R. S. Thomas
(Paperback)
Available Formats
Publishing Details
R. S. Thomas
By (Author) Tony Brown
University of Wales Press
University of Wales Press
7th December 2009
United Kingdom
Classifications
Professional and Scholarly
Non Fiction
Literary studies: c 1900 to c 2000
821.914
Physical Properties
Paperback
128
Width 138mm, Height 216mm
Description
At his death in 2000, R.S. Thomas was widely considered to be one of the major poets of the English-speaking world, having been nominated for the Nobel prize for Literature. With Dylan Thomas, R.S. Thomas is probably Wales' best-known poet internationally. Tony Brown provides an introduction to R.S. Thomas' life and work, as well as new perspectives and insights for those already familiar with the poetry. His approach is broadly chronological, interweaving life and work in order to evaluate Thomas' poetic achievement. In addition to presenting a full discussion of Thomas' poetry, and its movements over time between personal, spiritual and political concerns, Tony Brown also examines Thomas' contribution to the culture of Wales, not just in his writing but also his political interventions and activism on behalf of Welsh language and culture.
Reviews
An expanded and updated introduction to the poet is urgently needed. In this new Writers of Wales study, Tony Brown, an established critic of modern Welsh writing in English, meets that need with a focused and engaged overview of Thomas's life and work. Brown shows a thorough knowledge of scholarly work on Thomas. David Lloyd, Planet, Issue 181, Feb 2007 As an introduction to R. S. Thomas, the book works very well, breaking new ground by offering definitive interpretations of Thomas' poems. Zoe Brigley, Poetry Wales, 42.3 Beautifully balanced in its treatment, and meticulously written by a leading scholar of R. S. Thomas's work, this state-of-the-art critical biography must surely stand as a definitive introduction to the life of a turbulent priest and to the ongoing life of his unquiet poetry. M. Wynn Thomas, University of Wales, Swansea, New Welsh Review No. 73
Author Bio
Tony Brown is Senior Lecturer in English, Director of the Humanities Research Centre and co-Director of the R. S. Thomas Study Centre at the Bangor University. He has edited many books including The Collected Stories of Glyn Jones (UWP, 1999) and Glyn Jones's The Dragon Has Two Tongues (UWP 2001).
