The Oxford Book of Death (Oxford Books of Prose & Verse)

I have had this book in a paperback for years. Marked up and used and loved. It may be a grim subject to many, but death is a part of living. When I searched for a new copy, I ran into the ability to buy it in hardback. I am sonhappy to have it unmarked for me to do myself. This book and its contents were researched and it shows it. Fantastic book!

I very much enjoyed this, and still do. It's an interesting concept, really, and I was very pleased with the inclusion of both Eastern and Western sources - in this text, you will find meditations on death taken from sources in the sciences, poetry, literature, philosophy, anthropology, theology, world religion, and so forth. It includes sources both well-known and obscure, and makes you want to hunt them down.

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!

Amazing book. Comforting and enlightening.

Love this book, gives a real different look at death, those facing it & about those left behind. Some really sad tales, some beautiful notes & thoughts and some heart breaking & thought provoking pieces, some funny anecdotes. Great book on a very taboo topic.

Book received in good conditions, as described and after transacton. No necessery any comunication. I recommend this book to any who wants a new perspectiv on theme