The Oxford Book of Death [Hardcover]

D.J. Enright (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2, 1983

"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 900 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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

`Review from previous edition learned, original, serious, yet always enjoyable, as well as frequently surprising' Geoffrey Grigson

`extensive and enjoyable ... first rate' Anthony Powell, Daily Telegraph

`a tonic as well as a wholesome draught of mortality' John Carey, Sunday Times

`salutary, sometimes breathtaking, finally life-enhancing' TES

`excellent ... [Enright] has gathered a fine harvest and cleverly kept melancholy in check' Guardian --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; First Edition edition (June 2, 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192141295
• ISBN-13: 978-0192141293
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #840,131 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Oxford's official contribution to our demise, February 25, 2001

By 

Daniel Myers (Greenville, SC USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Oxford Book of Death (Hardcover)

Enright should be given some sort of award by that lot over the Atlantic lake whom we broke ties with a little over 200 years ago. For his book on death is simply...beautiful. How he managed to cull so many varied and poignant accounts of and perspectives on death from literary (and non-literary) sources is nothing short of astounding. Of course, Enright has already won the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry. Is there also a gold medal for Death over there? If so, he is thoroughly entitled to it. It's rare that a literary work is such a page-turner as this one is. Everyone will have their favorite passages. My two are Bede's comparing life to the quick flight of the sparrow in through one end of the lord's hall and out the other in the twinking of an eye, with ignorance as to its plight both before and after; and the Ashanti saying, "Every time an earth mother smiles over the birth of a child, a spirit mother weeps over the loss of a child."-But, as I say, these are but two drops in an ocean of fine thoughts and sentiments and imaginings.-Recommended reading for all mortals!

7 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Oxford book of Death, June 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Oxford Book of Death (Hardcover)

beautiful book for those who ponder the realms and possibilities of death. Opens the mind to intense thought and imagination.