23 words: Inundations looks back at the past - childhood and growing up - with wry humour and an ironic eye. Gutteridge's poems pack an emotional punch. 58 words: Inundations is a book about both past and present as seen through the lens of short lyrical poems. Gutteridge takes us back to his childhood village, his experiences there and the rogue's gallery of local characters he meets and cherishes. His present-day poems explore the joys and challenges of an ageing writer. They have the ring of truth. 106 words: In Indundations Gutteridge goes back to his childhood days in his home village of Point Edward, where he recounts the joys and pains of growing up - seen through the prism of memory. Part One introduces the reader to the many colourful characters that people the Point, observed with wry humour and not a little irony. Part Two contains powerful lyric poems about the poet's present-day life, particularly the joys of being a grandfather. Part Three is a miscellany of poems, many of which explore the process of writing itself. Gutteridge's poems have been described as both "pleasant and haunting." They will leave the reader wanting more. 159 words: Inundations comes in three distinct parts. Part One is all about remembrance, the joys and pain of recalling one's childhood and the village which shaped and nourished it. These are poems about the lifeblood of a small community and the people who inhabit it: friends, grandparents, town characters, roustabouts and sweethearts. Gutteridge looks squarely at his home turf without sentiment and with a wry humour, through the lens of the present and the perspective of age. Point Edward is as much a character as those who live there, and the memories of it are both solace and sorrow. Part Two is all about the present, particularly the surprising pleasures of being a grandparent and the realization that the poet is ageing even as his grandchildren grow apace. Part Three is a miscellany of occasional poems, several of them dealing with the process of writing poetry itself. Gutteridge's poems are simple, musical and rhythmical: they have the ring of truth.
