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 2022336 pages
9781529042108Imprint: 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
