Book Review - The Man Who Went Into The West

Ever since I discovered him in my youth, the late R.S. Thomas has been one of my favourite poets. Therefore, I eagerly awaited the publication of this biography which appeared in the latter part of 2006. I was not to be disappointed. I suppose the book could be quite a frustrating read if you come to it expecting that a biographical work should follow a neat linear chronology. The author Byron Rogers seems less concerned with presenting a clear historical timeline than with creating a sort of impressionistic portrait of the man who was once termed `The Ogre of Wales.' Rogers largely achieves this by piecing together a patchwork of anecdotes from people who knew him, ranging from his only son with whom he seems to have had a very difficult relationship (as if he were capable of any other) to the sometimes quite tangential offerings of village shopkeepers and the parishioners of this most gloomy and misanthropic of priests as he sought out increasingly bleak and isolated places to live. This book sheds much light on the inner contradictions and thought processes of R.S. (actually Ron - apparently he added the `S' for reasons of euphony) Thomas and his strained relationships with the rest of humanity. It succeeded in getting me to reread many of his poems in a new light. Rogers does have a very dry sense of humour and although he clearly feels a great deal of admiration ( and I daresay affection) for his subject and his art, he also seems to delight in poking fun at this most grumpy of grumpy old men and, I have to say, when Rogers does this he is at his best. In many places this book had me laughing at loud at Thomas's eccentricities and bizarre antics. I would also like to add that "The Man Who Went Into The West" is physically very well constructed - it looks and feels like a book ought to. The subject matter of this book might strike some as rather tedious but, believe me, I found it hard to put down and finished reading it all too quickly.

Bone Idle