Selected Letters of William Styron

October 22, 2012
In an extraordinary editorial feat, Styron’s widow, Rose (From Summer to Summer), a poet, translator, and activist, and University of South Carolina historian Gilpin (John Brown Still Lives!) have collected, transcribed, and annotated this fascinating trove of letters charting Styron’s development as a man and as a novelist. From Duke University through a WWII VD ward to the success of his first novel, Lie Down in Darkness, and beyond, Styron emerges as a witty, tender, and intelligent correspondent. It is especially revelatory to hear the earnest voice of the young Styron in letters to his supportive father, as he wrestles with doubt and exaltation. Devotees of American literature will be especially gratified to find missives to a pantheon of 20th-century American greats, including Norman Mailer, Henry Miller, George Plimpton, Dorothy Parker, Robert Penn Warren, and Philip Roth. The letters to Mailer—with whom Styron was close until they had a bitter falling out—and Warren are particularly engaging, with insightful discussions of American literature. Meanwhile, there are beautiful and moving letters to Rose and to his daughter, Susanna. While scholars will discover much material of interest, budding writers will also find inspiration as they follow Styron in his journey from obscurity to bestselling and prize-winning author.

November 1, 2012
A good portion of William Styron's personal and business correspondence brought together in one volume. Starting with letters written to his father while at college, this book also includes writings to early girlfriends, an influential professor, Army buddies, other notable authors, fans, agents and others. The author wrote about a wide variety of subjects, including literature, politics, illness and sex. Styron's distaste for critics (particularly those who didn't appreciate his work) was a frequent subject, as were his struggles with writing and self-doubt. With so much ground covered, it is impossible not to learn some fascinating new tidbit about Styron's life. Unfortunately, editors Styron and Gilpin (John Brown Still Lives!: America's Long Reckoning with Violence, Equality, and Change, 2011, etc.) do not include a single letter written to Styron, which leaves many stories half-told. While some of the one-sided correspondence is explained via the frequent footnotes, most of it is not. Gilpin notes in his introduction that footnoted material was kept to a minimum and only included when necessary. However, many footnotes seem inconsequential at best. For instance, Gilpin explains certain facts that seem obvious, such as Shirley Temple's status as a famous child actress. Such notes can be abrasive in a 650-page book, often proving distracting rather than edifying. The William Styron timeline at the beginning, however, is helpful. A great read for Styron devotees, but fans of correspondence will miss the conversational quality of most letter collections.

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July 1, 2012

Edited by Rose Styron, a commendable poet and Styron's wife, with C. Vann Woodward Prize winner R. Blakeslee Gilpin, this selection of letters covers from Styron's ninth year until his death and includes never-before-seen correspondence with the likes of Norman Mailer, Jackie Kennedy, Carlos Fuentes, and Philip Roth. Not a huge printing, but literati will value; it's humbling that this "selected" volume is nearly 700 pages long.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2012
Though Styron was the best novelist of his generation, most of his letters are surprisingly dull. They lack intellectual content and have an arch tone and uninspired style: Paris is a ball and the kids are eating it up; Felix Frankfurter was off his rocker. Let me tell you, the sixties really suck. Styron's first novel, Lie Down in Darkness (1951), brought sudden fame but increased the author's anxiety and insecurity. He loathed critics but was obsessed by them, flattered his friends, and was mean-spirited toward almost everyone else. He called Allen Tate, W. H. Auden, Robert Lowell, James Farrell, and Stephen Spender all terrible bores. Arthur Miller was frantically opportunistic; Lionel Trilling cliquish and myopic; Bellow's Augie March was also boring. But Styron was very social, knew everybody who mattered, made a lot of money, and lived well. The best letters concern his quarrel with Norman Mailer, the glamorous dinner at the Kennedy White House, the anguished dismissal of his agent, and his alcoholism, mental breakdown, and physical illnesses. The sniping at other writers is likely to attract considerable attention to this overlong edition, which is accurately but insufficiently annotated.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)