--- product_id: 47577590 title: "Shaler's Fish: Poems" brand: "helen macdonald" price: "£18.50" currency: GBP in_stock: true reviews_count: 4 url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/47577590-shalers-fish-poems store_origin: GB region: Great Britain --- # Shaler's Fish: Poems **Brand:** helen macdonald **Price:** £18.50 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Shaler's Fish: Poems by helen macdonald - **How much does it cost?** £18.50 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/47577590-shalers-fish-poems) ## Best For - helen macdonald enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted helen macdonald brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Full description not available ## Images ![Shaler's Fish: Poems - Image 1](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/512HZBqhd9L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐ Disappointed *by D***N on Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2016* I read this after H is for Hawk (which I loved) and was disappointed. I had to work a little too hard to understand what she was saying and even harder to care. Didn't make it to the end. ### ⭐⭐ Disappointing *by H***M on Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2016* "H Is for Hawk" is genuinely outstanding. Do not expect more of the same in this collection.Unfortunately, I find it difficult to believe this collection of poetry would have been published at all if not for the wild success of the other book. The poetry here was previously published by a small press in Britain, but, as far as I can tell, none of it had been published in any literary journals or magazines. Surprising, given how poetry publication works. Hardly a conclusive point, but it adds to my suspicion that his collection is more about a publisher fishing for income than an effort to put out new work.Macdonalds' poetry appears highly intellectual. I say appears, because I was not sufficiently enticed to do the work of interpretation. Nabokov and John Ashbery are intellectual, but, first, you are drawn to read closely, and, second, on close reading you find there's a there there. Intellectual isn't enough to make work good or engaging. The poetry here is certainly earnest, but that's not enough to make writing good or engaging either. ### ⭐⭐ I would have thrown this fish back *by J***A on Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2017* There are some poetry collections that rock you, shake you to the core. Some are so beautifully written that you can’t help but read them out loud. Then there are collections in which you find yourself reading, and re-reading, and re-re-reading and just not getting. That last one was my experience with Shaler’s Fish, a collection that’s dense, and complicated, and cryptic, and stylistically challenging, and just something I didn’t click with. I really had to push to finish the collection and truly, if you don’t like the first one, skip, because that general feeling of “what did I just read?” without the smiles and wonder was what dominated my experience. I’m not saying it’s poorly written, I’m saying I didn’t get it and the 2 stars comes because I can see the skill and craft even if I can’t connect or much appreciate it. I don’t need my poetry to be simplistic, but at least somewhat accessible would be nice. Alas, what I found was a collection where I didn’t understand what I was reading and only on occasion did I see lines that were lovely, but were then followed by very elevated language, odd punctuation and line splits and so much “poetrishness” that I just couldn’t break into the meaning the poems had for me. Oh well, they can’t all be 4 and 5 star books :) --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/47577590-shalers-fish-poems](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/47577590-shalers-fish-poems) --- *Product available on Desertcart Great Britain* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-05-02*