Sentenced To Life

In his insightful collection of poems Clive James looks back over an extraordinarily rich life with a cleareyed and unflinching honesty. There are regrets but no trace of selfpity in these verses which – for all their open dealings with death and illness – are primarily a celebration of what is treasurable and memorable in our time here. Again and again James reminds us that he is not only a poet of effortless wit and lyric accomplishment he is also an immensely wise one who delights in using poetic form to bring a razorsharp focus to his thought. Miraculously these poems see James writing with his insight and energy not only undiminished but positively charged by his situation Sentenced to Life represents a career high point from one of the greatest literary intelligences of the age. His other poetry collections include Collected Poems Angels Over Elsinore and Injury Time.