Letter From Lost Generation [Paperback]

Linda P. Miller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1993

(From Publishers Weekly)The letters collected here, written from 1920 to the mid-'60s, suggest that the Murphys were much more than rich Americans abroad who hosted famous fellow expatriates in France during the '20s and '30s. The couple and their three children, in fact, provided essential support for writer friends who left indelible marks on modern literature, F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Archibald MacLeish, John Dos Passos, Ernest Hemingway and Dorothy Parker among them. The literati's letters reveal hitherto unknown sides--witty and sometimes acrimonious, they are always full of love and admiration when addressed to Gerald and Sara. Great depths of feeling are conveyed in messages about the deaths of the Murphys' two young sons, which foreshadowed other heartbreaks endured by the group: Zelda's psychosis, Scott's demise, Hemingway's suicide. A welcome reminder of those promising decades, the collection is an invaluable source of literary history. Miller teaches English at Pennsylvania State University. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The letters collected here, written from 1920 to the mid-'60s, suggest that the Murphys were much more than rich Americans abroad who hosted famous fellow expatriates in France during the '20s and '30s. The couple and their three children, in fact, provided essential support for writer friends who left indelible marks on modern literature, F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Archibald MacLeish, John Dos Passos, Ernest Hemingway and Dorothy Parker among them. The literati's letters reveal hitherto unknown sides--witty and sometimes acrimonious, they are always full of love and admiration when addressed to Gerald and Sara. Great depths of feeling are conveyed in messages about the deaths of the Murphys' two young sons, which foreshadowed other heartbreaks endured by the group: Zelda's psychosis, Scott's demise, Hemingway's suicide. A welcome reminder of those promising decades, the collection is an invaluable source of literary history. Miller teaches English at Pennsylvania State University. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

In this collection of the correspondence between Sara and Gerald Murphy, spanning the years 1925 to 1964 shortly after Gerald's death, the names of "lost generation" luminaries fairly leap off the pages: Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Dos Passos, Archibald MacLeish, Alexander Woolcott, Robert Benchley. Other letters include intriguing glimpses into other famous figures of the period (e.g., King Vidor). The letters are by turns humorous, sad (as on the deaths of their two young sons), and argumentative but are usually entertaining and illuminating. Recommended for academic libraries with courses supporting an interest in the art, literature, and culture of the period.
- Lynn Randall, Caldwell Coll. Lib., N.J.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 16 pages
• Publisher: Rutgers University Press (October 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813519667
• ISBN-13: 978-0813519661
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,100,227 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)