Product Description

The late Poet Laureate John Betjeman reads his own poetic autobiography. In the much-loved tones of Sir John himself, this magnificent autobiography in verse captures the voice of the late Poet Laureate. From his earliest boyhood memories of Highgate and Archibald, his old stuffed bear, through to his undergraduate years at Oxford and his early career, John Betjeman's unique narrative style poignantly describes the pains and pleasures of growing up. 'Summoned by Bells can hardly help being a landmark...one seems to be living his childhood and boyhood with him' - Stephen Spender.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #40984 in Books
• Published on: 2008-08-14
• Released on: 2008-08-14
• Format: Audiobook
• Original language: English
• Binding: Audio CD

Review
"I abandon all the usual literary equivocations and call it a masterpiece." -- Sunday Times "Betjeman is perhaps as completely orginial a writer as has ever existed." -- Times Literary Supplement

Times Literary Supplement
"Betjeman is perhaps as completely orginial a writer as has ever existed."

About the Author
Betjeman is the best loved English poet of this century. His "Collected Poems" made publishing history and has now sold more than two million copies. In each generation a new following is captivated by his unmistakable voice, whose compassion can swell into indignation and whose humour is underlaid by gentle satire and self-doubt.

Customer Reviews

Summoned By Betjeman
To the lover of poetry who has already been captivated by this wonderful blank verse autobiography, no recommendation or review is necesary, as you'll probably only be visiting this site to order a replacement copy for the one that mysteriously never reappeared after loaning it to a colleague or friend!

To the poetry lover who has not yet had the delight of becoming familiar with this classic, it just needs to be stated that all the superlatives that have been applied to Summoned By Bells are completely justified.

Bicycles with Sturmey Archer gears, Euthymol toothpaste, the stations of the London Underground, the Perpendicular architecture of Betjeman's beloved Church of England and outings to Cornwall on the London and South Western Railway are all woven into an autobiographical narrative that encompasses unpleasant nursemaids, early attempts at poetry, bullying at school, the sights and smells of second-hand bookshops and Sunday Evensong ... and the list goes on and on.

My advice: buy two copies, as the one that you loan to a friend is unlikely to make a reappearance!