Confidential Clerk [Paperback]

T. S. Eliot (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1950

A modern verse play that touches on the sources of longing and the need to be loved. "Never has Eliot's apparently effortless prosody been more precise.... He has achieved complete mastery of words" (Kirkus Reviews). "It is a wise, witty, elegant play whose characters speak finely and shrewdly" (Chicago Sunday Tribune).

Editorial Reviews

Review

 "It is a wise, witty, elegant play whose characters speak finely and shrewd." (Chicago Sunday Tribune )

About the Author

Thomas Stearns Eliot was born in 1888 in St. Louis, Missouri, and became a British subject in 1927. The acclaimed poet of The Waste Land, Four Quartets, and Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, among numerous other poems, prose, and works of drama, won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1948. T.S. Eliot died in 1965 in London, England, and is buried in Westminster Abbey.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books (January 1, 1950)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0156220156
• ISBN-13: 978-0156220156
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,605,293 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Thomas Stearns Eliot was born in 1888 in St. Louis, Missouri, and became a British subject in 1927. The acclaimed poet of The Waste Land, Four Quartets, and Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, among numerous other poems, prose, and works of drama, won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1948. T.S. Eliot died in 1965 in London, England, and is buried in Westminster Abbey.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertainment by allegory, October 13, 2000

By 

Carl Tait (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Confidential Clerk (Paperback)

Eliot's penultimate play (and second comedy) is markedly different from his earlier efforts. It is well-written but decidedly less poetic: although printed in verse form, the sound is almost conversational. In addition, Eliot's usual Christian themes are here allegorical rather than explicit. The handling is quite skillful: there is none of the ham-handed "X stands for Y, you morons!" that mars so many allegories. One can easily dig down into the Christian messages if desired, but the play is also satisfying at the top level.

By the standards of Eliot's output as a whole, a rating of 3.5 stars is more appropriate than 4. One can regret the loss of intensity in the writing while still enjoying the play itself.

0 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I LOVE THE BOOK!, June 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Confidential Clerk (Paperback)

This book is wonderful. I truly loved it. It was the most interesting piece of work!