All Things Betray Thee
Encyclopedia
All Things Betray Thee, by Gwyn Thomas
, is a novel
of early industrialism in South Wales
. It was first published in 1949, and was republished in 1986 with an introduction by Raymond Williams
Set in 1835, this work is significantly different from most of Gwyn Thomas's work. It is both an interesting personal story and an account of the origin of the industrialised and mostly English-speaking society of the South Wales Valleys
.
, it is told from the viewpoint of a travelling harpist, Alan Hugh Leigh, who is looking for his friend, the singer John Simon Adams. But his friend has become a populist leader among the ironworkers, who are involved in a bitter industrial conflict.
The novel may be read as an allegorical treatment of the 1831 Merthyr Rising.
Gwyn Thomas (novelist)
Gwyn Thomas was a Welsh writer who has been called 'the true voice of the English-speaking valleys'.-Early life:...
, is a novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
of early industrialism in South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. It was first published in 1949, and was republished in 1986 with an introduction by Raymond Williams
Raymond Williams
Raymond Henry Williams was a Welsh academic, novelist and critic. He was an influential figure within the New Left and in wider culture. His writings on politics, culture, the mass media and literature are a significant contribution to the Marxist critique of culture and the arts...
Set in 1835, this work is significantly different from most of Gwyn Thomas's work. It is both an interesting personal story and an account of the origin of the industrialised and mostly English-speaking society of the South Wales Valleys
South Wales Valleys
The South Wales Valleys are a number of industrialised valleys in South Wales, stretching from eastern Carmarthenshire in the west to western Monmouthshire in the east and from the Heads of the Valleys in the north to the lower-lying, pastoral country of the Vale of Glamorgan and the coastal plain...
.
Plot summary
Set in the new town of Moonlea, a fictionalised version of Merthyr TydfilMerthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil is a town in Wales, with a population of about 30,000. Although once the largest town in Wales, it is now ranked as the 15th largest urban area in Wales. It also gives its name to a county borough, which has a population of around 55,000. It is located in the historic county of...
, it is told from the viewpoint of a travelling harpist, Alan Hugh Leigh, who is looking for his friend, the singer John Simon Adams. But his friend has become a populist leader among the ironworkers, who are involved in a bitter industrial conflict.
The novel may be read as an allegorical treatment of the 1831 Merthyr Rising.