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khushi__festus's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
brizreading's review against another edition
5.0
A survey of humanity in the Studs Terkel vein. So, it's Studsian in that you laugh, you cry, you're inspired, and you can't believe the lives people have had. Letters of Note is actually a website, one of those wonderful late-2000s novelty tumblrs that actually tumbled onto a GENIUS IDEA and turned that into a wonderful book (other lesser tumblrs of this genre are Awesome People Hanging Out Together, Everybody Reading Books, Nerd Boyfriend, Brokers With Hands On Their Faces, the women and salads one, the animals talking in all caps one, etc etc. JUST GOOGLE IT YOSELF JEEZ).
Anyway, Letters of Note was one of the more intellectual ones - and one of the ones with truly incredible content. This is all due, I imagine, to the blog owner/editor, Shaun Usher, who's granular passion for both the medium (he has a blog on letterheads as well) and history is the driving force. How does this man find these things?! Where does he dig them up?! They are mostly incredible. They are also often tending to an overrepresentation of 19th century stuff, and mid-20th century, but that is - like - a tiny sliver (maybe 10%) of a star. This is still a five-star experience.
My faves:
- Mary Stuart's letter the night before she was to be executed (a perfect Wolf Hall chaser!)
- Iggy Pop's hopeful letter to a despairing young fan
- A letter from one of the early producers of Monty Python's Life of Brian, freaking out about the script
- One of the Titanic's "Help, we're sinking" telegrams
- A letter from Gandhi to Hitler (!)
- A letter from Hitler's nephew, Patrick Hitler (!), trying to get into the US army
- Two replies from two separate former slaves who both get asked by their former owners to come back to the plantation, please (these replies are wonderfully scathing)
- A form apology letter to be sent when you're embarrassed about getting too drunk at last night's dinner party (from 1,000 years ago in China!)
I think my absolute favorite, maybe, was a rejection letter Gertrude Stein received from a London publisher. It's very, very funny.
All of these, I imagine, you can just google or find on the website. Several of them had gone viral a few years ago; and so I knew them already. But it's still worth getting the book, both as a beautiful artifact and convenience (we can't leave everything to those google servers, ey!), and to support Usher's wonderful labors. Argh, see, now I'm talking like him! LABORS?!
Anyway, Letters of Note was one of the more intellectual ones - and one of the ones with truly incredible content. This is all due, I imagine, to the blog owner/editor, Shaun Usher, who's granular passion for both the medium (he has a blog on letterheads as well) and history is the driving force. How does this man find these things?! Where does he dig them up?! They are mostly incredible. They are also often tending to an overrepresentation of 19th century stuff, and mid-20th century, but that is - like - a tiny sliver (maybe 10%) of a star. This is still a five-star experience.
My faves:
- Mary Stuart's letter the night before she was to be executed (a perfect Wolf Hall chaser!)
- Iggy Pop's hopeful letter to a despairing young fan
- A letter from one of the early producers of Monty Python's Life of Brian, freaking out about the script
- One of the Titanic's "Help, we're sinking" telegrams
- A letter from Gandhi to Hitler (!)
- A letter from Hitler's nephew, Patrick Hitler (!), trying to get into the US army
- Two replies from two separate former slaves who both get asked by their former owners to come back to the plantation, please (these replies are wonderfully scathing)
- A form apology letter to be sent when you're embarrassed about getting too drunk at last night's dinner party (from 1,000 years ago in China!)
I think my absolute favorite, maybe, was a rejection letter Gertrude Stein received from a London publisher. It's very, very funny.
All of these, I imagine, you can just google or find on the website. Several of them had gone viral a few years ago; and so I knew them already. But it's still worth getting the book, both as a beautiful artifact and convenience (we can't leave everything to those google servers, ey!), and to support Usher's wonderful labors. Argh, see, now I'm talking like him! LABORS?!
carlyalynnsia's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
5.0
megs_readstoomuch's review against another edition
5.0
I loved every page. Some of the letters were particularly touching in their content. I miss writing letters.
mayralimeirajm's review against another edition
5.0
This one is truly amazing.
Such a beautiful collection of inspiring letters.
Will reread this many times, I think.
Wish I had the physical copy, I would treasure it forever.
Just lengthening my already humongous wishlist, I guess.
Update April 2017:
Did in fact get a physical copy and reread it! Still great.
Such a beautiful collection of inspiring letters.
Will reread this many times, I think.
Wish I had the physical copy, I would treasure it forever.
Just lengthening my already humongous wishlist, I guess.
Update April 2017:
Did in fact get a physical copy and reread it! Still great.
eely225's review against another edition
4.0
A well-curated collection of letters across a broad range. At its best, the book humanizes history, making the towering (and the anonymous) figures of the past seem a bit less foreign. It is best read slowly instead of all at once. So many works here are distinct and meaningful, but too many at a time will make them blend together.
calliopemusesbooks03's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
5.0
readerbythewater's review against another edition
4.0
Don't read my review. Don't waste your time.
Seriously. Just stop, go to Amazon or your favorite indy bookstore and buy this. In hardcover. Read it yourself, lovingly tagging your favorite letters (there will be many, for every emotion available to you). Then, place the book in your guest room. Or send to a loved one. Or both. But you must read this, then share it. You must.
Is your heart broken? Read Rebecca West's letter to H.G. Wells. "You once found my willingness to love you a beautiful and courageous thing."
Feeling lost? Read E.B. White to Mr. Nadeau. "Hang onto your hat. Hang onto your hope. And wind the clock, for tomorrow is another day." Or Hunter S. Thompson to Hume Logan. "And indeed, that is the questions: whether to float with the tide, or to swim for a goal."
Feeling snarky? Read Sol LeWitt to Eva Hesse. (too long to quote, but epic. Letter #33) Or my personal favorite, "I have not shot her yet" Dorothy Parker to Seward Collins (Letter #118)
This. This is a work of art. As as Oscar Wilde said to Bernulf Clegg (Letter #123), "A work of art is useless as a flower is useless. A flower blossoms for its own joy."
Why are you still here? Go buy the book.
Seriously. Just stop, go to Amazon or your favorite indy bookstore and buy this. In hardcover. Read it yourself, lovingly tagging your favorite letters (there will be many, for every emotion available to you). Then, place the book in your guest room. Or send to a loved one. Or both. But you must read this, then share it. You must.
Is your heart broken? Read Rebecca West's letter to H.G. Wells. "You once found my willingness to love you a beautiful and courageous thing."
Feeling lost? Read E.B. White to Mr. Nadeau. "Hang onto your hat. Hang onto your hope. And wind the clock, for tomorrow is another day." Or Hunter S. Thompson to Hume Logan. "And indeed, that is the questions: whether to float with the tide, or to swim for a goal."
Feeling snarky? Read Sol LeWitt to Eva Hesse. (too long to quote, but epic. Letter #33) Or my personal favorite, "I have not shot her yet" Dorothy Parker to Seward Collins (Letter #118)
This. This is a work of art. As as Oscar Wilde said to Bernulf Clegg (Letter #123), "A work of art is useless as a flower is useless. A flower blossoms for its own joy."
Why are you still here? Go buy the book.
debesyla's review against another edition
3.0
Perskaičiau! ...Užtruko ilgiau, nei gali atrodyti iš knygos, kur didžiąją dalį lapų sudaro nuotraukos arba balta, tuščia vieta :D
GERAI: Autorius atrinko labai įdomių laiškų!
BLOGAI: Kai kuriuos laiškus skaityti buvo taaaaaaaaaiiip sunku... Na, ir taip pat - pasitaiko vertimo klaidų ar šiaip keistų išsireiškimų.
Šiaip kūrinys tai fantastiškas. Spaudinimas irgi super. Rekomenduoju pirkti.
Tik man skaityti pusėtinai suėjo. Gal tiesiog ne tas stilius :))
GERAI: Autorius atrinko labai įdomių laiškų!
BLOGAI: Kai kuriuos laiškus skaityti buvo taaaaaaaaaiiip sunku... Na, ir taip pat - pasitaiko vertimo klaidų ar šiaip keistų išsireiškimų.
Šiaip kūrinys tai fantastiškas. Spaudinimas irgi super. Rekomenduoju pirkti.
Tik man skaityti pusėtinai suėjo. Gal tiesiog ne tas stilius :))