Furious Interiors

by Justin Wintle

This is an assessment of the life and work of Britain's greatest living poet, the Nobel nominee R.S. Thomas. The book aims to dispel the mystery of the the Welshman, to scrutinize his activities, friendships, preaching, essays and beliefs, to see how they are reflected in his poetry.

Genres: Poetry, Biography

491 pages, Hardcover

First published November 4, 1996

Reviews

[Shelly Dennison · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't a straight forward biography and is a mix of literary criticism, the author's own experiences, Welsh history and culture. As such I found it fascinating in places but a slightly disjointed read. Perhaps it would have been better with a tighter focus for each section and a better sense of Thomas's biography which was rather sketchy (possibly because it was an unathorised book, leaving Wintle without enough source material for that approach). What it did do successfully was make me what to reread the poems with new eyes.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book about R.S. Thomas. It is a good idea to read the Collected Poems before reading the biography. The tough beauty of his poetry seems necessary today even though it is uncomfortable. Justin Wintle gives an extraordinary, vivid portrait of himself approaching the poet. Highly recommended.