Selected English Letters (XV-XIX Centuries)
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Overview
A private letter can preserve a voice more vividly than any formal record. Arranged chronologically from the fifteenth to the nineteenth century, this anthology brings together the correspondence of English writers and public figures, tracing how personal expression changed across four hundred years. Early formality and simplicity gradually give way to Augustan polish, then to writing distinguished by increasing individuality and sincerity. Behind that evolution lies a many-sided portrait of public and private life. Family ties, romance, friendship, illness and grief appear beside religion, education and domestic concerns, while literary composition, criticism and publication share space with politics, public service and national affairs. Written from homes, courts, rural communities and places encountered in travel, the letters reveal communication shaped by circumstance: sometimes humorous or sociable, sometimes serious, philosophical, religious or intimate. Each selection has been chosen to present, within a limited compass, a representative impression of its writer. Across the centuries, changing conventions never obscure the human presence within the correspondence. The collection shows letter writing as both an everyday practice and a flexible form of expression, capable of carrying private feeling, intellectual exchange and engagement with wider events. Its chronological design makes shifts in English epistolary writing visible without reducing the individual contributors to a single style or mood, creating a historical letters collection rich in contrast and distinctive voices. This book was out of print for decades and is now republished by Alpha Editions. It has been restored for today's and future generations. This edition is not just a reprint - it's a collector's item and a cultural treasure.
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Details
- ISBN-13: 9789309333781
- ISBN-10: 9309333782
- Publisher: Alpha Edition
- Publish Date: January 2027
- Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.64 inches
- Shipping Weight: 0.84 pounds
- Page Count: 282
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