Synopses & Reviews
"Reading for this anthology," writes D.J. Enright, "I was moved to the thought that on no theme have writers shown themselves more lively." A survivor of Belsen voiced the same sentiment when, reflecting on the concentration camps, he wrote, "When in death we are in the midst of life." By turns poignant, tragic, comic, and inspiring, this anthology of thoughts about death ranges from ancient times to the present day including almost nine hundred selections by poets, novelists, philosophers, scientists, and common people. Arranged under headings such as "Love," "War," "Last Words," and "Children," these selections show the varied, sometimes surprising, reactions of the dying and the bereaved to the final human act.
Review
"[E]xtensive and enjoyable...first rate." Daily Telegraph
Review
"An inspired departure from the usual literary mapping of...anthologies....Only the most flint-hearted of readers could fail to be absorbed, illumined, and even cheered by it." The New Yorker
Review
"[Enright] has gathered a fine harvest and cleverly kept melancholy in check." Guardian
About the Author
About the Editor:
D.J. Enright, a well-known poet and critic, has taught at universities in Egypt, England, Japan, Germany, Thailand, and Singapore. His books include Shakespeare and the Students, The Oxford Book of Contemporary Verse 1945-1980, and Collected Poems.
Table of Contents
Editor's Note
Introduction
Definitions
Views and Attitudes
The Hour of Death
Suicide
Mourning
Graveyards and Funerals
Resurrections and Immortalities
Hereafters
Revenants
War, Plague and Persecution
Love and Death
Children
Animals
Epitaphs, Requiems and Last Words
Acknowledgements
Indexes