The Passages of Joy, Thom Gunn, Faber and Faber, 1982

The Passages of Joy (1982) marks a significant moment in the career of Thom Gunn, bringing together poems written during a period of stylistic freedom and personal intensity. By this stage Gunn had fully embraced the influence of American life and poetry, combining formal precision with a more open, exploratory voice shaped by his years in San Francisco. The collection ranges widely in tone and subject - from celebration and erotic energy to vulnerability, risk, and loss - and reflects Gunn's characteristic clarity and moral seriousness. The Passages of Joy stands as one of his most vivid and confident books, balancing intellectual control with an unsparing engagement with lived experience.

The Passages of Joy, by Thom Gunn.

Published by Faber and Faber, London, 1982. First edition.

A near fine brown cloth hardback with gilt title to spine. Cover with a few light markings. In a near fine dustjacket with slight sun-fading to spine and top edge. Not price-clipped. The jacket is now housed in a removable, clear plastic protective sleeve.

Text pages are bright and clean throughout. All soundly bound.

Text in English.

93pp.

Dimensions: Approximately 204mm high x 134mm wide x 13mm deep.

Weight: Approximately 195g.