Unfortunately I did not read The Silver Crown in elementary school when I should have, but years later when I first had a chance to lay my hands on a copy--I had been interested in the book for some time because of the very unique character of the author. Needless to say, because of this belated introduction, I was not immersed in the book so deeply as many of the other persons here (hence my 4/5 star review). On the other hand, I am extremely sympathetic toward the plight of Robert's books (all 4 are extraordinary in some way, and I imagine it is miraculous that half of them remain in print). When I set up a biographical page on Robert in 1996 I began to get e-mails asking me where one could acquire copies of the silver crown. Of course, there is no real answer to this. I think McMillian had it in print extremely briefly in the late 80's/early 90's, but this version had an alternate ending I have heard described by one reader as lame and apparently significantly weakened the book. To the extremely dedicated, I suggest finding out who the last publisher was and sending them e-mail as to the possibility of getting the book back in print--I believe there are other publishing houses that would be willing to do it if McMillian(?) is not. Lastly, I keep a list of folks looking for out of print O'Brien books (I do turn up extra copies of the Silver Crown now and then), if interested, e-mail me.

I read the Silver Crown in 4th grade, and never forgot it. I've been searching for years, and nobody ever heard of it! I though I was losing my mind! Unfortunately, I didn't keep my old books from when I was a kid, and I'm trying to find my old favorites to give to my daughter. It's a shame this book is out of print. For a book to have such an impact on young people, but in a good way, should always be available for future generations to enjoy and learn from it.

I broke my leg when I was in the fourth grade and was unable to participate in p.e. for 4 months. I spent my p.e. time at the school library. The wonderful school librarian reccomended The Silver Crown to me and told me that it was one of the best books that she had ever read. I couldn't have agreed with her more! This book transported me to another world and I was devastated to find out that it was no longer in print. I now teach fifth grade and I am constantly telling my class what a magical book this was. Surely some publisher will read this and re-print this masterpiece. I would LOVE to get my hands on a copy.

People here have already mentioned the visual nature of Young's poetry, but his work is much more complex than that. He is as much a master of mood and tone as he is of the visual. The third section of this book, which deals with the Caribbean and its history, is one of the most incredible mix of poems I have seen in years. These are among the best poems I have seen in magazines in the past few years and, when taken altogether, are simply amazing. This may be a first book, but these poems don't seem like poems you find in a first book at all. The confidence displayed in this collection is the confidence one earns after years and years of writing. This is definitely a poet to watch in the future.

There seems to have been a good number of first collections of poetry published this year, and the generation of poets coming into being is certainly a strong one. Young, in particular, is a traditionalist in terms of approach, but these poems are by no means old-fashioned. They are concerned with family relationships (between child and parent; between men; between friends, etc.), the difficulty of making art true, and the colonial experiment in the Caribbean. I agree with many who have already pointed out his command of visual particulars. More than many in his generation, Young seems to almost paint with words and relies on the images he generates to make his arguments. It isn't that he is less concerned with language but that he uses language to make his points via image. A very beautiful book anyone interested in poetry should read.

Every so often, a poetry collection is published that signals the arrival of a powerful new voice in our Literature that we simply cannot ignore. This happens infrequently, but this is one of those collections. It is no wonder there is some jealousy shown here in some of the reviews. I have seen poems by Young off and on in literary magazines for many years. Each time, I have been impressed with the individual poems. Collected here, they are even more impressive. The accuracy of image, and the extraordinary way Young creates mood and feeling using image, is truly a gift. The third section of this book, which deals with the Caribbean, is absolutely beautiful. Complicated with the concerns of Colonialism and the complex relationship one has with both the worlds of the dominator and the dominated, it is a poetry of deep political and emotional interest. Like Derek Walcott, Young sees the beauty of so many cultures intermingled in this region of the world but refrains from placing one culture above another. This is a book everyone interested in poetry should read. In a hundred years, it may well be regarded the way we regard Wallace Steven's HARMONIUM. Like HARMONIUM, this book signals a poet of extraordinary ability has landed among us.