Treasury

by Dylan Thomas

Discovered at the age of 19 through a poetry competition in a London newspaper, Dylan Thomas became the object of immediate acclaim and criticism for his adventurous language and resonant verse. His famously reckless style belied his deep seriousness - manifest in his imaginative fascination with youth and his continual marvelling at the mysteries of life and death. Along with startling images of pain and violence, Thomas's poetry and prose embrace touching childhood reminiscence and a spiritual yearning from which he emerges, not as the loud bohemian of the personal legend, but as the careful and reflective artist of the poems, stories and broadcasts themselves.

Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Short Stories

Paperback

First published March 2, 1995

About the author

Dylan Marlais Thomas (1914-1953) was a Welsh poet who wrote in English. Many regard him as one of the 20th century's most influential poets.

In addition to poetry, Thomas wrote short stories and scripts for film and radio, with the latter frequently performed by Thomas himself. His public readings, particularly in America, won him great acclaim; his booming, at times, ostentatious voice, with a subtle Welsh lilt, became almost as famous as his works. His best-known work includes the "play for voices" Under Milk Wood and the celebrated villanelle for his dying father, "Do not go gentle into that good night." Appreciative critics have also noted the superb craftsmanship and compression of poems such as "In my craft or sullen art" and the rhapsodic lyricism of Fern Hill.

Reviews

[Ian Banks · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Thomas is on form, he’s brilliant. When he isn’t, he comes over as that pretentious git from your undergraduate English class who got something published in his high school yearbook. This is a collection of mostly brilliant stuff that gives a terrific perspective of what he was capable of.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been well aware of Dylan Thomas' poetry for many years, but this collection is the first time I've sampled any of his short stories. Some of them are excellent. His lyrical prose isn't hugely dissimilar to Joyce.

[Angie Rhodes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed re reading Dylan Thomas just waiting for his short stories and Under Milk Wood to arrive ,,