The Oxford Book of Letters
| AUTHOR | Kermode, Frank; Kermode, Frank; Kermode, Anita et al. |
| PUBLISHER | OUP Oxford (10/30/2003) |
| PRODUCT TYPE | Paperback (Paperback) |
Description
Reading other people's letters, like reading private diaries, offers thrilling and unexpected glimpses into the lives of others, and it is partly this guilty pleasure we take in such literary eavesdropping that makes The Oxford Book of Letters so compelling. With subjects ranging from the mundane to the extraordinary, from the tragic to the hilarious, this volume spans over five centuries and chronicles the affairs of correspondents from Elizabeth I to Groucho Marx, from politicians to poets, from the famous to the unknown.
But whether the writers are educated or barely literate, whether their style is polished and witty or stumbling and artless, these letters display an immediacy and intimacy not shared by any other form of writing. In an age where communication is instant and ephemeral, this volume celebrates the glory of the written word, and what may well be a dying art form.
"This unusual and intriguing collection offers letters unlikely to be encountered elsewhere.... Leafing through these pages, it is easy to become caught up in the private lives laid open to our view."--The Wall Street Journal
But whether the writers are educated or barely literate, whether their style is polished and witty or stumbling and artless, these letters display an immediacy and intimacy not shared by any other form of writing. In an age where communication is instant and ephemeral, this volume celebrates the glory of the written word, and what may well be a dying art form.
"This unusual and intriguing collection offers letters unlikely to be encountered elsewhere.... Leafing through these pages, it is easy to become caught up in the private lives laid open to our view."--The Wall Street Journal
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Product Format
Product Details
ISBN-13:
9780192804907
ISBN-10:
0192804901
Binding:
Paperback or Softback (Trade Paperback (Us))
Content Language:
English
More Product Details
Page Count:
559
Carton Quantity:
24
Product Dimensions:
4.85 x 1.26 x 8.15 inches
Weight:
1.25 pound(s)
Feature Codes:
Bibliography,
Index,
Table of Contents
Country of Origin:
US
Subject Information
BISAC Categories
Literary Criticism | General
Dewey Decimal:
B
Library of Congress Control Number:
96016939
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc.
publisher marketing
Reading other people's letters, like reading private diaries, offers thrilling and unexpected glimpses into the lives of others, and it is partly this guilty pleasure we take in such literary eavesdropping that makes The Oxford Book of Letters so compelling. With subjects ranging from the mundane to the extraordinary, from the tragic to the hilarious, this volume spans over five centuries and chronicles the affairs of correspondents from Elizabeth I to Groucho Marx, from politicians to poets, from the famous to the unknown.
But whether the writers are educated or barely literate, whether their style is polished and witty or stumbling and artless, these letters display an immediacy and intimacy not shared by any other form of writing. In an age where communication is instant and ephemeral, this volume celebrates the glory of the written word, and what may well be a dying art form.
"This unusual and intriguing collection offers letters unlikely to be encountered elsewhere.... Leafing through these pages, it is easy to become caught up in the private lives laid open to our view."--The Wall Street Journal
But whether the writers are educated or barely literate, whether their style is polished and witty or stumbling and artless, these letters display an immediacy and intimacy not shared by any other form of writing. In an age where communication is instant and ephemeral, this volume celebrates the glory of the written word, and what may well be a dying art form.
"This unusual and intriguing collection offers letters unlikely to be encountered elsewhere.... Leafing through these pages, it is easy to become caught up in the private lives laid open to our view."--The Wall Street Journal
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Editor:
Kermode, Anita
An acclaimed critic, scholar, and author, Frank Kermode was formerly King Edward VII Professor of English Literature at Cambridge. He has written and edited many books, including Uses of Error (1991), History and Value (1989), The Oxford Anthology of English Literature (with John Hollander, 1973)
Shakespeare's Language (2001), and Pleasing Myself: From Beowolf to Philip Roth (2002). Anita Kermode has researched and taught English and American literature at Rutgers University, the University of Cambridge, and Columbia University.
Shakespeare's Language (2001), and Pleasing Myself: From Beowolf to Philip Roth (2002). Anita Kermode has researched and taught English and American literature at Rutgers University, the University of Cambridge, and Columbia University.
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