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'Clive James is a life-long admirer of the work of Philip Larkin. Somewhere Becoming Rain gathers all of James's writing on this towering literary figure of the twentieth century, together with extra material now published for the first time.
'The greatness of Larkin's poetry continues to be obscured by the opprobrium attaching to his personal life and his private opinions. James writes about Larkin's poems, his novels, his jazz and literary criticism; he also considers the two major biographies, Larkin's letters and even his portrayal on stage in order to chart the extreme and, he argues, largely misguided equivocations about Larkin's reputation in the years since his death.
'Through this joyous and perceptive book, Larkin's genius is delineated and celebrated. James argues that Larkin's poems, adored by discriminating readers for over half a century, could only have been the product of his reticent, diffident, flawed, and all-too-human personality.
'Erudite and entertaining in equal measure, Somewhere Becoming Rain is a love letter from one of the world's best living writers to one of its most cherished poets.' (Publication summary)
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
-
The Middlebrow Men: Clive James on Philip Larkin
2020
single work
review
— Appears in: Sydney Review of Books , May 2020;
— Review of Somewhere Becoming Rain : Collected Writings on Philip Larkin 2019 selected work essay'This, Clive James’s final book, is a collection of his writings on Larkin and his work. James takes his title from the final words of Larkin’s ‘The Whitsun Weddings’ (1959). The ninety four pages, which include copies of one manuscript letter and two typed letters from Larkin to James, don’t offer very much book for your money, but you do get Clive James, who’s always good value. His explanation of why Jack Nicholson is the only Hollywood actor appropriate to play Larkin onscreen justifies the price of admission.' (Introduction)
-
The Larkin Project
2020
single work
review
— Appears in: PN Review , March - April vol. 46 no. 4 2020;
— Review of Somewhere Becoming Rain : Collected Writings on Philip Larkin 2019 selected work essay -
James on Larkin
2020
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , March no. 419 2020; (p. 31)
— Review of Somewhere Becoming Rain : Collected Writings on Philip Larkin 2019 selected work essay'To some it may seem solipsistic to be reviewing what is, in effect, a collection of reviews, but when the reviewer in question is as smart as the late Clive James and the subject is as substantial as Philip Larkin (1922–85) this is unlikely to be the case.' (Introduction)
-
James on Larkin
2020
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , March no. 419 2020; (p. 31)
— Review of Somewhere Becoming Rain : Collected Writings on Philip Larkin 2019 selected work essay'To some it may seem solipsistic to be reviewing what is, in effect, a collection of reviews, but when the reviewer in question is as smart as the late Clive James and the subject is as substantial as Philip Larkin (1922–85) this is unlikely to be the case.' (Introduction)
-
The Larkin Project
2020
single work
review
— Appears in: PN Review , March - April vol. 46 no. 4 2020;
— Review of Somewhere Becoming Rain : Collected Writings on Philip Larkin 2019 selected work essay -
The Middlebrow Men: Clive James on Philip Larkin
2020
single work
review
— Appears in: Sydney Review of Books , May 2020;
— Review of Somewhere Becoming Rain : Collected Writings on Philip Larkin 2019 selected work essay'This, Clive James’s final book, is a collection of his writings on Larkin and his work. James takes his title from the final words of Larkin’s ‘The Whitsun Weddings’ (1959). The ninety four pages, which include copies of one manuscript letter and two typed letters from Larkin to James, don’t offer very much book for your money, but you do get Clive James, who’s always good value. His explanation of why Jack Nicholson is the only Hollywood actor appropriate to play Larkin onscreen justifies the price of admission.' (Introduction)