Ruin, Blossom

By John Burnside,

Book cover of Ruin, Blossom

Book description

A remarkable collection exploring ageing, mortality and environmental destruction

**WINNER OF THE DAVID COHEN PRIZE FOR LITERATURE 2023**

'By far the best British poet alive' SPECTATOR

'A master of language' HILARY MANTEL

In this powerful, moving book, John Burnside takes his cue from Schiller, who recognised that, as one thing…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Ruin, Blossom as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This is John Burnside's final poetry collection. I love his poetry, the beautiful, lyrical rhythm of his language, and his love of the natural world, a rural world, often imaginary and inhabited by snow and rain, foxes, unicorns , the cold light on a field, apples paling in a wicker basket, a Neverland of stars...
He is often deeply serious, as in his poems about mental illness – his poems are permeated with sadness and nostalgia for a world that may never have existed.

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