The Essential Dylan Thomas

by Dylan Thomas, Michael Sheen (narrator)

Book by

Genres: Poetry, Short Stories, Audiobook, Fiction, Classics

5 pages, Audio CD

First published January 1, 1999

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

[ShirleyS · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to Under Milkwood several times. Sometimes I read along with the audio - to listen to Richard Burton is mesmerizing, pure and simple! It was a wonderful experience. I highly recommend it.

[hawk · Rating 5 out of 5]

great recording of Under Milk Wood :D

looking forward to listening on... :)

[Ayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do not go gentle, is a favorite poem of mine. I especially liked the song Polly sings, the singer had a lovely lilting voice on the song about Tom, Dick, Harry and Wee Willie. As this was an audio book there was much music and sound effects including the ringing of bells. The children singing about a penny for a kiss was engaging too!
The whole was rather different from what most audio books are and it was a compelling undertaking and well done!

[Jason Koivu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not big on poetry, but I do love me some Dylan Thomas!

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coastline Library | Good collection, some recordings I had previously heard | The Libby app didn't provide information on who was reading each poem, so after the Burton and Thomas sections finished it was a matter of recognizing (or failing to recognize) the voices. The voice talent was well chosen, and the specific pieces were a good selection. I always think Thomas' works are best in audio form, read by the Welsh.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dylan Thomas is an absolute delight. I became interested in his work after reading and watching A Child's Christmas in Wales. My favorite work in this collection was Under Milk Wood.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/10

I’ve read some of Thomas before, but never so much. I loved the poetry and disliked the short stories. That says more about me then Thomas I’m sure, and yet here we are. I’ve include several of my favorite verses below, as I’m too much the amateur to give a genuine critique.

“Faith in their hands shall snap in two,
And the unicorn evils run them through;
Split all ends up they shan't crack;
And death shall have no dominion.”

“The lips of time leech to the fountain head;
Love drips and gathers, but the fallen blood
Shall calm her sores.
And I am dumb to tell a weather's wind
How time has ticked a heaven round the stars.”

“Once when the world turned old
On a star of faith pure as the drifting bread,
As the food and flames of the snow, a man unrolled
The scrolls of fire that burned in his heart and head,
Torn and alone in a farm house in a fold of fields.”

“The voyage to ruin I must run,
Dawn ships clouted aground,
Yet, though I cry with tumbledown tongue,
Count my blessings aloud:
Four elements and five
Senses, and man a spirit in love.”

“Under the skysigns they who have no arms
Have cleanest hands, and, as the heartless ghost
Alone’s unhurt, so the blind man sees best.”


I was surprised to find Mr. Weasley and Hermione here and reckon Mrs. Rowling must have also read Mr. Thomas.

[Richard Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many years ago, when I was in high school, I remember one of my classmates going on about how great Dylan Thomas was. In that place and time, it was unheard of for high school boys to go for poetry, so asshole that I was, I ignored him, but somehow his words stuck with me over the years and now that I am trying to read more poetry, I took my turn at Dylan Thomas. What a fool I was to have waited so long!

It was good to start Mr. Thomas with this well-read audiobook, as a part of what makes his work extraordinary is the rhythm, flow and impact of his words. These qualities work their way into your bones when you hear the poetry read out loud. His mode of expression is unique. His imagery and vocabulary are not like any other poetry that I have read, often jumbled, connected in sometimes strange ways, but always vivid and oh so masculine. This collection includes the famous works "Under Milk Wood" and "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night." They deserve their reputations. Mr. Thomas's sentiments and point of view almost never coincide with my own, but they are always deeply human, so they are relatable and worked to widen my perspective and appreciation instead of inducing me to run away from someone whose mind and views of the world around him were very different from my own.

[Tom Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful voice from the Emerald Isle.

Dylan Thomas’ verse captures so many essential elements of the Irish Experience: its Streets, Lanes, Characters, Names, Jokes and Beautiful Natural Scenes.

You can hear its peoples’ joys and sorrows of living in this iconic Land. Their spirit shines through in every whisky soaked story. The trees, birds and other native creatures come alive in his Nature poems.

I listened to this book in the Audible Version, hearing in the voices of Thomas, Burton and other Native Celtic speakers, making the experience all the more powerful.

This True Irishman will not go gentle into that good night, but with a lassie under one arm and a glass of Jameson under the other. ME TOO!

[Mary Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

I cannot say how much I enjoyed hearing Richard Burton reading part of this collection. It was a magical experience!
Now, on to the actual book.
I can appreciate the mastery of Dylan Thomas. I remember studying his work, briefly, in college. I still respect him, greatly; however, I do not personally love his stories, and I only truly loved a few of the poems. That being said, I do think people should certainly be acquainted with his work and, though it's not for me, it could very well be for other people.
This was a 3 and a 1/2 star read for me, personally.

[Lecy Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Half of this audiobook is comprised of two radio plays that were recorded and the other half are stories and poems. The plays are good, but the audio quality is obviously not fantastic, so it made it difficult to hear and understand what was being said. The poetry was excellent. That’s what I like Dylan Thomas for, and I was surprised to read a few poems I recognized but had not realized were written by Thomas. I think I’d rather do a physical book when consuming his work in the future.

[Fátima López Sevilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazing introduction to the works of Dylan Thomas, with Richard Burton's voice, the accents...
However, for a poetry anthology, I am surprised at the lack of titles.
A few reviews on Audible mentioned it, and I understand it is a reedition of old recordings, but it makes it harder to want to go back to listen to a favourite poem or even want to go back to relisten just to be able to absorb it better.
I created my own bookmarks with the Audible app.

[David Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Favorite Quote = (from the preface) “I know we're not saints or virgins or lunatics; we know all the lust and lavatory jokes, and most of the dirty people; we can catch buses and count our change and cross the roads and talk real sentences. But our innocence goes awfully deep, and our discreditable secret is that we don't know anything at all, and our horrid inner secret is that we don't care that we don't.”

[Alexandra Daw]

It was great to hear this as an audio book to get a sense of the flavour of the language, the rhythm and the lilt. Some stories were highly entertaining. I probably really needed to read the poetry although listening to it was pretty stirring as well.

[Bobsie67 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful to listen to these terrific readings of Dylan Thomas works. My quibble is that the audible version doesn’t allow you to feel no individual works or poems. Everything is lumped together in chapters which in no way reflect the actual Naxos recording.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Downloaded and "read" on morning walks. Excellent collection, more extensive than most audio gatherings of this ilk.

[Emma OBrien · Rating 5 out of 5]

An audio compilation of various Dylan Thomas stories and poems, brought to life by a host of excellent actors and narrators. This was wonderful.

[Shishir · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful poetic language weaved in the nuances and dialogues of the Welsh villages. (Under Milkwood) Many profound lines on being human

[Celia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A whole vibe

[Frankie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm too dumb to enjoy this 🙃

[Ginna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Way more emotive and uncomfortable than I was expecting, with a few beautiful gems in between.

[Madeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked under milk wood, but was intrigued by his other short stories and poems as well. The scene was pronounced, as was a certain sadness.

[Patti · Rating 3 out of 5]

audio e-book. 4 hours 51 minutes
(note: there are gaps or voids where the sound is absent - usually at the start of a new story/poem)
poetry and stories
-read by Richard Bebb, Jason Hughes, Philip Madoc, Michael Sheen
Under Milk Wood - Richard Burton and cast
Return Journey to Swamea - Dylan Thomas and cast

1) Under Milk Wood - story about different people in a rural town
2) Return Journey to Swansea - asking about a person & some say "I knew him well...." & some say "I didn't know him...." At the end someone says "He is dead"
3) Quite Early One Morning - what "he" sees before the town is awake....
4) Poems: Lament
5) Poems: Poem on his birthday - "on the night alone" & "closer moving toward death" & end ="as I sail on to die"
6) Poems: And death shall have no dominion - "no dominion" is repeated over and over
7) Poems: Fern Hill - remembering when young the hay stacks, horses, foxes & pheasants (hunting) & dew in the morning....
8) Poems: Do not go gentle into that good night - a 1 minute poem
9) Memories of Christmas - playing outside in the snow, telling tales by the fire, singing, heard a ghost ???, all memories of a young boy
10) The Peaches - Aunt Annie makes the boy feel good - Uncle Jim takes the boy out with him & references to Uncle Jim being a drunk - "Jack" visits this boy on the family farm - Jack and the boy go to confession and the priest scares them - Uncle Jim comes home drunk and scares Jack - Jacks mother comes to pick him up and Jack tells her about all the bad things that happened to him - end: the boy waves his scarf to Jack
11) A Visit to Grandpa's - Grandpa has dreams of riding a horse & dresses the part. The boy is mesmerized by Grandpa. In the end Grandpa has gone missing. They find him as he is on his way to the cemetery (even though they tell him he isn't dead yet)...
12) The Followers - two boys who pass the time by "following people" - they follow a girl home and watch her through the window of the girls house - the girl lives with her mother - they watch them eat dinner - end: the mother says "who are those boys watching us through the window" and the boys take off, each running in a different direction
13) The Outing - A Story - a days outing - boy with his uncle - money collected for annual outing - boy's aunt left the uncle - men go on this trip by bus & boy went with them - they never make it to their destination, but stop at a bar on the way & drink it dry - on the way home stopped at a field to eat and drink - boy fell asleep against his uncle
14) The force that through the green fuse drives the flower - 1 minute - comparison to growing old
15) The conversation of prayers - 2 minutes - child, lover who dies & ends: "dragging him up the stairs to one who lies dead"
16) A refusal to mourn the death, by fire, of a child in London - end: "after the first death there is no other"
17) Elegy - sitting with a man who is dying - he is too proud to die - be brave - grow under the grass
18) Poem in October - 30th year to heaven
19) The hunchback in the park - "solitary mister" - in the park
20) A Winter's Tale - on the farm - references the farmhouse
21) In my craft or sullen art - writing for lovers who pay no wages
22) Lie still, sleep be calmed - suffer wound in the throat - sea sounds from the blood word - voices of the drowned - hide the mouth and throat and we will ride with you
23) Fern Hill - regarding time of self - green and carefree - time held when green and dying
24) Over Sir John's Hill - heron makes all the music - for the sake of the souls of all the slain birds
25) Poem on his Birthday - 35th wind turn age - among birds - sings toward anguish - end: but to die
26) Do not go gentle into that good night - old age is repeated - rage against the dying of light
27) Lament
28) Was there a time - was there a time when - end: so the bind man sees best
29) And Death shall have no Dominion

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection of Dylan Thomas' plays (for voices), poetry and stories and it's absolutely wonderful. If I were to make a list of my top 5 audio books this would surely be there. It's only available as a recorded work - this collection is not available in text but the text to the works is findable elsewhere, scattered around. The recording is a compilation of readings, some old, some newer.

"Under Milk Wood" (a play for voices) is the first work and is the classic BBC radio broadcast with Richard Burton and so on. I've read that one should turn off the lights, close your eyes and let the images flow past. Good idea.

Almost half of the recording is "Under Milk Wood" after which comes (without note) Return Journey To Swansea, and a number of poems read by Thomas himself. I'm not fond of Thomas reading - I find him overly dramatic and kind of "full of himself." But every one of the other readers (and there are several) is excellent. At this point in the recording, the "Thomas reads" part, it's sometimes hard to tell when a poem begins or ends or what the name of it is but they're listed at:
The Essential Dylan Thomas.

After these poems come a few short stories. These include Memories of Christmas (from A Child's Christmas in Wales), The Peaches, A Visit to Grandpa's and others. Then comes some more poetry read by other readers. These stories are just truly excellent.

The stories are followed by more poetry, this time read by other readers. The poetry includes Lament, Poem on His Birthday, And Death Shall Have No Dominion, Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night and others.

I'm not one to listen to a work more than one time but I just finished listening to Under Milk Wood the second round and I'll probably go back for the stories. I may hit Under Milk Wood a third time. (it's short - a bit less than half of a close to 5 hour listen.)

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richard Burton reading the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas' plays, poems and stories is just fantastic. Some very moving pieces are "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" and "A Visit to Grandpa's", two of my favorites.

[Arlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slightly chaotic structure on audio - it wasn't that clear where one piece ended and another started. Also, his body of work's big enough that there was no need to repeat 3 poems. Still, the poems etc themselves were beautiful.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Besides the couple of famous poems here, I wasn't particularly interested in the rest of the poems, even though they were lovely and read by wonderful actors on this Naxos audiobook. The gem is the multi-cast radio performance of "Under Milk Wood", which more brilliantly captures the going-ons and inner thoughts of a town than Winesburg Ohio.