To the Letter
A Curious History of Correspondence
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Canongate Books
Published:3rd Jul '14
Should be back in stock very soon
The paperback outing of this engaging and enlightening history of letter-writing and our relationship with the mail, from the bestselling author of Just My Type and On the Map
Every letter contains a miniature story, and here are some of the greatest. From Oscar Wilde's unconventional method of using the mail to cycling enthusiast Reginald Bray's quest to post himself, Simon Garfield uncovers a host of stories that capture the enchantment of this irreplaceable art (with a supporting cast including Pliny the Younger, Ted Hughes, Virginia Woolf, Napoleon Bonaparte, Lewis Carroll, Jane Austen, David Foster Wallace and the Little Red-Haired Girl). There is also a brief history of the letter-writing guide, with instructions on when and when not to send fish as a wedding gift. And as these accounts unfold, so does the tale of a compelling wartime correspondence that shows how the simplest of letters can change the course of a life.
Garfield being Garfield, there's a rich cull of curiosities . . . A shining success -- John Carey * * The Sunday Times * *
Wonderful . . . One of the things which makes this book so attractive is Garfield's enjoyment of his subject. He writes with a winning informality and freshness -- Diana Athill * * Literary Review * *
A wonderfully elegant history * * Observer * *
A brilliant account of a lost art . . . funny letters, sad letters, pompous letters, famous letters, farewell letters, saucy letters, letters from soldiers and letters from swindlers: they are all here -- Craig Brown * * Mail on Sunday * *
A hymn of praise to twenty centuries of letter-writing. It spurs a desire to reach once more for the pad and envelope...Garfield's knowledge is wide and his enthusiasm matchless -- Libby Purves * * The Times * *
Excellent, amusing and moving * * Financial Times * *
Superb * * Independent on Sunday * *
Garfield is an elegant and perceptive writer . . . his judgment is immaculate * * Daily Mail * *
To the Letter thrills and engages most when it cuts to the core of human relationships, showing personalities pinned to the page in all their painful imperfections * * Observer * *
Delightful * * Daily Mail * *
ISBN: 9780857868619
Dimensions: 198mm x 129mm x 28mm
Weight: 308g
464 pages
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