Review: The Coming of the Little Green Man Book by John Agard

Review of John Agard’s The Coming of The Little Green Man Witty, poignant and characteristically mischievous: The Coming of The Little Green Man is Agard at his finest.

The collection follows the journey of an outsider as they explore the unknown and experience a world alien from their own. Our Little Green Man throws himself into a world full of social, racial and political issues, observing a whole new cultural landscape – not so much as a tourist, but rather a man on a pilgrimage. Agard writes with such humour, such a light-hearted and animated voice, that he is able to bring a graceful levity to the darker and more serious themes of the collection, without ever straying or hiding from them. The Coming of The Little Green Man is a triumph in its uncanny ability to find this balance.

Each poem is brilliantly crafted and reads well on its own, but The Coming of The Little Green Man begs to be read, cover to cover, as a story. Agard’s ability to follow this Little Green Mans incredible adventure throughout the collection, without diversion or deviation, is an impressive feat. That being said, there are a few individual poems that I personally found to be worthy of special treatment. ‘A Bonsai Moment’, ‘A Debate’ and ‘Keen to Give Blood’ are such poems. The Coming of The Little Green Man combines Agard’s trademark wit with a profound understanding of cultural issues, to tell the story of an outsider and his journey into foreign territory. It is a great collection - brilliantly balanced and genuinely funny – and definitely worth the read.

Review by Jacob Spivey