3 Review(s)

A wry, singular wit, an astringent honesty, and a virtuoso use of traditional forms characterise Douglas Houston's new book. At its (broken) heart is the not-uncommon crisis of the break-up of a marriage. Houston spins a sharp series of villanelles on the subject, at once poignant and merciless. This is poetry with an ironic grace, a style that is full of intelligent observation, yet avoids condescension. Douglas Houston has published two well-received collections of poetry, With the Offal Eaters (1986) and The Hunters in the Snow (1994).