Robert Service is unequaled in his ability to tell a story in poetry. He seems to effortlessly adhere to rhyme and meter without straining the language, and often injecting it with with laugh-out-loud humour. But in "The Harpy" he crosses gender to share the melancholy tale and experience of one of life's greatest tragedies--a young person robbed of hope and optimism chewing on the crumbs of despair, cynicism, and self-loathing. For Robert Service fans it is the more bracing because it is not mitigated by his usual tongue in cheek. Thank you for including this gem in your collection.