The Poems of T. S. Eliot: Practical Cats and Further Verses (Volume 2) Hardcover – December 15, 2015

Essential for major Eliot fans, allowing them to donate or give away earlier collections of the man's verse.I was extremely skeptible, before buying the book, when I read another's review saying that he enjoyed reading the commentary notes at least as much as the poems themselves. I'm the type of person who doesn't usually enjoy reading literature about literature. But I was surprised to find myself addicted to the notes (which comprise more than two-thirds of this 1300+ page book), and it was a good solid cure for my temperamental boredom and melancholy for at least a week or two.This contains the bulk of Eliot's output, and the most important poems, as well as the posthumous collection of his pre-PRUFROCK poems (INVENTIONS OF A MARCH HARE) and the editorial composite of the early WASTE LAND drafts. I wish Volume 2 wasn't so much slimmer and comprised mostly of odds and ends, compared to this one. I would've liked to see only the major works here, and his various minor poems (incl. THE INVENTIONS OF A MARCH HARE) collected in Volume 2. It would've balanced the two volumes, I think.

The book arrived in perfect condition. I am exceptionally pleased.

As advertised.

Bear with me. I live in Berkeley. I presume this is one of the most important books ever published in the field of poetry. There is not one bookstore that has a copy.