The Waste Land & Four Quartets

By: T. S. Eliot

Narrated by: Paul Scofield

These are masterly readings, by renowned thespian Paul Schofield, of two substantial works of poetry by T.S. Eliot.

"The Wasteland", first published in 1922, is one of Eliot's most influential works and has long been on the syllabus for A-Level English Literature.

"Four Quartets" consists of four long poems, first published between 1935 and 1942. They are linked by common themes, and are individually "Burnt Norton", "East Coker", "The Dry Salvages", and "Little Gidding".

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Critic reviews

"Complex, erudite, cryptic, satiric, spiritually earnest, and occasionally lyrical, ["The Waste Land"] became one of the most recognizable landmarks of modernism"....[the "Four Quartets"] were the first of Eliot's poems to reach a wide public and they succeeded in communicating in modern idiom the fundamentals of Christian faith and experiences." ( The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature)

the expanse

to fully understand the Expanse, the science fiction multi part space opera. One must be aware of "The Waste Land"

My favorite poems

The Waste Land is my favorite poem and it is beautifully read by Paul Scofield. I don't know how many times I have listened to this book, and I just keep returning to it all the time. Non ultra plus!

Superb interpretation.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Enthusiastically. It brings meaning to a difficult text.

What did you like best about this story?

The meaningfulness of the reading.

Which character – as performed by Paul Scofield – was your favorite?

Not relevant.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me understand.

Any additional comments?

The best download on Audible.

Exquisite!

Paul Schofield's reading of these two poems is nothing short of masterful. Even after years of reading and loving "The Four Quartets", I found my appreciation of the rhythm, language and structure growing. There is nothing better than listening to poetry read aloud by a master. I highly recommend this selection.

The narration was incredible.

Beautiful narration. The content however, was random and senseless. Listened twice to try to figure out what was actually being relayed. Some say Eliot was it poetic genius. I wonder if he was just a psychotic schizophrenic narcissistic arrogant maniac trying to frustrate the reader.