running on the beach and through forests. It brings to mind King Lear's madness on the moors, and the raw longing expressed in two languages just hits so beautifully.

Because of the numbered/titleless poems, it is hard to pick out favorites or return to previous pages. Since I usually read poetry books one or two pieces at a time, I found it difficult to diverge from my comfort style. Regardless, I respect the artistic choices made for this book, and I can clearly see how much they contribute to the overall quality,

Every word is intentional, every word has a purpose. The poems are emotionally engaging, and the beautiful word building really touched my heart. The poems are wonderfully written, sometimes harrowing, but a joy to read nevertheless.

*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.

Many thanks to Netgalley, HarperCollins Publishers India and the author, for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Poetry in my opinion is a hit or miss. When The Night Agrees To Speak To Me is a book of poetic prose about carnage, sexuality, despair, body image, female body in a male world, so on and so forth. I some how always struggle with translations. This book made me wish that I was more fluent in French and could understand the nuance as written by the author. This book has left me with feelings hard to absorb, yet they are there.

I must admit that most of Devi's poems require extensive comprehension and analytical skills to understand the meaning lying beneath the exterior. However, I must also admit that even though I completely don't understand most of her poems, I still find them quite beautiful and contemplative.

She is a goddess. She showed her truths in her poems (but you need to decipher it first to fully understand the meaning). I love her poems. I appreciated them, and I engraved them in my soul and body. Forever thankful for stumbling upon this beauty.

"...the some of moments comes to nothing
Survival feels useless: death is so overrated
There was nothing before and will be nothing after."


Massive thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for the eARC!

Before reading this collection of poetry, I've never read anything written by Mauritian writers. While I certainly can appreciate its content, I have mixed feelings. On one hand, there are poems that have this lyrical portrayal of nature with allusions on despair, relationships, body image, sexuality and inner feelings of an outer world, on the other hand there are graphic images of violence and decay, which make me uncomfortable. Maybe, that was the whole point of them and I just didn't appreciate the hidden meaning.

Although that was not exactly my cup of tea, I would still recommend to checking it out if you are a poetry reader.

I want to mention the work of the translator Kazim Ali, who has done a thorough job of conveying Ananda Devi's work for English speaking readers (the collection has been translated from French). There is also a short note on translation and an interview between the translator and the author at the end of the book, which I haven't expected, but really liked.

Please check trigger warnings list before picking it up (self-harm, trauma, suicide, depression - these topics are talked about in details).

A lovely set of poems and I loved the idea of translations. I dont speak the language so wasn't sure if it made as much sense in different but the English translation was beautiful.

Thank you for the advanced reader copy.

Beautiful and immensely emotional. The writing style really got to me I will definetely be reading more works by this author. Thank you netgalley for the arc.