Ffenestri Tua'r Gwyll

by Islwyn Ffowc Elis

Paperback

First published January 1, 1955

Reviews

[Tredaran · Rating 2 out of 5]

A strange story about a middle-aged wealthy widow who becomes obsessed with a young poet and descends into madness. Like Sartre's Age of Reason, it's all a bit self-obsessed and you want to give all the characters a good shake. I guess it would have scandalised 1950's Wales when it came out and although it has lofty ambitions with its philosophising and intellectual dialogue between the highly educated and artistic Ceridwen and her protégés, along with appropriate dollops of humour and satire, there's not much there to engage the reader. Beautifully written and with a great ear for the contrasting language of the Welsh working and educated classes, that saves it from the indignity of one star.