We like to think private correspondence reveals all, but the truth is a lot more complicated
John Le Carré, pictured in 2008 at his home in London.Last modified on Sun 27 Mar 2022 10.22 BSThen a much-loved author dies, fans and publishers cling for a while to the hope that an undiscovered manuscript lurks in a drawer, promising a final echo of that familiar voice. So last week’s news that a collected volume of John le Carré’s letters will be published in November understandably sent a frisson through the literary world.
But can a letter ever offer a truly unvarnished portrait and would we really want one? A writer with a career as eminent as Le Carré’s will have known that his correspondence would be a valuable part of his legacy and the forthcoming collection has been edited by his son Tim Cornwell, so while there may be curiosities and surprises, it seems unlikely that we will encounter anything that might demand a re-evaluation of the life.
Most of my exchanges with fellow writers now take place on Twitter and that technology will no doubt become obsolete Perhaps another reason for the excitement about Le Carré’s letters is that he belongs to one of the last generations who will leave behind such a rich trove of correspondence in this form. Even in 1940, Woolf was lamenting the decline of letter-writing in the face of new modes of communication.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
‘They didn’t die from Covid, but because of Covid’: the inseparable couple torn apart by the pandemicKathleen and John Every died in distressing circumstances during the pandemic – one after a short stint in a locked-down nursing home, the other in a busy hospital
Read more »
Max Verstappen holds off Charles Leclerc to win thrilling Saudi Arabian GPThe world champion, Max Verstappen, overtook Charles Leclerc with three laps to go and held on to win the Saudi Arabian GP, the second race of the F1 season
Read more »
Sunday with Nick Offerman: ‘We’ll sit at the dining table and do a jigsaw’Pancakes, fires and hot tubs for actor Nick Offerman
Read more »
Deep Yellow digs in for Vimy Resources bidJohn Borshoff’s Deep Yellow’s finally made its move on fellow uranium play Vimy Resources.
Read more »
‘I’m one of the lucky ones’: Mental Health Australia chair’s 25% suicide reduction targetMental Health Australia chair Matt Berriman, a suicide-attempt survivor, is calling for a suicide reduction target to reduce deaths by 25 per cent by 2025.
Read more »