The Rhetorical Town: Poems

by Sebastian Barry

The paradoxical business of being in love, the seamless fixed mythology that goes on between father and son, and the rhetorical instrument that language makes itself in the interests of persuasion are the themes explored.

68 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1985

About the author

Sebastian Barry is an Irish playwright, novelist and poet. He is noted for his dense literary writing style and is considered one of Ireland's finest writers

Barry's literary career began in poetry before he began writing plays and novels. In recent years his fiction writing has surpassed his work in the theatre in terms of success, having once been considered a playwright who wrote occasional novels.

He has twice been shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize for his novels A Long Long Way (2005) and The Secret Scripture (2008), the latter of which won the 2008 Costa Book of the Year and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize. His 2011 novel On Canaan's Side was long-listed for the Booker. He won the Costa Book of the Year again - in 2017 for Days Without End.

Reviews

[Old Man JP · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barry writes such beautiful poetic novels so I thought I would try this book of his poetry but, I must admit, I was disappointed in it.