- Hardcover: 450 pages
- Publisher: Vhps Hardcover (Mar 15 1998)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0312181272
- ISBN-13: 978-0312181277
- Product Dimensions: 23.9 x 15.2 x 3.6 cm
- Shipping Weight: 771 g
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,612,924 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Amazon.com
Fans of Dorothy L. Sayers's fictional hero, Lord Peter Wimsey, who are hoping for his creator's insights into his character, the writing of mysteries, or the creation of literature in general will find little to satisfy their curiosity in this second volume of Sayers's letters from 1937 to 1943. In fact, there's virtually no mention of novels, or the writing of them, since Sayers had pretty much traded in Lord Peter for religious commentary and the theater by 1937. The Letters of Dorothy L. Sayers contains a great deal of correspondence concerning theology, Sayers's efforts in the theater, and even some letters to her illegitimate son, John Anthony.
From Kirkus Reviews
Lord Peter Wimsey's creator turns her attentionand correspondenceto the Lord Himself. In this second volume of letters, Sayers switches roles from beloved detective novelist to an increasingly well-regarded if sometimes beleaguered Christian playwright. It's a testament to her strength as a writer and thinker that Sayers confines her new role not [to] prophet, but only sort of painstaking explainer of official dogma. These letters include lively, substantive arguments with religious leaders, politicians, collaborators, and detractors. The war years were productive ones for Sayers, who wrote five plays for the stage and others for radio, lectured, wrote articles, and published two books, all concerning Christianity. Sayers commendably turns her pen's power to the war itself, seizing the opportunity to connect religion with reality. On September 10, 1939, one week after Great Britain went to war with Germany, Sayers wrote to a Christian newsletter editor that the Church ought to ``say something loud and definite'' about what's happening in the world. She's at her finest when she corrects distortions of her work and responds to sincere inquiries, which in turn inspire thoughtful explication. With humility, intelligence, clarity, and an occasional barb, she eschews ignorance. Her task is to imaginatively explain Christian doctrine, which, she reminds her correspondents, isn't her creation: ``I didn't think it was `my' theology exactly; I thought it was the Church's.'' The price of this isn't zealotry but monotony. With the exception of a scattered reference to her husband and some letters to her adolescent ``unacknowledged'' son, her letters focus almost exclusively on Christianity. Interestingly, the mystery surrounding her son gets solved, though not in her lettersReynolds appends to this volume particulars about Sayers's son, thus filling in a gap in his biography Dorothy L. Sayers: Her Life and Soul (1993). Followers of Wimsey's sleuthing may not enjoy following Sayers's prolix letters on Christianity. (8 pages b&w photos, not seen) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review)
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
From Wimsey to religion, Mar 28 2000
By Lynette Baines - Published on Amazon.com
Ce commentaire est de: The Letters of Dorothy L. Sayers: 1937-1943, From Novelist to Playwright (Hardcover)
Dorothy L Sayers was much more than a writer of detective novels. From the late 1930's until her death, she was also in great demand as a writer and speaker on religious issues. She wrote a series of radio plays on the life of Christ called "The man born to be king", and the sensation caused by these made her into an instant "expert" on religion in the eyes of the public and the media of the day. The letters dealing with the writing and production of the plays are fascinating. The uproar caused by an actor portraying Jesus was unbelievable (Christ hadn't been portrayed on stage since Oliver Cromwell's time), and Sayers was accused of blasphemy because she used everyday language instead of only the words of the Bible. There's very little about her detective novels in this volume of letters, but I still found them full of interesting insights into the life of a writer. Sayers' very distinctive voice comes through, and her letters to friends are lots of fun. Her joy at receiving a lemon as a present during the war (unobtainable due to rationing) is wonderful, as are her discussions with her husband on the best way to use this treasure. A fascinating collection of letters from one of my favourite writers.
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