Product Description

The best of this brilliant poet, read by leading actors of the British stage and screen: Stella Gonet, Haydn Gwynne, David Horovitch, Alex Jennings, Jeremy Northam, and Nathaniel Parker.

This collection of John Donne’s work runs the gamut of the poet’s brilliance, from love songs to religious hymns, from heartfelt elegies to holy sonnets. It includes some of his best-loved poems, including "Goe, and catch a falling starre," "Loves Growthe," and "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning," as well as his religious and philosophical musings.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1036662 in Books
• Published on: 2006-06-22
• Formats: Audiobook, Unabridged
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 2
• Binding: Audio CD

From Library Journal
Donne's poems embrace Catholicism, then abandon religion, then embrace the Episcopal church. They make use of symbols and weighted images. He toys with sonnet, satire, elegy, and love poems - to list only a few recognizable forms. At times his lines seem like stream of consciousness. Philosophy overtakes subject, as in two commissioned elegies on a child's death. All told, they make for difficult reading, even harder if we're trying to get a handle on the person who wrote the poems. That's why these two tapes, mixing biography with poetry, are especially welcome. Best of all, the biography is honest. It shows us a man who risked all for love, yet constantly sought out wealthy patrons and the favor of the court. Dismissed after short terms in parliament, Donne returned to the priesthood. The narrators point to, but make no excuses for, the way all this is reflected in the poems.
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About the Author
JOHN DONNE was born in 1572. He entered a diplomatic career and served as private secretary to Sir Thomas Egerton. However, when he eloped with Egerton's underage niece, Anne More, in 1601, the couple was disinherited and they lived in poverty for many years. He died in 1631 after posing for a portrait in his funeral shroud.

From AudioFile
This collection of poems from John Donne's prolific and varied career beautifully represents his towering ability and the far-ranging nature of his subject matter. Though Donne may be best known for his sometimes irreverent love poems, he also wrote sacred verse and pieces suitable for the Elizabethan court, of which he was a part. Although for some these poems need no introduction, most listeners will greatly appreciate the elegant, intelligent literary introductions found here. These comments show how different types of poems illustrate lifelong themes, while also highlighting Donne's wordplay and puns. The six-person ensemble does a superb job, reading at a perfect pace with a clarity that allows each work to resonate for listeners. J.C.G. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Customer Reviews

superb readings -- of course!
I've owned the cassette version of this recording for some time: it's simply superb, which is what you would expect from such seasoned British actors. Nathaniel Parker's readings of The Flea and To His Mistress are particular knock-outs.

The narrative between the poems is also excellent, putting Donne's work in perspective by placing it firmly within the historical and cultural context.

Highly recommended.

Great introduction to John Donne
This set of tapes is a good way to begin a study of John Donne, or if already a fan, to be cradled by his words read aloud by melliflous English voices. There is a good biographical sketch interlaced with some of Donne's most famous works, giving the listener the historical background and influences behind some of the world's best poetry.

Annoyances
The most annoying thing about these cds is the intrusive and unnecessary intros to the poems which most listeners will not care to listen to more than once. The second most annoying thing about these cds is the intrusive, unnecessary and unattractive trumpet at the beginning or ends of many poems. The third most annoying thing about these cds is the poor reading, which at times doesn't follow either prosody or normal voice in its pitch patterns and emphasis. Apart from these three annoyances, these are fair cds. They might be useful in educational settings, where the intros might be appropriate and the trumpet might keep students awake. I gave this two stars rather than one because the poetry presented is immortal.