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What W. H. Auden Can Do for You
Series: Writers on Writers
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What W. H. Auden Can Do for You
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
Bestselling novelist Alexander McCall Smith's charming account of how the poet W. H. Auden has helped guide his life - and how he might guide yours too
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
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Description
Bestselling novelist Alexander McCall Smith's charming account of how the poet W. H. Auden has helped guide his life - and how he might guide yours too
When facing a moral dilemma, Isabel Dalhousie - Edinburgh philosopher, amateur detective, and title character of a series of novels by best-selling author Alexander McCall Smith - often refers to the great twentieth-century poet W. H. Auden. This is no accident: McCall Smith has long been fascinated by Auden. Indeed, the novelist, best known for his No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, calls the poet not only the greatest literary discovery of his life but also the best of guides on how to live. In What W. H. Auden Can Do for You, McCall Smith has written a charming personal account about what Auden has done for him - and what he just might do for you.
Part self-portrait, part literary appreciation, the book tells how McCall Smith first came across the poet's work in the 1970s, while teaching law in Belfast, a violently divided city where Auden's September 1, 1939, a poem about the outbreak of World War II, strongly resonated. McCall Smith goes on to reveal how his life has related to and been inspired by other Auden poems ever since. For example, he describes how he has found an invaluable reflection on life's transience in As I Walked Out One Evening, while The More Loving One has provided an instructive meditation on unrequited love. McCall Smith shows how Auden can speak to us throughout life, suggesting how, despite difficulties and change, we can celebrate understanding, acceptance, and love for others.
An enchanting story about how art can help us live, this book will appeal to McCall Smith's fans and anyone curious about Auden.
'[M]aybe the name of this book is the most radical, insightful thing about it: the notion that Auden is, as McCall Smith writes, "a healer," and that this healing is collective. It's not just what Auden can do for you alone, but for all of us.' - Alex Nazaryan, Newsweek
'Poets need readers who aren't poets, and it is delightful to see an established novelist answer the call.' - Lachlan MacKinnon, Times Literary Supplement
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What W. H. Auden Can Do for You
Bestselling novelist Alexander McCall Smith's charming account of how the poet W. H. Auden has helped guide his life - and how he might guide yours too When facing a moral dilemma, Isabel Dalhousie - Edinburgh philosopher, amateur detective, and title character of a series of novels by best-selling author Alexander McCall Smith - often refers to the great twentieth-century...Paperback$2999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
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What W. H. Auden Can Do for You
Bestselling novelist Alexander McCall Smith's charming account of how the poet W. H. Auden has helped guide his life - and how he might guide yours too When facing a moral dilemma, Isabel Dalhousie - Edinburgh philosopher, amateur detective, and title character of a series of novels by bestselling author Alexander McCall Smith - often refers to the great twentieth-century...HardbackSold Out
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
What W. H. Auden Can Do for You by Alexander McCall Smith has been praised for its charming and personal approach to exploring the poet's life and work. Reviewers appreciate the way McCall Smith interweaves biographical insights, textual analysis, and personal reflections, revealing how Auden's poetry can resonate with readers on both intellectual and emotional levels. The book is noted for its accessible style, making it appealing to both Auden aficionados and those new to his work.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780691234533
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 12 July 2022
Country: United States
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 111.0mm
Height: 184.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 152
About the Author
Alexander McCall Smith is the internationally bestselling author of numerous novels, including the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, the Isabel Dalhousie series, the Portuguese Irregular Verbs series, and the 44 Scotland Street series. His books have been translated into forty-six languages. Formerly a professor of medical law, he now devotes himself to writing. He lives in Scotland.
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