Synopsis
Clive James read, learned and recited poetry aloud for most of his life. In this, the last book he completed before his death, the much-loved poet, broadcaster and author offers a selection of his favourite poems and a personal commentary on each.
In the last months of his life, his vision impaired by surgery and unable to read, Clive James explored...
Details
15 September 2022
336 pages
9781529042108
Imprint: Picador
Reviews
A treasure trove of poetic pleasureThe Times
The Fire of Joy is a proper pleasure. Fun and fight-picking, wise and persuasive. James loves a layman and, by the end, the layman certainly loves James . . . “It’s a dipper,” said my husband, reading over my shoulder. If I wasn’t on review duty, that’s the way I’d read it: dipping in at random, at bedtime, a poem a night.Laura Freeman, The Times
The Fire of Joy is a set of personal, quintessentially Jamesian commentaries on 80 of his favourite poems.Guardian
A must for anthology lovers . . . The late, great critic and poet doesn't so much look forward as back; these are old favourites (Byron, Wordsworth, Masefield, Owen) from a lifetime’s reading, with personal notes on each one. I found it moving as well as a joy.Bel Mooney, Daily Mail