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Love Letters of Great Men
by
Ursula Doyle
Remember the wonderfully romantic book of love letters that Carrie reads aloud to Big in the recent blockbuster film, Sex and the City? Fans raced to buy copies of their own,only to find out that the beautiful book didn't actually exist. However,since all of the letters referencedin the film did exist, we decided to publish this gorgeouskeepsake ourselves.
Love Letters of G...more
Love Letters of G...more
Hardcover, 160 pages
Published
November 25th 2008
by St. Martin's Press
(first published 2008)
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This was a book club pick. (I wasn't at the meeting where they picked it.) I decided to listen to the audiobook and was disappointed to find that all the letters were read by the same narrator. That made them run together for me and now I have difficulty remembering which I liked and which I thought were crap. As other reviewers have said, the editors' choice of men certainly leaves you wondering how she defines the word "great." A more honest title would have been "Love Letters of Famous and Se...more
There were a few (very few) good and romantic love letters in this book. Sadly quite a number of the letters were as dull as toast. That could just be a matter of taste, but what was really annoying was that some of these letters weren't love letters at all. Letters that looked to me to have been added simply because the writer is known as a 'great man'.
If not all the love letters were great, the introductions to the author of a letter was... well crap. Those bit, which would precede each lette...more
If not all the love letters were great, the introductions to the author of a letter was... well crap. Those bit, which would precede each lette...more
This is the book that Carie read from in the movie, Sex and the City, while in bed with Big... and in real life the book didn't exist until moviegoers and fans stormed bookstores looking for it.
A collection of love letters from "great" men, this book is exactly what it says it is. Editor Ursula Doyle writes in the introduction, "It could be argued that the flowery declarations were more for show (and, in some cases, posterity) than the genuine expression of genuine feeling - that they grew from...more
A collection of love letters from "great" men, this book is exactly what it says it is. Editor Ursula Doyle writes in the introduction, "It could be argued that the flowery declarations were more for show (and, in some cases, posterity) than the genuine expression of genuine feeling - that they grew from...more
The title of this should read " Love Letters of Well Known Men" because frankly some of these men weren't "great" catches.
Henry VIII wrote a very sweet letter to Ann Boleyn and it is included in this collection. It's such a nice letter with such tender friendship, it's hard to believe that he beheaded her a couple years later.
My favorite letters were from Napoleon to his wife Josephine Bonaparte. He whines and chastises her for not returning his affection by never writing him. He even states h...more
Henry VIII wrote a very sweet letter to Ann Boleyn and it is included in this collection. It's such a nice letter with such tender friendship, it's hard to believe that he beheaded her a couple years later.
My favorite letters were from Napoleon to his wife Josephine Bonaparte. He whines and chastises her for not returning his affection by never writing him. He even states h...more
Lame…….I was attracted by the title. I found many of these letters juvenile and even comical. Most of them were written to mistresses.
One of my favorites was a letter from Robert Burns to Mrs. Agnes Maclehose. They used the pennames of ‘Sylvander’ and ‘Clarinda’ to protect their identities during their “passionate correspondence.” Burns “rather impressively managed to impregnate Mrs. Maclehose’s maidservant Jenny Clow at the same time as carrying on the heated correspondence with her mistress....more
One of my favorites was a letter from Robert Burns to Mrs. Agnes Maclehose. They used the pennames of ‘Sylvander’ and ‘Clarinda’ to protect their identities during their “passionate correspondence.” Burns “rather impressively managed to impregnate Mrs. Maclehose’s maidservant Jenny Clow at the same time as carrying on the heated correspondence with her mistress....more
What I've learnt from this collection of love letters is that the greatness of the man is not commensurate with his ability to write a satisfyingly knee-buckling, heart-melting, butterfly-in-the-stomach-producing billet-doux. Some, like the one Oscar Wilde wrote to his lover, and the one Robert Browning wrote his wife Elizabeth Barrett Browning, were good and sweet, but there were quite a number of unremarkable letters in this collection that could have been omitted.
Another thing I've learnt is...more
Another thing I've learnt is...more
Upon reading these beautifully constructed letters, I couldn't help but to think that they were in fact letters, private letters, never intended for the public eye. That is undoubtedly what make them so utterly captivating, as you get to see a different and unexpected side of the great and famous men. Who would have thought Napoleon could be so comically desperate and helpless in his pursuit of his Josephine, and who would ever think that Henry VII could be so fond of Anne Boleyn when he eventua...more
This was a simple one.
Great men indeed, but the little question that I have behind my head is this-
How did these men understand that they were really in love?
Do we even know that we are in love? Isn't it just a prejudiced thought that you have slipping within your mind, and once that thought and trust are broken, then don't we gradually fall out of love?
Love isn't really defined. Just like life isn't planned, I don't think it is something quite organized.
Ever heard the quote "Life is what happen...more
Great men indeed, but the little question that I have behind my head is this-
How did these men understand that they were really in love?
Do we even know that we are in love? Isn't it just a prejudiced thought that you have slipping within your mind, and once that thought and trust are broken, then don't we gradually fall out of love?
Love isn't really defined. Just like life isn't planned, I don't think it is something quite organized.
Ever heard the quote "Life is what happen...more
A lovely little book. A great Christmas present from my beloved (whose letters deserve to be in here)!
Didn't really like Napoleon's letters though and Beethoven's letters weren't the best (except for 'Ever Thine...' etc.) - my favourites in the collection were from Darwin, Robert Browning ('I live in being yours' and 'my life has been so crowned by you'), Mark Twain and Oscar Wilde ('my heart is a rose which your love has brought to bloom').
The letters from The Great War at the end weren't reall...more
Didn't really like Napoleon's letters though and Beethoven's letters weren't the best (except for 'Ever Thine...' etc.) - my favourites in the collection were from Darwin, Robert Browning ('I live in being yours' and 'my life has been so crowned by you'), Mark Twain and Oscar Wilde ('my heart is a rose which your love has brought to bloom').
The letters from The Great War at the end weren't reall...more
This was a very touching and romantic book and if you happen to be in the mood for a little love then this is the book for you. This collection of love letters is beautiful, and one specifically was so romantic and touching that it gave me a lump in my throat,Oscar Wilde's letters.. Hugely romantic and sad ,but what a love letter !!!! This book is def a muct read for all the romantics out there..
This book reminds me of my John Keats: So Bright and Delicate book, containing his love letters and poems for Fanny. I fell in deep, obsessive, love with that book and was hoping to get the same feeling with this one.
I have to say, it was a fun read. Some letters touched me, bad. Especially the letters from the Great War. Some letters made me smile because it was just so sweet and adorable, like Pierre Curie's and Napoleon Bonaparte.
However, I have to be honest here, I was sad as I realized the...more
I have to say, it was a fun read. Some letters touched me, bad. Especially the letters from the Great War. Some letters made me smile because it was just so sweet and adorable, like Pierre Curie's and Napoleon Bonaparte.
However, I have to be honest here, I was sad as I realized the...more
Man, oh Man! They don't write letters like that any more! It was very touching to read the personal love letters of famous men throughout history. Seeing these intimate sides gave me a more, well-rounded view of their characters. It was weird to see them as just normal people with the same feelings of mortals, I guess. Bonaparte could terrorize Europe but at the same time was begging his wife to show him some affection. He wrote: I do not love thee any more; on the contrary, I detest thee. Thou...more
This book was utterly amazing, though rough in a few spots. I knew somethings about most of the men who were featured, but I did learn some more. Take Oscar Wilde, for example. I had no idea that he had an affair with a man. Honestly, Wilde's letter to his lover was one of the more romantic in this book. In reading some of the letters, I felt ashamed. Some of these letters were never even sent to the intended person, yet here we are, able to read some of their most personal thoughts. This book t...more
I found this mostly quite boring, though my reasons for reading it were hardly inspired (seasonal, under 150 pages, had been lying around unread for years). There is a companion volume Love Letters from Great Women which, if I had to read one of these collections, I would have preferred.
The most interesting and affecting letters in the book were actually the four from nearly-unknown soldiers - from ordinary people. (And a very sweet one from a Daniel Webster - possibly better-known in the US - t...more
The most interesting and affecting letters in the book were actually the four from nearly-unknown soldiers - from ordinary people. (And a very sweet one from a Daniel Webster - possibly better-known in the US - t...more
The book's basically a collection of love letters written by some historic figures to their spouses, mistresses, or girls they fell in love with. Some letters were wonderfully written and showed sincere love and devotion, and you'd enjoy them very much if you knew the men who wrote them. And on the other side, some letters were just dull. Even though the language is just as profound as it can be. However, all letters share sincerity and true love and feelings, which is what I enjoyed the most.
P....more
P....more
Ursula Doyle takes a cheesy concept of over-indulged love and turns it into a book that both males and females alike will be able to relate to. Doyle has letters from famous men such as Mark Twain, King Henry VIII, and Winston Churchill. They profess their love for the women who inspired them to become the men they became. Doyle's format was the letter itself of course and a description of the time and person these men sent their letters to. Doyle could be seen as an author that every lovesick g...more
I'm not quite sure what I had expected from this book when I picked it up on a whim. That's why, I think, I'm not really sure what I think of it. There were some of the letters that were immensely sweet and loving, and some that were hardly love letters at all. There were some letters that were truly written by great men and some that were just written by men. Funnily enough my favourite was actually one of the letters that wasn't a love letter; the letter written by Daniel Webster to Josephine...more
Not all the great men in this collection wrote great love letters, although undoubtedly, some of the passion must have been lost in translation and/or lack of context. My favourite has got to be Daniel Webster's simple yet affectionate letter to a young woman who had left her bonnet at his house: "I gave it my parting good wishes; hoping that it might never cover an aching head, and that the eyes which it protects from the rays of the sun, may know no tears but those of joy and affection."
Cynica...more
Cynica...more
Jul 19, 2011
Mary Broadbent
marked it as to-read
I found this book while shopping in B&N one day. Although I was happy to see it's existence, it claims that it was put together on behalf of the idea that the book 'Love Letters of Great Men. Vol. 1' was not a real book. Therefore, this book was created. This is not true. 'Love Letters of Great Men. Vol 1' does exist, it's just not a book you will find in book stores, but possibly one you would have to order online. If you are looking for the authentic book, go online to buy it, if you don't...more
It felt like they tried too hard to find "love letters" from Great Men and settled for "writing home letters" from Great Men. There were a few that were moving, but for the most part they were uneventful, sort of like reading an 8th grader's notes to their girlfriend. Not so romantic. Also was kind of turned off that they only published this AFTER the Sex and The City Movie. That added to the feeling that they just threw in whatever letters they could find to meet the recent demand that was spur...more
the title is a little tricky, you expect romance and love and fairy-tale kinda stories and then you find most of the letters were addressed to married women, mistresses and one of too many love affairs! that disappointed me because at this point you don't really feel the words or the romance about the letters.
i loved the ones addressed to the wives though so much, it gives me hope that love can outlive marriage! that no matter what hardships they have seen he still have the time to write to his...more
i loved the ones addressed to the wives though so much, it gives me hope that love can outlive marriage! that no matter what hardships they have seen he still have the time to write to his...more
“I would never see anything but Pleasure in your eyes, love on your lips, and Happiness in your steps.” — John Keats in Love Letters of Great Men
There’s not really much to say about this book beyond quoting it. When I bought it, it was because I’d been curious, and for £2.99 was willing to satisfy my curiosity. I thought it might be a bit silly, or too saccharine. While I am inherently romantic I’m also quite a big cynic, and I’ve never really been able to correspond the two.
The book is beautif...more
There’s not really much to say about this book beyond quoting it. When I bought it, it was because I’d been curious, and for £2.99 was willing to satisfy my curiosity. I thought it might be a bit silly, or too saccharine. While I am inherently romantic I’m also quite a big cynic, and I’ve never really been able to correspond the two.
The book is beautif...more
Jan 14, 2010
Ellen
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
'Hopeless Romantics'
Shelves:
2010-reads
I think I liked the idea of this book more than the actual book itself. That being said I did love some of the letters, especially the ones from Napoleon Bonaparte, Lord Byron, John Keats, Honore de Balzac, Mark Twain and the letters from the great war.
At least half of these letters show the great men to be unhappy and insecure in love, so much so that the letters seem to exude an anxious and unstable atmosphere. Some of the declarations of love came across as obsessions rather than the passion...more
At least half of these letters show the great men to be unhappy and insecure in love, so much so that the letters seem to exude an anxious and unstable atmosphere. Some of the declarations of love came across as obsessions rather than the passion...more
"Ever thine, ever mine, ever ours." When carrie read those words to Mr. Big on Sex and the City, I got goosebumps. I googled it one day and found out it was from a letter written by Napoleon to his secret love. After doing more research I learned that this beautiful letter and several others were collected and made into a book. Then one day at borders with my best friend, I saw it on the shelf. And the more I read, the more I wished that I could get a love letter like that someday......If you're...more
I finally read a book that wasn't a book until it was written as a spin-off from some scenes in "Sex and the City" (which I've never watched).
I agree with reviewers who noted that many of the men included aren't real great.
That said, there were moments of intensity and honesty conveyed in some letters -those of Mark Twain, Pierre Curie, Oscar Wilde, and three soldiers who wrote from WW1 battlefields in particular.
I agree with reviewers who noted that many of the men included aren't real great.
That said, there were moments of intensity and honesty conveyed in some letters -those of Mark Twain, Pierre Curie, Oscar Wilde, and three soldiers who wrote from WW1 battlefields in particular.
An interesting book. The first entry is a letter of Pliny the Younger to his wife, which I had actually read in Latin with my Latin 3 class the day before I first picked this book up and looked at it. Anyway, some of these are truly eloquent, others simply of great historical interest. I am flattered that my own love letters are somewhat better than those of some of these "great men."
Interesting insight into the private worlds of those Great Men, however lacking bit more background information on the individual letters. I was expecting only letters with no introduction and no concluison. But author decided to include a little notes on the writer and sometimes receiver of the letter, therefore I think she should have dug bit deeper into the layers of history.
A little read. Everyone likes getting letters and love letters are even better! It's neat to read how some great men like Beethoven, Oscar Wilde, Darwin and others expressed their love to their beloved. My favorite was maybe Pierre Curie to who would become Marie Curie.
"ever thine, ever mine, ever ours" Beethoven
"ever thine, ever mine, ever ours" Beethoven
There just wasn't anything oustanding in this. I felt like someone took a bunch of love letters that were sweet, and ok but nothing errotic and slapped them in a book to sell. They are letters from great men, but it doesn't really say much about the men's love affairs that I would care about.
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Jun 06, 2012 02:38am