Early Auden

by Edward Mendelson

Book Overview

"Early Auden" remains the most penetrating, detailed, and informative examination we have of the great work produced by the young W. H. Auden in England before the war. Edward Mendelson writes with unrivaled knowledge of published texts, manuscripts, private papers, and essays in this most illuminating of critical works.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0670287121
• ISBN13: 9780670287123
• Release Date: July 1981
• Publisher: Viking Books
• Length: 407 Pages
• Weight: 1.85 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Essential Reading / Really Good Value /

This is the first of two books by the same author (see Later Auden)and I'd recommend buying them together as they are terrific accounts which tell Auden's story (mostly) in terms of his poetry. (John Fuller's commentary (on the poetry) augments these very well).(H. Carpenter for the best intro bio.) Why I liked these books is that they don't expose a bias regarding Auden's life (Auden tends/ed to divide critics) and the poetry (always the first casualty) isn't neglected. There's too much of value in these books to try and paraphrase them but rest assured they will not disappoint. As usual though, the whole controversy over the attitude of certain critics (Jarrell/Leavis/Eagleton) is passed over. Still, really useful. I'd say the same for the Collected Prose, the Dyer's Hand, Forewords & Afterwords. Hendon is a bit spotty but maybe useful (and affordable) for undergrads, while the Sea & The Mirror is rather specialised (Art & Christianity), maybe to be tackled later. Early and Late Auden are not so much 'academic' works as they are real portraits by someone close to the work, the writer and his times, so there isn't that distance you sometimes feel where authors set out "to do Auden". Great value. Will not disappoint.