The Major Works

It was a new book. Bought it for my brother and I think he’s read it.

Wordsworth is an all-time great and Oxford World's Classics are known for their quality, so neither needs a review. But just a point about this edition: it presents the poems in their original form, not their current or familiar versions. For example, all current versions of "I wandered lonely as a Cloud" have four paragraphs but the one included here (page 303) does not have the second paragraph. I was a bit disappointed that one of my favorite poems was truncated! While the overall product (binding, font size, cover etc) is okay at this reduced Indian price, considering that it is printed on cheap semi-white paper and printed 6 years back (2008), it could be priced lower.

Eine preiswerte Ausgabe der wichtigsten Werke von WW. Auch einges an poetischen Schriften ist enthalten. Das Vorwort und die Notes von Stephen Gill sind sehr hilfreicht. Auch eine Chronology zur Lebens- und Werkgeschichte ist vorhanden. Rundum das Buch sind sein Geld wert.

The Major Works (Oxford World's Classics) One of the best collections of Wordsworth's writing currently available. Contains all the important poems in their original versions and in chronological order, including complete versions of Home at Grasmere and The Prelude, with useful notes and a brief, informative introduction. Also contains the important 1802 preface to the Lyrical Ballads. Wordsworth was a talented and courageous writer as a young man and, given the chance, speaks directly to us today. His views on poetry are remarkably sane and practical, and form a useful corrective to the obscurantism of much postmodern theory. An ideal volume for student and general reader alike.

This is an excellent collection of Wordworth's poetry and includes the complete 1805 Prelude. The book comes with superb notes written by the very distinguished scholar Stephen Gill. Highly recommended.