Letters

Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring

Letters are one of the oldest and most versatile forms of writing. Unlike other genres of writing, they consistently resist categorisation. A letter can be as short as a sentence or as long as a novel. It is both private and public, silly and serious.

Drawing on a range of examples from classical times to the present, from Cicero to Virginia Woolf and Greta Gerwig, this Very Short Introduction considers why human beings are drawn to exchanging feelings and ideas via letters and why we continue to be fascinated by them today. Individual chapters address authors that employ letters to talk to absent friends and authors that use letters to think aloud. Jonathan Ellis considers the importance of letter writing manuals, the essay as a type of epistolary writing, and the significance of various sub-genres, including the advice letter and the love letter. The book ends with a previously unpublished email on the continuing importance of letters by graphic novelist Alison Bechdel.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.