Reviews

Metaphysical Dictionary by Svetlana Lilova is profound, whimsical and wise, delightfully illustrated by Graham Falk. At her recent book launch at Centennial College, the author described how, newly-arrived in Canada and never having heard spoken English, she traversed the city with a dictionary in hand. Fast-forward many years, and Lilova offers us a compass, a roadmap, a mirror and a prism through which we can distill our lived experience and inner selves in this small, elegant volume.

This metaphysical dictionary would have driven Wittgenstein out of his formalistic mind, which is why I love this daring collection. Lilova is a veritable artist of consciousness - her poems are laconic Pollack drips of connotational calligraphy - true impressionism. Sober and surreal at once.

[Metaphysical Dictionary] is set out in a typical dictionary format ... A series of beautiful short poems and abstract sentences relating to each word. The concept of this book is so unique and the end product, in both the physical and written sense, is just mesmerizing.

This sly, whimsical debut collection by Toronto poet Svetlana Lilova is not much more than pocket-sized, but its poetic reach is expansive. Lilova was born in Sofia, Bulgaria, and arrived in Canada without knowing any English, so having a dictionary on hand was essential. Metaphysical Dictionary is an idiosyncratic version of that survival tool.

Lilova's "Metaphysical Dictionary" explores the feelings that permeates our existence, from judgement to love. Her passages leave a lingering meditation, while Falk's drawings provoke a curiosity that adds texture to her definitions. Falk's drawings remind me of some of John Lennon's best work, which I personally hold in high regard. This is currently one of my favorite books, and also a perfect book to gift to others.

a series of very short poems written as “definitions”, that truly hit hard and have a ton of impact despite their size. the more you read (and see how some definitions reference back to others) the more it makes sense and blends together to form a beautiful narrative of the author’s life experiences.