chesilbeach Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 I can only think of one book I've read (non-fiction anyway) of collected letters and it was The 3,000 Mile Garden by Leslie Land and Roger Phillips. Synopsis from amazon.co.uk:Roger Phillips first met American cookery writer Leslie Land at a mushrooming foray in upstate New York in the summer of 1989. They discovered shared passions for gardening, food and life. Over two years their friendship grew as they exchanged letters. Roger regales Leslie with stories from the three-acre oasis he gardens in Eccleston Square, Central London. Leslie describes her woodland garden and talks of the sharply defined climatic changes which govern it. Uniting the semi-wilderness of rural Maine with a garden in the heart of London, this record of a blossoming long-distance friendship contains a wealth of advice, tips and ideas for gardeners. I'd watched a television programme about it, and then decided to read the book which was absolutely lovely, and then we also went to visit the Eccleston Square garden on an Open Day as part of the National Garden Scheme where people raise money for charity by opening their garden to the public for one day (or more) each year. To give you an idea of what Eccleston Square was like, it's one of the communal gardens you get in the middle of a square of houses, like the one Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant sneak into in the film Notting Hill. I do also have In Tearing Haste on my wish list which is a collection of letters between Deborah, Duchess of Devonshire and Patrick Leigh Fermor, but I want to read some of Patrick's travel books before I read this one, as my OH has been telling me to read them for a long time now, as they are some of his favourite books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 Kenneth Williams' letters and diaries are well worth a read, although at times they do make very uncomfortable reading indeed. I always thought he was so funny, such a quick wit but after looking him up, I can see why his personal writing could make quite depressing reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 On TBR: - Doyle, Ursula (ed.): Love Letters by Great Men and Women - Plath, Sylvia: Letters Home On my wishlist: Letters by Ayn Rand Neal Cassady: Collected Letters The Andy Warhol Diaries by Andy Warhol, Pat Hackett The Letters of Sylvia Beach by Sylvia Beach Letters of Ted Hughes by Ted Hughes Kylie, give us your list and stop keeping us in suspense! Well, you probably already know that my list is similar to yours! I share the same as you, above, except that the Letters of Ted Hughes is already on my TBR pile. Ooh, I don't have Warhold's Diaries on my wishlist, but I've seen it around and want it. I better go and officially add it to my wish list. Thanks for reminding me. Also on my TBR pile: Che Guevara: The Motorcycle Diaries Oliver Harris: The Letters of William S Burroughs 1945-59 Charlotte Mosley: The Letters of Nancy Mitford and Evelyn Waugh George Orwell: Diaries On my wish list: Franz Kafka: The Diaries of Franz Kafka Jack Kerouac: Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg There are others as well, but I can't remember specific names (there's one collection of letters between the Mitford sisters that I'd love to read). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 Of those that I can remember .. Letters I've read .... Mitfords: Letters between Six Sisters - Edited by Charlotte Mosley Decca : The Letters of Jessica Mitford by Peter Y. Sussman In Tearing Haste : Letters Between Deborah Devonshire & Patrick Leigh Fermor - Edited by Charlotte Mosley Dear Mr Bigelow : A Transatlantic Friendship - Frances Woodsford Love Letters : Leonard Woolf & Trekkie Ritchie Parsons Speaking for Themselves : The Letters of Clementine & Winston Churchill My Dear Cassandra : Jane Austens Illustrated Letters The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien Letters from Father Christmas - J.R.R. Tolkien (does that count if they're make believe? ) The Mystery of the Spiteful Letters - Enid Blyton (it's getting silly now) Journals I've read Something Sensational to Read on the Train - Gyles Brandreth Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank Nella Last's War : The Second World War Diaries of Housewife 49 Bridget Jones's Diary Wishlist/Bookshelf A Life in Letters - George Orwell Down and Out in Paris & London - George Orwell The Diary of Samuel Pepys The Journals of Sylvia Plath Sylvia Plaths Letters Home Ever Dirk : The Bogarde Letters Selected Diaries : Virginia Woolf Selected Letters : Virginia Woolf Journal of the Plague Year - Daniel Defoe Love Letters of Great Men The Letters of Vincent Van Gogh Phillip Larkin : Letters to Monica The Letters of Nancy Mitford & Evelyn Waugh Love from Nancy : The Letters of Nancy Mitford Tommy's War : A First World War Diary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Butter Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 I always thought he was so funny, such a quick wit but after looking him up, I can see why his personal writing could make quite depressing reading. I grew up with Kenneth Williams, poppy (figuratively, that is, not literally!) and even now I can't name a better comic actor, but the books shed light on someone who was a very troubled soul, full of self-loathing and unable to come to terms with his own sexuality, capable of acts of wild generosity and of appalling cruelty towards others. I'd still recommend reading the dairies and/or the letters, though. For every dark moment there's a flash of genius that will have you laughing out loud. (And if you can imagine it being declaimed in that voice as you read, it'll be even better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Mitfords: Letters between Six Sisters - Edited by Charlotte Mosley Decca : The Letters of Jessica Mitford by Peter Y. Sussman My Dear Cassandra : Jane Austens Illustrated Letters Letters from Father Christmas - J.R.R. Tolkien (does that count if they're make believe? ) Ah yes, I forgot to include Diary of a Young Girl and Letters from Father Christmas in my 'read' category. I think Tolkien's letters definitely count. And what do you mean, they're 'make believe'? Oh dear. I see several from your lists that I need to add to mine. Thanks for the Mitford titles. I specifically want Mitfords: Letters between Six Sisters. Do you think Decca and My Dear Cassandra are worth a read? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easy Reader Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 (edited) A question for those of you who have copies of The Letters of Vincent Van Goghdo all editions have pictures with them or only a few of them. I have just looked it up on amazon and see that there is a nice looking set of books including pictures but then I saw that they are £427 so I wont be getting that set but now I know you can get copies with pictures then I definitely want one with them. Edited June 14, 2011 by Easy Reader Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Ah yes, I forgot to include Diary of a Young Girl and Letters from Father Christmas in my 'read' category. I think Tolkien's letters definitely count. And what do you mean, they're 'make believe'? oh ermmm .. ask your Dad Oh dear. I see several from your lists that I need to add to mine. Thanks for the Mitford titles. I specifically want Mitfords: Letters between Six Sisters. Do you think Decca and My Dear Cassandra are worth a read? Yes, but 'Letters Between Six Sisters' is the best of the three, and you would definitely need to read it first to get a handle on Decca (Decca was J.K. Rowlings heroine and the reason she called her daughter Jessica .. I've probably told you that before .) I loved Jane's letters to Cassandra, full of the sort of detail you'd expect but also full of surprises .. like how they would want to know, on the death of a loved one, what the corpse looked like The only thing is that Cassandra destroyed letters that she felt were too intimate or too revealing .. so you don't get to know much more than you do already. A question for those of you who have copies of The Letters of Vincent Van Goghdo all editions have pictures with them or only a few of them. I have just looked it up on amazon and see that there is a nice looking set of books including pictures but then I saw that they are £427 so I wont be getting that set but now I know you can get copies with pictures then I definitely want one with them. My copy is just a Penguin copy, with very few black and white pictures. I've seen the set you're talking about, and it looks gorgeous but it's far too much money. It looks as if there are other, less expensive, books that include the letters and colour plates .. hopefully someone can point you towards a good edition I forgot to add to my list a book I bought last week O beloved Kids : Rudyard Kiplings Letters to his Children Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aviv chadash Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 I am currently reading Bertrand Russell's autobiography and he includes lots of his letters. Needless to say, they are extremely interesting. I do however, prefer the main body of the biography, and feel a little disappointed when it comes to the letters. I suppose I feel like he's talking to me directly in the main body of the biography, whereas reading a letter addressed to someone else feels like your just 'listening in' on their conversation! Although they can be very insightful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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