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The Essential Dylan Thomas cover art

The Essential Dylan Thomas

By: Dylan Thomas
Narrated by: Dylan Thomas, Richard Bebb, Jason Hughes, Richard Burton
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Summary

This varied, well-chosen selection brings onto one audiobook the best of Dylan Thomas. Here is the legendary recording of "Under Milk Wood", with Richard Burton and Richard Bebb as narrators; but here also are two radio productions he wrote before that great classic, and though interesting in their own right, they show how "Under Milk Wood" grew gradually in his imagination.

This collection includes "Under Milk Wood", "Return Journey to Swansea", and "And death shall ahve no dominion" and other poems. It also includes "Memories of Christmas", "The Peaches", "The Outing", "The Followers", "Do not go gentle into that good night", and other poems.

Thomas was a charismatic if idiosyncratic performer of his own poetry and stories and here is a representative selection.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

Public Domain (P)2005 Naxos AudioBooks Ltd.

Critic reviews

  • 2005 Audie Award Nominee, Audiobook Adapted from Another Medium
2005 Audie Award Nominee, Audiobook Adapted from Another Medium

What listeners say about The Essential Dylan Thomas

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

This is a book of poetry: but!

The performances are powerful renditions of wonderful poetry and prose, a delight to listen to, an opportunity to immerse oneself in the beauty of the written and spoken word. However, it is still a 'book' of poetry, but one which seems impossible to navigate; yes it does have chapter numbers, but each chapter is of considerable length, the delight of a book of poetry is to flick through the pages to a favourite poem and read it: why should an audio book of the same material be any different? Alas, many of the books of poetry purchased from Audible seem to have this deficiency and it is very frustrating. Of course you can listen and bookmark various sections, poems etc: but shouldn't the publishers have already done this? It is very disappointing and detracts from the enjoyment of the collection. For challenges such as this Audible offer no star rating - so I suggest a 0 rating for recording navigation.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

close your eyes and spoil yourself

I cannot tell you how powerful this recording is, how vivid and entrancing are the images it paints.
Play it to your children and let them hear the richness of english, let them hear the townsfolk as they dream. It might just be better than eastenders - innit?

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant but - no proper index/chapter list

I love Dylan Thomas and I love to hear him reading his own work. No complaints whatsoever in that respect - its a lovely collection. But, as has already been pointed out; the chapter listing does not tell which items appear where. You have to blindly mess around till you find the piece you want to listen to. Why can't poetry, books and similar, tell you where a particular item is, or at least point to the correct chapter. That's what happens with a printed book, or a music album/CD, and it makes it enjoyable to dip in and out of it. I am enjoying listening but just wanted to air this frustration.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

The Essential Dylan Thomas

Dylan Thomas Welsh Poet Laureate; any reviewer can but provide a ghostly synopses enough to induce the work to be eagerly devoured. Let no reviewer exhibit the temerity to even indicate of ?better? performances than the authors own.
His ?idiosyncrasies? are his very being, the ear that captures the very essence of his environs the eyes that catch the very soul of its inhabitants and the mind that displays them for our purveyance, to have the privilege to hear HIS own voice is to overhear the original conversation simultaneously viewing the original image.
For an Englishman with Welsh antecedents Dylan Thomas provides an English window into a Welsh landscape, mine own reminiscences of ancient uncle basking on his coal bunker, suppers by aunts grandmothers clock are still as fresh as the childhood long gone, but who will want to hear them?
His recollections provide a prism showing author and subject in bright repose that you might share precious time in their company.

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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BRILLIANT!!!

As a old Welsh Woman I came across this on Audible. I have to say...... Do NOT read these stories etc, but LISTEN to them.!!! Magical.... the narrator's voices reading Dylan Thomas's writings transport you to a special time, a wonderful place. Don't hesitate to buy this classic. It is BRILLIANT!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful intro

Very nice introduction to Thomas’ works. Good variety and lovely! Would definitely recommend this to anybody.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Not Just for Christmas!

Beautifully narrated collection of the poetry and short stories of Dylan Thomas, this audiobook includes the most charming Christmas stories I have ever heard. I listen to it all year round though, as there are other pieces on there as well. Such a wonderful listening experience!

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