A Woman of Independent Means by Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey
This book is all 'letters'. When I gave a first glance to the book, I was quite doubtful about how much will the book be able to contain my interest. I thought it might be like a diary book ..like 'The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagan' by Ivan Morris or 'The Book of Disquiet' by Fernando Pessoa but just without the 'To' and 'From' Address.
Surely reading letters is faster than reading diary excerpts. Seeking complex books I just forgot how even simple act of writing everyday things and events in a letter can make a good reading. Since its letters, the focus is on whats being said and there's no need for the reader to see if the character has been written well or how's the style.
And again its not just a log of daily events, as Elizabeth comes up with these profound realisations which happen so sporadically in our lives and can be caught on paper only when they are written down as and when they happen ,like in these letters.
Its a nice book to compare the 'diary' form of writing and the 'letter' form of writing. Teachers have always encouraged the good habit of writng a diary. Now I feel letter writing should be equally encouraged.
March 2, 2006
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