Spain - W. H. Auden

Advantages: Educational
Disadvantages: None

...cover. My own copy is slightly different from the one used by CIAO with it being blue in colour, rather than green. It has the obligatory 'Wordsworth Reference' across the top in a narrow band with a picture, presumably of Wordsworth, separating the two words. Emblazoned beneath that is the title of the book and immediately underneath the Crowned King's Lion emblem followed below by the authors names - H.W. & F.G. Fowler. H.W. & F.G. Fowler were brothers. The abbreviations stand for Henry Watson and Francis [Frank] George. The former lived from 1858-1933 and the latter from 1870-1918. They worked together to compose not only this work but also the First Oxford Concise Dictionary [1911] and The Pocket Oxford Dictionary [1924]. The King's English was first published by them in 1906 and went through a further two editions, one in *1908... Read review

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Advantages: good title
Disadvantages: mediocre stories

...The first time I heard the name Christopher Isherwood (1904 - 1986) was when I studied E.M Foster and W.H. Auden at uni, the three authors were friends and travelled and lived together for some time in the 1930s. I read Foster´s novels and Auden´s poems, but nothing by Isherwood as he was only a ´footnote´in the courses I took. Somehow the title of his novel Goodbye To Berlin has wriggled itself into my brain, though, why so I´ve found out or rather remembered only now. Goodbye To Berlin (published 1939) is a short book with only 254 pages, these are divided into 6 parts, the first and the last have the title A Berlin Diary (Autumn 1930 and Winter 1932-3), the texts in between are four stories told in the first person perspective by a character called Christopher Isherwood. In a kind of foreword the readers are told , ´Because I have... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: A varied collection of great Poets and great Poetry in one book.
Disadvantages: If you like Poetry, none at all!

...too far out all my life And not waving but drowning. The last poem I 'have' to include is from ' Twelve songs' by W.H.Auden. This is a fantastic poem. It is about the loss of someone. It is an elegy. W.H. AUDEN 1907-73 from Twelve Songs ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ IX ~~~~ Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone, Silence the pianos and with muffled drum Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come. Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead, Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves, Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves. He was my North, my South, my East and West, My working week and my Sunday rest, My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song; I thought that love would last for ever: I... Read review

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