T. S. Eliot Books

During a career spanning 36 years Sir Stanley Matthews left fans with innumerable memories of his breathtaking footballing skills. None of them realised, however, just how astute he was at defining one of the early 20th century's greatest poets. Comparing Eliot's "Mr. Mistoffelees" to Moses' speech on Mount Sinai is perhaps a little far-fetched, but one can forgive old twinkle toes the odd slip now and again. I mean, he was a cracking footballer, wasn't he, even when he played for Stoke. And I'm a Derby fan, so that's high praise indeed.

A deeply felt and lovingly written book by a great admirer. Not too overly academic, as many biographies can blindly slip into, but a poetic journey into the soul of a fellow suffering artist. If you are at all intersted in Eliot, his life and loves, don't miss this book.

These are first sketches that prefigure the later and greater work and, as such, they may be useful as an intro to the "Waste Land." Those with no desire to return to that godforsaken place will find these discrete bits more digestible and not lacking in Eliot's uniquely haunting music. Among my favorites are "Interlude in London" and "Oh little voices in the throats of men." For those interested in tracing the voices in Eliot's "echo chamber," there are copious notes detailing his allusions and borrowings.If you are a serious Eliot connoisseur, you will be tickled by his long-lost bawdy verse.

Eliot is known to undergrads and postgrads as the genius poet of "Four Quartets" and "The Wasteland;" a man who wrote some of the greatest and most confusing verse of the twentieth century. While the rewards of exploration into such poems are certainly great, it is perhaps a more human need for emotional comfort. The above, professional reviews focus on the small section of bawdry verse in the work, but the majority of this collection is devoted to the great, early emotional works of Eliot. The only familiar poem to most readers will probably be "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" (with a previously unpublished extension) and a more perfect banner work could not have been chosen. The poems are beautiful, concise, imagistic, painful, somber, but most of all lonely. Here in his early years Eliot is not living in an academic world, simply the world--with love, hypocrisy, doubt, joy, and emptiness. To read the greatest poet of our centu! ry describe that which is greatly profound is a privilege, here to read him describe what is simply profound is a gift. I recommend this book over all other collections of Eliot's or anyone else's verse. If you were not one of the 11th graders who discarded Prufrock as a helpless reject, and instead saw him as a deeply lonely individual much like ourselves, this volume is for you. It will touch your life and make you just that much more complete.

"I've only read your excerpts and I'm already trembling," wrote back a friend when I sent out 'HELP!' emails during my first reading of _The Archivist_. I needed to share the extreme emotional experience of this novel, and as I am well met in my friends, the spreading of the experience did help me process Cooley's first work. Don't try to go this one alone, and don't hold back from it, either. Cooley isn't holding back.

I identify strongly -- to a point that sometimes frightens me -- with Judith, the narrator of the book's middle section. She frightens me, enchants me, and has taught me much. Whenever I want to introduce _The Archivist_ to a new reader, I simply show them pages 112+113, an early (May 5?) "journal" entry of Judith's that touches on all(!) the major themes of the novel: marriage, depression, alienation, poetry, religion, music, &c.

Cooley responded to at least one of my fan letters, acknowledging that Judith's world was difficult to inhabit even in imagination. She hopes that the (even if only incrementally) greater understanding gained of mental illness in the last few decades makes life easier for a younger woman with some of Judith's gifts and trials.

A number of people see _The Archivist_ as an obviously *young* and still unpolished work. My relationship with the book goes far too deep for such criticism to mean anything to me, but I try at least to acknowledge the opinions. I am among those who believes the ending doesn't necessarily make sense: at the very least, that Matt made a wrong decision, and perhaps that Cooley incorrectly divined what the character would indeed have done. But as Orson Scott Card once said, the real story is not what's on the page, nor even what's in the author's mind. The real story is what author and reader create together in the reader's mind. Give yourself over to Cooley's work and you will be surprised at the story you create.

From my perspective, Judith was insane because her life was a lie from infancy. I saw it coming, a slight weakness in this book. Also, though I'm a T.S. Eliot fan and love jazz, I found references to these subjects a bit pretentious. They just seemed "off," perhaps because I sensed they were inserted to give the book literary "credibility." However, the book carries an important theme. A person can be driven to madness if lied to by those who are supposed to protect and care for them since childhood. To discover this is like having a rug pulled out from under you. On a couple of occasions I have been lied to by people I thought I could trust, and it is crazy-making. Judith's obsession with the Holocaust is completely understandable. It was a symbol of lies and denial that mirrored the lies and denial of her stepparents. She didn't know the secrets, but she sensed they were there, and her intense reactions to political intrigue made her seem insane to everyone around her, even herself. Sad story.

Archivist Matthias Lane and his wife Judith lose themselves in jazz, poetry, and books. They are in the business of forgetting the Holocaust their families suffered. TS Eliot speaks for them in paradox: caring, not caring, etc. Judith is plagued with the forgetting, and the guilt of it. The attempt to know who she is becomes a manic obsession, and her personality begins to shatter. Matthias places her in Harden, an institution for the insane. Dr. Clay gets nowhere trying to withhold knowledge of the world from her and then bars her family from visiting. It's no cure.
Roberta Spire comes to Matthias' library looking for Eliot's letters to his mistress- hoping they will help her deal with her perceived losses. She too is attempting to know who she is. She's more focused, and Matthias is helpful in slow stages. He seems to have learned not to try to shield, downplay, or hide emotion and events. Though Judith's journal entries go on too long, and Matthias' emotional emptiness is not as clearly defined as one might like, the book is good in that Matthias' need to find himself resonates. And there is hope of redemption.
A first novel for Ms. Cooley. There will be greater books to come from her, I bet.

The story of the relationship between a university archivist and a passionate younger woman graduate student/poet who seeks to uncover the yet-to-be-released letters of T.S. Eliot. An absorbing read, reminiscent of A.S. Byatt's POSSESSION, where there is a literary story within a story. Elegant writing and lots of interesting tidbits about Eliot's religious and philosophical views.

Martha Cooley obviously went to a lot of trouble setting up the various patterns and parallels in this very tightly constructed book. I wish I had enjoyed it more. But really, she might have done better if she hadn't been trying quite so hard.

There are three main characters in the book - Matthias, the archivist of the title (who is custodian of a cache of T.S. Eliot's letters, sealed for the next 60 years, and a potential treasure trove for scholars), his wife Judith, and Roberta, an English scholar whose curiosity about the Eliot letters serves as the book's McGuffin. The emotional palette that Cooley draws on ranges from sombre to bleak.

[SPOILER POTENTIAL FROM HERE ON]





There's a lot of torment in this book. Matthias agonizes because Judith is tormented by guilt about the fate of European Jews during World War II. So much so that she gradually goes insane, has to be put in a mental institution, where she eventually commits suicide. The middle - and strongest - section of the book is an account of her descent into madness, reminiscent of `The Bell Jar'. But it's not the parallel with Plath that's on Cooley's mind, rather it's the parallel between Matthias and T.S. Eliot, who also had a tormented wife who ended up in a mental institution, where she ultimately died.

This is already a bit heavyhanded, but for some reason Cooley finds it necessary to layer on yet another set of parallels. This time an unconvincing crisis of identity suffered by Roberta, upon learning that her parents, far from being the devout life-long Lutherans she was always led to believe, were actually Jews who barely escaped the Holocaust by being sheltered by devout Dutch Protestants. Roberta's crisis is supposed to parallel Judith's breakdown, which was also triggered by learning the real past of her Jewish parents. The problem is, Roberta's crisis in no way rings true; in fact, her role in the book seems little more than a device used by the author to precipitate Matthias's revisiting of his own particular Calvary. The story of Matthias and Judith is the emotional core of the book; by layering on Roberta's extraneous and unconvincing 'crisis' Cooley actually diminishes, rather than augments, the power of her narrative.

In the end, it all seems just a bit too overwrought. The emotional reactions of the characters, Roberta in particular, seem completely off the deep end, and are unconvincing in the final analysis. The novel's intricate structure, and laboriously crafted parallels, seem like much ado about not so much. So that, despite the book's welter of swirling emotions, by the end this reader was left surprisingly unmoved.

This is one of the greatest novels I've ever been forced to read in school. I recommend to all of my friends after having read it in my upper-level undergraduate Literature class. Read this book!

A decent "purgatorial" novel about the redemption of a soul and what it takes. I often found myself thinking of Lewis's space trilogy during the read especially the last volume. I'd put this on a reading list of books about the theology of purgation; The Divine Comedy, The Great Divorce, etc.
At times I found Williams writing style a bit thick but I suspect that was intentional. I particularly enjoyed what seemed to be a slam on logical positivism and literary post-modernism in the character of the clerk.
Some classify this as horror and perhaps it is but it wasn't really scary to me. In fact, the clerk just winds up looking like a boob. Maybe the scariest thing about it is the choice one of the characters makes for hell.

Although Williams was a member of the Inklings group, the work of C.S. Lewis and Tolkein are worlds apart from Williams' writing. Finding any Christian reference takes work, but the occult is quite abundant. An understanding of his cult group (Knights of the Rose?--akin to the Masons) would have helped us decipher some of his meanings.

This is a ghost story, but not a horror story. You may get chills reading it, but not always from "the creeps". On the other hand, you may finish it wondering just what the heck you just read. I submit to you All Hallows' Eve-- definitely not for everybody.

All Hallows' Eve is Charles Williams' last novel, written and set in WW2 England. It starts shortly after the tragic deaths of two women friends, Evalyn and Lester, in a bizarre collision, and neither is aware at first that they have died. They wander a weirdly deserted London separately for a brief time before meeting up, which gives the author an opportunity to focus on Lester's inner spiritual journey as she slowly confronts some unattractive truths about herself and her important relationships with her husband and her friends. In a separate but intersecting storyarc, Lester's surviving husband and his artist friend cross paths with a popular cult leader, Simon Le Clerc. This disturbing figure has a hidden past that is revealed only to us, the readers, as the plot unfolds. He is shaping up to be something not unlike an antichrist of sorts who is conducting covert, occultic experiments on the artist's love interest, Betty Wallingford, who is the daughter of one of Le Clerc's most devoted followers.

Williams makes use of Betty's nighttime passages to scratch the surface of an alternate universe which Evelyn, Lester and (presumably) other newly-deceased inhabit. It is simply described as the City, and although it bears a surface resemblance to London, it is more of an infrastructure to London, or perhaps the Platonic Ideal of London...possibly something more. Many things in this realm tantalize us with glimpses of hidden spiritual truths, and time itself seems to have no linear requirement; past, present and future flashbacks occur without regard to conventional order. I was left with the sense that I would have liked to discover more about this City, and as this is my first Williams novel, who knows..he may indeed refer to it in his other stories.

I'm not sure what sort of person would be best prepared to read this final Charles Williams novel. The author (an Anglican, or so I've read) clearly gives his audience much credit, as he allows us to draw our own conclusions about either the allegorical or the literal truths he dallies with along the storyline; he never force-feeds or "preaches". Somebody moderately educated in various religious history and/or theology would recognize a lot of the hints and references Williams makes along the way to telling his story. I wouldn't say that you must be a Christian to appreciate it, but it might help. On the other hand, I would only recommend this book to a mature Christian who has some direct study of the bible under his belt and yet a non-legalistic attitude toward their christian fiction. Certainly the reader would benefit from an ability to appreciate mysticism.

All Hallows' Eve was recommended to me by A Reader's Delight, which appeals to readers who crave rare literary treasures from various genres. Williams' writing style is rich and many-layered, so that I may have to read All Hallows' Eve several times to extract everything I should from it in time. Take that under advisement, and if the shoe fits, do try.
-Andrea, aka Merribelle

Creepiest book I've ever read. The occult, the dead, evil magicians, ordinary colourless people, and a conspiracy of a changing malevolent world order just beneath the surface of things.

The story arc is difficult to describe, but the two lead characters are dead girls operating in a depopulated limbo, with occasional glimpses of where they are heading (Hell and Heaven) and where they have been (the mortal world). Secondary characters include well-intentioned, but hapless young men, an evil grand dame, her suppressed daughter, and a monster of a necromancer intent on enslaving humanity and the dead alike.

Williams narrative style borrows much from philology, for the precise and poetic way in which he uses words lulls us into other worlds. This is in fact his thesis, that words are a link to another world, which is why spells and prayers are effective beyond their mere utterance. One wonders what Heidegger and Wittgenstein would have thought, for this is the novelisation and narrative explication of Heidegger's conceptions of being-there, and the refutation of the reductionism inherent in wordly precision that Wittgenstein refuted his own Tractatus and sought the rest of his life in the elusive and indefinable power of mytho-poetic language.

Soft souls avoid, for this is a challenging supernatural read.

My high school put on the play, "Murder in the Cathedral" for their fall drama in 1969. In retrospect, my guess is that few of the players and still fewer of the audience had any real idea as to the momentous events that the play dramatized. Yet, the language has lingered with me from that day to this, now close on forty years later:

"...the stubborn King, and the French King, in ceaseless intrigue, combination...
....meetings unending, and endless, at some place or the other in France...
....you will be left to your own devices, which must be paid for at higher prices...
....It does go against the grain a bit to kill an Archbishop, especially when one has been brought up in a strong Church tradition..."

The play, in fact, dramatized the struggle between Saint Thomas A' Becket and Henry II over the rights of Church and State. Truly, it was a classic confrontation between what ultimately became, under the Tudors, the power of the state relative to the rights of Holy Church. Now, as a high school junior, I had wanted, of course to play Thomas. I wound up as the lowly Second Priest. But, knowing now what I did not know then, I understand that I could not have done the Archbishop's character justice, as I was then a Protestant, at least nominally. In fact, the reasoning of Thomas, particularly with regard to the Temptors, was classic Catholicism.

The play is wonderfully rich in language and meaning. It can be read in one long sitting. And reading it is well worth the time and effort. Pick up this little book, and be richly blessed by the experience.

The murder and subsequent martyrdom of Thomas Becket is always a chilling tale and one that poet T.S. Eliot does a masterful job in relating. "Murder in the Cathedral" is a look at Becket's return from France, after his fallout with King Henry II, and his murder by knights of the King. The play may be a difficult read for those unfamiliar with Becket's life, and those unused to Eliot's poetically styled play. Yet it is an intriguing look at one of the church's martyrs, told by a man who came to faith later in his life.

The first act of the play centers around Thomas Becket's return from France. He had fled there for a period of years in an effort to avoid the King, and their 'difference of opinion', to put it simply. Becket was first appointed Chancellor by Henry II, and then made Archbishop. King Henry II hoped that by granting Becket both titles he would have more control over the church; but Becket saw things differently, and roused the king's anger when he excommunicated several bishops. Throughout the first act, Becket is set upon by four temptors who reveal his fate to him, serving as a catalyst for readers to learn some of Becket's background and to know that he wasn't purely without fault.

The second act moves at a much faster pace than the previous, with the king's knights denouncing Thomas and trying to persuade him to reverse his decision. When Becket refuses, the knights return and kill Thomas at the altar of the church, a death that he gladly accepts as a martyr for his Lord. The most intriguing part of the play is when, after the brutal murder is completed, the knights turn to the audience and explain their reasons for killing Becket and why it was the right thing to do in an effort to preserve England. "Murder in the Cathedral" is a play that will make readers want to examine the events surrounding Becket's death, and leave them wondering if all those explanations at the end might be right after all.

"Murder in the Cathedral" is more of a coffee house production than a dramatic classical play. Since I do not care for poetry, or Shakespeare, I knew I was jumping headfirst into a dead-end. Still, I did not expect to be bored out of my gored. T. S. Eliot was attempting to use the genre "poetic drama" to his benefit, but instead conjured up an illiterate form of speaking. I disliked the play 'A Man for All Seasons,' (involves the death of Thomas Moore) but at least that play can be coherently understood, and actually teaches something. I do not recommend.

The audiobook version of "Murder in the Cathedral" (with Robert Donat playing Thomas Beckett) is a surprising delight, especially for those who love rich language and philosophical musings.

Centered around the age-old story of how Thomas Beckett, the Archbishop of Canterbury, was murdered by knights for defying the king's authority, the play explores a variety of themes: church vs. state, the quest for power, the pursuit of pleasure, the heroism or vanity of martyrs, and the search for life's meaning in the face of death and the "void".

The performances of the actors in this audiobook are superb, especially that of Robert Donat. Hearing his deep resonating voice, you truly feel the charismatic power of the archbishop and former chancellor to the king.

The performance alternates between straight dialogue, poetry, and the Gregorian style chanting of monks. While the poetry and chanting is tedious in parts, it at least breaks up the dialogue into digestable chunks and moves the plot along.

Readers shouldn't be put off by the medieval theme of this piece. The substance of the play is as modern and relevant as any play you'll find. The plot contains a novel twist as well.

With its many poetic and philosophical flourishes, there's more than a trace of Shakespeare in this work. And here's a little known fact: another T.S. Eliot work, "The Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats", was the inspiration for Cats, the longest running Broadway musical.

So push the rewind for me. Time to visit that bloody cathedral again.

The play is about Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury and is not worth reading if you like a literal story, where what you read is what you get and reading between the lines is unnecessary. That is what I liked about this play. It allows you to interpret the dialogue so that you develop your own understanding behind the plot.
Thomas Becket lived in the 12th century and rose to power because of his friend King Henry. Becket at first had been a Chancellor in Henrys court and had then been given the title of Archbishop. Henry wanted him to have both the titles whereas Becket refused because he felt he could not perform both jobs to the same expectations. This was because Henry had radical views about the separation of the church and the state and Becket did not agree with these views because he did not believe he could serve two very opposite masters. The result was an argument between the two.
Literally, Henry and Becket are in a skirmish during the play, but the actual conflict is between Becket and his conscience. The play goes deep into Christianity and the Catholic faith, which I found to be enjoyable. Just as Christ had tempters, so does Becket. They offer him power and material wealth, when all they want in return is for Becket to alter and transform his principles.
I liked how you saw main characters in this play, such as the Chorus, progress from fearing the unknown to joyfully accepting God. While the play has Christian connotations within, it stresses primarily on universal human values such as humility and devotion.
The entire play is written in verse and Eliot managed to capture such complex themes and dialogue in such concise yet poetic words.

What strikes me about this book is that Eliot, for the most part, posits blatant assertions without much logical, analytic proof. And yet, he does not fail to convince, perhaps largely because his vision is so clear and relevant. He draws from common experience to validate what he says, and after reading his argument, one is impressed by the lucidity and transformational power of his argument. He does not come across as a man ranting on the apparent decadence and failure of modern society; rather, he leaves the impression of a man truly concerned with the condition of society and with a genuine desire for its improvement. When you look at the copyright date, it becomes even more impressive.

T.S. Eliot is known as one of the world's foremost poets and playwrights, but this book shows him as a brilliant essayist, philosopher, and theologian as well. This book consists of two essays: "The Idea of a Christian Society" and "Notes Toward the Definition of Culture." In these two essays, Eliot displays his mental prowess by cutting to the heart of the issues of culture in general in the second essay and specifically Christian culture in the first. His analysis of these subjects is very orderly, well-thought, and deeper than most any written today, even by sociologists and the like who make a career of studying these things. Eliot breaks culture down into three subclasses: individual, group/class, and whole society. He begins with the individual level of society, analyzing personality characteristics and the like, and moves his way up into group/class and then to the whole society, giving an extremely thoughtful and insightful argument into how these elements relate. Although this book was written over 50 years ago and isn't the most conventional look at these subjects, many of the things Eliot asserts are becoming obvious in today's society, proving him as not only a great writer but also as an accomplished thinker. He goes into great detail on class, geographic regions, sects, politics, religion, and education in relation to culture and society. While the writing is a bit more verbose and difficult than the average modern reader is used to, it is extremely logical; Eliot carefully builds each argument one step at a time. This order makes it possible to gain a great deal of understanding if the reader is willing to wade through the text and ponder what is written. I guarantee that even though many readers won't necessarily understand initially or perhaps agree with everything Eliot asserts in this book, anyone who reads it will end up with a far greater understanding of the workings of society. I recommend this book to anyone who is willing to be stretched in an intellectual way and anyone who seeks to gain a great insight into culture at its various levels and as a whole.

I bought this book unsure of how 'enlightened' it would be. To my surprise and delight I have found the book alarmingly courageous and specific in its ideas of the Christian person within a secular society. His writing is profoundly moving and expressive, but then again, he is one of the greatest modern poets. I literally had to refrain myself from highlighting every other line of this book, it is that original. I felt as though I were reading a classic novel instead of a book on cultural ideas. A life-changing book to be sure!

T.S. Eliot is not saying that the creation of a Christian state would be a utopia in which everything would be perfect. That would be foolish of him knowing that utopias seem to feel it is their duty to fall apart. This is an important idea to lay down. If Eliot's first essay feels utopian, it is because he is making a case for which type of society would function best, not perfectly. He acknowledges that a Christian society requires many tensions in order to function properly. What he has proposed is a society in which people can argue over dissenting viewpoints, but all discussions should be carried out with a common set of Christian values as their foundation. That is what would work best. He even relents by saying that another set of values could work, just not as well.

Unfortunately, his argument comes from a Christian perspective and bias, which clearly shines through. He bases much of his argument on the idea that one truth regarding God exists and that a society that departs from and forgets that is doomed to fail. This ideology enters into his concept of a Christian education and a national faith, which can only work if the society learns or assumes that the truth they are going to found their society on lies within the Christian faith. Otherwise, the society will not be a positive culture because it will be founded on a believed or actual lie, unless it can somehow happen that founding something on a lie can end with a positive culture, which might be a totally separate, although interesting, topic altogether.

In a distanced conjunction with his first essay, his second one focuses completely on culture. To him, culture is organic, analyzable, and balanced with regard unity and diversity in many areas. He mentions urbanity, civility, learning, philosophy, and the arts but would no doubt include many others, which should all be considered at the same time to get a whole grasp of culture. He has a gripe with the separation of the various areas of culture. The arts should continue to carry out cultural discourse and critique with religion, politics, etc. and vice versa. Culture becomes stagnant when the margins stop talking. If culture "includes all the characteristic activities and interests of a people," then the various areas should be in dialogue with each other so that the various mediums can stay representative of the culture in which they live.

Eliot's poetry and life must have followed this idea fairly closely. His poetry both argues and dances with concepts in religion, politics, philosophy, etc. It is also his communication with thinkers from other European countries. In "The Waste Land," his invocation of authors like Conrad and Dante, regions like Greece and Egypt, and other field of artistic endeavor like ragtime and common music halls puts skin on his belief that every aspect of culture, both national and continental, should be in discussion if new thought is to continue.

Reviewed by Jonathan Stephens

T.S. Eliot is known as one of the world's foremost poets and playwrights, but this book shows him as a brilliant essayist, philosopher, and theologian as well. This book consists of two essays: "The Idea of a Christian Society" and "Notes Toward the Definition of Culture." In these two essays, Eliot displays his mental prowess by cutting to the heart of the issues of culture in general in the second essay and specifically Christian culture in the first. His analysis of these subjects is very orderly, well-thought, and deeper than most any written today, even by sociologists and the like who make a career of studying these things. Eliot breaks culture down into three subclasses: individual, group/class, and whole society. He begins with the individual level of society, analyzing personality characteristics and the like, and moves his way up into group/class and then to the whole society, giving an extremely thoughtful and insightful argument into how these elements relate. Although this book was written over 50 years ago and isn't the most conventional look at these subjects, many of the things Eliot asserts are becoming obvious in today's society, proving him as not only a great writer but also as an accomplished thinker. He goes into great detail on class, geographic regions, sects, politics, religion, and education in relation to culture and society. While the writing is a bit more verbose and difficult than the average modern reader is used to, it is extremely logical; Eliot carefully builds each argument one step at a time. This order makes it possible to gain a great deal of understanding if the reader is willing to wade through the text and ponder what is written. I guarantee that even though many readers won't necessarily understand initially or perhaps agree with everything Eliot asserts in this book, anyone who reads it will end up with a far greater understanding of the workings of society. I recommend this book to anyone who is willing to be stretched in an intellectual way and anyone who seeks to gain a great insight into culture at its various levels and as a whole.

First of all, this is a very difficult and laborious book to read. But it will be a very fulfilling experience for those who are seriously interested in poetry. Reading this book certainly shows us the range of allusions that T. S. Eliot used in his compositions. The variety of texts that T. S. Eliot mentions in "The Wasteland" reveals us the depth of spiritual struggle that the author has went through in order to write the poem. There are references to the Bible, eastern philosophy, literature from the antiquity to the present. There are also reference to some earlier writings by the author. Reading the commentary has shown me the richness to T. S. Eliot's writings that are otherwise difficult to see. With the careful analysis of "The Waste Land, one sees that it is not simply about a struggle of modern life, but it encompasses wide range of philosophy and literature that are involved in the spiritual struggle one must face in this modern world.

In A GUIDE TO THE SELECTED POEMS OF T.S. ELIOT the critic B.C. Southam has prepared an ideal guide for students new to T.S. Eliot's poetry. Southam is adamant about seeking to help students who have already been attracted by Eliot's work to form their own appreciation and understanding.

Though I've been a fan of T.S. Eliot for many years, I learned quite a bit from Southam's notes. All four "Ariel Poems" - which are deceptively simple and difficult for students to penetrate - are covered in depth. The often-neglected "Chorus From The Rock" finally gets substantial attention here.

My largest complaint about the work is that it is indeed a guide only to the material which appears in Faber & Faber's SELECTED POEMS. As a result, the extremely tricky and allusive FOUR QUARTETS is not covered (too late), nor is Eliot's early turn at drama "Sweeney Agonistes" (not strictly poetry).

Another problem is that not all of the book has been updated after great discoveries in Eliot studies - such as Valerie Eliot's edition of the manuscript of "The Waste Land". Southam makes some assertions which are clearly informed from the latest evidence, but other material looks as if it has remained unchanged since the book's first edition.

In spite of its flaws, I think Southam's work is a great resource for school and university students who find Eliot sublime but opaque. I'd recommend it to any beginning reader of that great poet's work.

Basically a book explaining the best known Eliot poems line by line, this is despite the premise no "York Notes" book. It demands attention and dedication of the student, but it is worth the amount of time one puts into it. It aims at the undergraduate/graduate student (I could be wrong - having English as your second language inhibits you somewhat - so perhaps High School students in English-speaking countries could find it useful also) who is curious as to what Eliot's poetry "means" and of what material it is comprised...

I am a college student who happens to be interested in the Modernist period of literature. I really enjoy T.S. Eliot's poetry, but like many others, agree that reading it can be a tedious and laborious project to undertake. This is what makes it wonderful though, isn't it? Southam's book really gives a reader new perspectives and may even validate thoughts that one may have about "The Waste Land" and other poetry written by Eliot. The way that Southam uses language to give insight into the poetry is really easy to understand and a pleasure to read whether you are interested for academics or pleasure.

I am a student, and had to present an explication of T.S. Eliot's _The Waste Land_. This work of Eliot's is entrenched in laborious detail that takes the reader from the text to the footnotes again and again. It becomes quite confusing and a bit irritating at times. This book, _The Selected Poems of T.S. Eliot_, was extremely helpful in that it construes Eliot's use of footnotes, and the allusions made within the work. It helps to clarify the questions lingering in the reader's mind, and allows for a more critical reading of the poem. I found it to be an insightful aid to my presentation, and would recommend it to anyone who desires an indepth study on any of Eliot's work.

This book is wonderful. I truly loved it. It was the most interesting piece of work!

Eliot's penultimate play (and second comedy) is markedly different from his earlier efforts. It is well-written but decidedly less poetic: although printed in verse form, the sound is almost conversational. In addition, Eliot's usual Christian themes are here allegorical rather than explicit. The handling is quite skillful: there is none of the ham-handed "X stands for Y, you morons!" that mars so many allegories. One can easily dig down into the Christian messages if desired, but the play is also satisfying at the top level.

By the standards of Eliot's output as a whole, a rating of 3.5 stars is more appropriate than 4. One can regret the loss of intensity in the writing while still enjoying the play itself.

Gordon began her research in 1970. Her first book, Eliot's Early Years, was published in 1977 and its sequel, Eliot's New Life, in 1988. This present book is the result of further research and new information (much of which came to the author in response to her earlier publications), including new access to Eliot manuscripts; confidential letters regarding Eliot written by Emily Hale to close friends; Mary Trevelyan's unpublished memoir of her close friendship with Eliot; and a bundle of Eliot's letters which were rescued from an English pig farmer who was about to destroy them.

I read Eliot's "The Hollow Men" at age 15, and was transfixed by the intellectual and emotional force behind the words. I still am, but I have not gotten around to reading any biograpy of his before now. I have read a couple of his other poems. This author's approach to the subject, through an autobiographical reading of many of his later works, makes me want to finally get around to reading his major works. It also makes me want to read other biogrraphies of him, in order to get fresh angles on him and his writing.

This book contains three of Elliot's Poems. Growltiger's Last Stand tells the story of the fate of an ornery cat at the hands, er, paws, of Persian and Siamese cats he disdained. It is an amusing tale, although when read today it doesn't always come across as exactly politically correct! The other two poems talk of the feud between the Pekes and the Pollicles, and describe Jellicle cats. All three poems are entertaining and are illustrated with silly pictures that well-suit the tone of the poems. I believe that the book is better suited to slightly older children than the 4 -8 year-old reading level mentioned above.

I borrowed this book from the Library last year. The story is magnificent. The best part of the book though are the illustrastions. If you enjoy the play Cats and ohter T.S. Eliot poems, i highly suggest this book.