Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas, narrated by Richard Burton et al. | 2001; originally published 1954 | BBC Radio | $ 11.50
Under Milk Wood is Dylan Thomas’ undisputed and unforgettable masterpiece: an affectionate, but hilarious portrait of a small Welsh village. A modern pastoral set in an imagined seaside town — the ‘dismays and rainbows’ of its inhabitants are played out within the cycle of one day.
In an effort to include a wide range of literature types on my list for Classics Club, I made a special effort to find a handful of classic plays. Under Milk Wood is one of these.
This is actually a radio drama which follows the lives of various characters in a small village over the course of a single day, mainly in the context of their private thoughts and their dreams as they sleep.
Yes, I’m realizing now that some folks might think it a bit silly to include a play on a to-read list and then listen to it as an audiobook; some people don’t even think audiobooks count as “reading”, so they’d probably say this shouldn’t count for my challenge list, either. And to those people I’d say… go touch some grass.
Under Milk Wood was a chaotic, entertaining little glimpse into the inner lives of a hodge-podge group of people. I enjoyed listening to the story told in a Welsh accent, though I have to admit that I had a little trouble following along at a couple of points and it’s probable that I missed one or two clever turns of phrase. The full cast recording made it aurally interesting, and probably a little bit easier to follow along with.
This is actually the first time I’ve listened to a radio play like this, and it strikes me as a little bit wild that there was this whole form of writing specifically for a listening audience that flourished from early-mid-20th century until the television took over as primary source of home entertainment, but is now experiencing a kind of comeback with the growing popularity of drama podcasts.
So, I’d say that if you’re into those drama podcasts, you might also enjoy taking a trip back in time for a classic radio play like Under Milk Wood.
Links:
- “Dylan” online exhibit from The National Library of Wales
- Dylan Thomas profile from the Poetry Foundation
- Tour of the Laugharne of Dylan Thomas
Publication information: Thomas, Dylan. Under Milk Wood. London, UK: BBC Radio, 2001. Audiobook.
Source: Public library, via Hoopla.
Disclaimer: I am not compensated, monetarily or otherwise, for reviews of books or other products.
