A Few Selected Exits

The canon of novels, short stories, plays and television appearances left to the world by the late, great Gwyn Thomas are unique in that they perfectly define a country and its people. If you thought that the only literary genius to come out of Wales was Dylan Thomas, then you have an absolute treat in store for you. Gwyn Thomas is the ultimate literary craftsman. Words came easily to him and with just a few well chosen sentences he can evoke a mood, a time and a location. His books are like roller coasters. He takes you to the places he writes about. His characters become real people and, through him, you share their passions. I have absolutely no hesitation at all in recommending this book to people who love books. It is an absolute classic and when you read it you will understand why Sir Anthony Hopkins was willing to take a massive pay cut to appear as Gwyn Thomas in the BBC film of the book. The man was a genius. Buy this book. Read it and tell your friends about it.

Follow the life of this little-known Welsh playwrite from his roots in the coalfields of the Rhonda Valley through a brilliant scholastic career at Oxford. Also, make a special effort to see the excellent television program from the BBC based on this book. Anthony Hopkins is at his best as Thomas. This book, and the television production noted above, is a must for lovers of literature and humor. These works should have a much wider audience.

Gwyn Thomas' autobiography "A Few Selected Exits" is unlike any other autobiography you have read. A bold statement, but one which is easy proved. A reader need only delve into the first few pages, and they will be hooked on the genius of a man unappreciated in his own time. Thomas' autobiography is the only one I have read which is not self serving. He recounts escapades from his life yes, but in such a non-linear way, one gets the impression of sharing a drink with him in a pub. I have never read a book before which will make the reader laugh out loud in a room alone. Thomas skewers pretension at his alma mater Oxford, and takes a honest but affectionate view of the youth he spent in poverty in Wales with equal enthusiasm. .