Following the substantial critical acclaim for Academe, his previous volume, Paul Groves has produced a book which surpasses even that high standard.

Its contents, whose alternating rhyme and free verse lengths are balanced precisely, explore the human condition with disarming honesty. The subjects range from the suburban to the exotic and include a nervous job applicant, a chorus line of Eskimo girls, a tactless dinner guest, and a blow-up doll of Marilyn Monroe.

The author’s stylistic elegance and technical flair result in a poetry that, though subtle and exact, is marvellously accessible. Ménage à Trois is an adroit, entertaining collection by one of the most talented poets writing in Britain today.