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Instead Of A Letter. Diana Athill (1962)

by Diana Athill(Favorite Author)

3.79 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

1847084281 (ISBN13: 9781847084286)

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

Granta Books (UK)

review 1: One of the things I shared with my father was a love of horses and from my early teens our big day out was Royal Randwick Racecourse on Boxing Day. Dressed to the nine’s in my new dress, hat, gloves, stockings and shoes, (often Christmas gifts from my godmother) off we went to the Members stand. On the arm of my handsome Father, he resplendent in suit and hat, I practiced being a sophisticated “woman of the world”, using my beautiful and gracious Mother as my guide. My highly respected, scientific, betting system “I like chestnut horses, pink silks etc” was used for Dad to place a bet for me, one shilling each way. Surprisingly, I often went home with money in my pocket.For a time in my 20’s I worked for a thoroughbred horse breeder and consequently spent n... moreumerous Wednesdays and Saturdays at the races. I still used my finely honed childhood betting system and usually won, although the bookies would no longer accept a shilling each way bet! So what has this to do with my review I hear you ask?Only this - the main reason I read Instead of a Letter was the face of the author on the cover and my system still works, even for books, what a winner! Diana Athill has a totally no-nonsense countenance! Diana Athill OBE (born December 21, 1917) is a British literary editor, novelist and memoirist who worked with some of the most important writers of the 20th century. She was born in the English county of Norfolk and graduated from Oxford. Diana worked for the BBC throughout the Second World War. After the war she helped Andre Deutsch establish his publishing company and worked closely with many of his authors, including Philip Roth, Norman Mailer and Simone de Beauvoir.Diana wrote many memoires about various parts of her life; Instead of a Letter tells the story of her first love, of losing that love and the consequences of loss. But it is never a sad story, because Diana’s innate intelligence doesn’t allow for self pity. She doesn’t shy away from the hard facts, or from judging herself as others might. As you expect from a literary editor, the writing is superb. Here is a little sample:“Now that I …… have my first grey hairs, a neck less smooth and a waist considerably less slim – can observe in my own body the clear indications of time passing and know that they are there for good, not as a sign of any physical condition that could be cured – I have, perversely, stopped feeling old. The process of aging is undeniable, but it no longer touches an exposed nerve. Being happy has made it unimportant.” (Chapter 16 Instead of a Letter).I so enjoyed Instead of a Letter, on my “To Read” list, which gets longer by the day, is Stet, a memoire of Diana’s time as an editor.
review 2: Diana Athill has a wonderful ability for description. So many times when I was reading this book I just thought- YES! That is exactly how I feel! She spends 2 or 3 pages describing her family's sense of superiority over other classes and cultures, and it is just amazing. "Yet they despised almost all the rest of the world, excepting people nearly as possible replicas of themselves, as though their status as English country gentlefolk made them exceptional beings...." The story of her lover, Paul, is somewhat central to the book and her life story, but I was more interested in her life after that. Being unhappy for years and then finding happiness, and being a single woman in her 30s and 40s. I look forward to reading "Somewhere Near the End" next. less

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