The Dyer's Hand

I will admit that the first time I read this book a few years ago, I didn’t get a lot out of it. But I also got the sense that the problem was on my end, not Auden’s. On my second read, I’m beginning to see some of Auden’s genius, and I’m enjoying his characteristic wit too. This is not an easy read, but it is a wonderful antidote to what passes for literary...more

I will admit that the first time I read this book a few years ago, I didn’t get a lot out of it. But I also got the sense that the problem was on my end, not Auden’s. On my second read, I’m beginning to see some of Auden’s genius, and I’m enjoying his characteristic wit too. This is not an easy read, but it is a wonderful antidote to what passes for literary theory these days. Auden is an astute literary critic and has brilliant things to say about Shakespeare, Cervantes, contemporary poets, Kierkegaard, and the like. Of course, Auden’s brash generalizations and clever aphorisms tend to oversimplify complex matters, but veteran readers of Auden won’t be bothered much by that. This is a very good companion to his Complete Poems, as the two books help elucidate each other. I highly recommend it to serious students of literature, especially of the 20th century, and those interested in literary theory.   hide