∎ Read Free Child Christmas In Wales A And Five Poems Dylan Thomas 9780060514662 Books

Child Christmas In Wales A And Five Poems Dylan Thomas 9780060514662 Books

Download As PDF : Child Christmas In Wales A And Five Poems Dylan Thomas 9780060514662 Books

Child Christmas In Wales A And Five Poems Dylan Thomas 9780060514662 Books

I had read excerpts of A Child's Christmas in Wales and loved what I had read, but it wasn't until I heard the entire tale in Dylan's voice on NPR that I completely fell in love with it. Dylan's voice is warm, deep, slightly wry, and rolling.

If you haven't read it or heard it, it's a retelling of a Christmas past to a child. And it has the same questions and interruptions as you would expect from a small listener and has the same weight of an exaggerated epic that you might expect from a favorite uncle or father telling one of their "days of yore" stories.

I've been told that Dylan's largest fan base is in the U.S., and A Child's Christmas in Wales has the same charming humor and nostalgia that Rockwell's paintings and Garrison Keillor's Lake Wobegon Days capture. An idealized notion of American middle class values, but a hint of self-mocking that keeps it grounded. I think he perfectly captures the expectations of Christmas and the feel of large family gatherings. A favorite bit in which he describes the Uncles who sit in the parlors and breath like dolphins and the pale little aunts that seem to accumulate at family holidays:

"Some few large men sat in the front parlors, without their collars, Uncles almost certainly, trying their new cigars, holding them out judiciously at arms' length, returning them to their mouths, coughing, then holding them out again as though waiting for the explosion; and some few small aunts, not wanted in the kitchen, nor anywhere else for that matter, sat on the very edge of their chairs, poised and brittle, afraid to break, like faded cups and saucers."

Every time I read or hear it I get some deep-rooted domestic compulsion and feel the need run out and buy eggnog, knit something (nevermind the fact that I don't know how to), or find a rocking chair to sit on in front of a fire.


Tags : Child's Christmas In Wales, A: And Five Poems [Dylan Thomas] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. First recorded in February of 1952, this remastered recording of Dylan Thomas reading his <em>A Child's Christmas in Wales</em> recalls all of the sights,Dylan Thomas,Child's Christmas In Wales, A: And Five Poems,Caedmon,0060514663,Audiobooks.,Abridged Audio - AutobiographyBiography,Audio Adult: Books On Tape,Audiobooks,Classics,English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh,Fiction,Fiction Classics,Fiction General,Literary,Poetry General

Child Christmas In Wales A And Five Poems Dylan Thomas 9780060514662 Books Reviews

Any older person who grew up in a small town will likely recognise themselves and their family in Dylan Thomas' autobiographical story about Christmas celebrations from a child's perspective, even if, like me, you live in New South Wales (Australia) rather than old South Wales (UK). Adjectives come tumbling over each other as Thomas creates his unique verbal imagery.

The CD is rounded-out by Thomas reading five of his own favourite poems. Unlike the stilted efforts of many poets, Dylan Thomas could read his verse with colour and conviction. Once again the imagery is dense, but well repays careful listening. Some people who are not familiar with the poems, or are unaccustomed to a fruity Welsh voice may find it helpful to sit with the text beside them during a first hearing, in order to fully appreciate the subtleties.

Thoroughly recommended.
Magnificent. Thomas is that rare, nearly unique, poet whose own reading of his work is better than anyone else's. If only there were an audio of Thomas reading Yeats.
We listen to this by candlelight every Christmas Eve. Dylan's poetic imagery is the very essense of Christmas in northern climates. And Dylan's voice provides the perfect deluvery of his glorious words.
This poem has been a cherished friend since college days. Hearing the poet himself read it makes it extra special.
I can't review the other poems on the CD because I bought it for "A Child's Christmas in Wales" alone. Not only do I have a copy, but I have given it to my brother and all three of my children. Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without listening to it at least once during the season.
By far one of the most fascinating Christmas story ever told. It is beautiful nostalgia regardless of the culture you come from.
I never go a winter season by reading it once of twice. If I get an audience I love to read it to adults and children. Masterful, engaging and if you ever did Christmas, this will return you with the sights and smells of December.
Hearing Dylan Thomas read his reminiscences has been a family tradition for over 40 years. Our children and grandchildren relish the escapades of early 20th century boys and their grownups in this poetic account. Particularly charming are the Welsh accent and deep resonance of the poet's voice. "A Child's Christmas" presents a snowglobe vision of life in small Welsh village. The cold of the snow, the warmth of the parlor after Christmas dinner, the sound of Auntie Hannah's singing live on in each of our minds until next Christmas. This past Christmas we replaced our old wax recording with a CD and gifted our children with a bit of nostalgia and poetry for a best friend.
I bought this for my newly married son so that he could continue our family tradition of listening to this on Christmas Eve, even when he's far away. It's a 28 year tradition, and it wouldn't be Christmas without it. To hear the poet read his own material, and to know the story behind that recording enriches our appreciation of it. In fact, our son is named after this poet.
I had read excerpts of A Child's Christmas in Wales and loved what I had read, but it wasn't until I heard the entire tale in Dylan's voice on NPR that I completely fell in love with it. Dylan's voice is warm, deep, slightly wry, and rolling.

If you haven't read it or heard it, it's a retelling of a Christmas past to a child. And it has the same questions and interruptions as you would expect from a small listener and has the same weight of an exaggerated epic that you might expect from a favorite uncle or father telling one of their "days of yore" stories.

I've been told that Dylan's largest fan base is in the U.S., and A Child's Christmas in Wales has the same charming humor and nostalgia that Rockwell's paintings and Garrison Keillor's Lake Wobegon Days capture. An idealized notion of American middle class values, but a hint of self-mocking that keeps it grounded. I think he perfectly captures the expectations of Christmas and the feel of large family gatherings. A favorite bit in which he describes the Uncles who sit in the parlors and breath like dolphins and the pale little aunts that seem to accumulate at family holidays

"Some few large men sat in the front parlors, without their collars, Uncles almost certainly, trying their new cigars, holding them out judiciously at arms' length, returning them to their mouths, coughing, then holding them out again as though waiting for the explosion; and some few small aunts, not wanted in the kitchen, nor anywhere else for that matter, sat on the very edge of their chairs, poised and brittle, afraid to break, like faded cups and saucers."

Every time I read or hear it I get some deep-rooted domestic compulsion and feel the need run out and buy eggnog, knit something (nevermind the fact that I don't know how to), or find a rocking chair to sit on in front of a fire.