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Yours Always: Letters of Longing
Love letters are potent. They breathe. They speak. They can arouse, comfort, captivate. They can also cut deep.
The powerful, deeply personal letters collected here reveal the painful underside of love. Witness Winston Churchill 'grown with anger to be treated with benevolent indifference' and Edith Piaf reel in the throes of a 'terrible' passion.
Through the letters of literary icons Charlotte Bronte, Oscar Wilde and Virginia Woolf, Hollywood stars Elizabeth Burton and statesmen Henry VIII and Franklin D. Roosevelt, Yours Always offers an unusually intimate insight into the lives of such illustrious figures.
Love is revealed here in its many shades of disharmony and unrequited, uncertain, imbalanced, unconventional, thwarted, failed and forbidden. Love is not always rose-tinted, and Yours Always illuminates the sorrows that can accompany falling in, falling out, and staying in love.
The powerful, deeply personal letters collected here reveal the painful underside of love. Witness Winston Churchill 'grown with anger to be treated with benevolent indifference' and Edith Piaf reel in the throes of a 'terrible' passion.
Through the letters of literary icons Charlotte Bronte, Oscar Wilde and Virginia Woolf, Hollywood stars Elizabeth Burton and statesmen Henry VIII and Franklin D. Roosevelt, Yours Always offers an unusually intimate insight into the lives of such illustrious figures.
Love is revealed here in its many shades of disharmony and unrequited, uncertain, imbalanced, unconventional, thwarted, failed and forbidden. Love is not always rose-tinted, and Yours Always illuminates the sorrows that can accompany falling in, falling out, and staying in love.
- GenresNonfictionRomance
224 pages, Hardcover
Published January 5, 2017
12 people are currently reading
367 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 25, 2017
This is exactly as the title suggestions- a long collection of real life love letters and their answers in series. AND YET it also isn't- not the way I define "love" anyway. Because many, no most of the letters are "in love" and longing -but are also tragic, troubled, sorrowful and IMHO over the top suffering. Dozens of reasons and none of them good nor pleasant. BUT the letters are lyrical, heart core, and sometimes poetic and yet also extremely revealing to the writer personality and true purposes.
There are some exceptions to the "happiness scale" of NONE to little. But the categories for unrequited love are long. Also the muddled at foundation of/for connections between their personalities or desires of/for love is nearly all. Not only in a sense of sexual connection or passion experienced or desired either. But at the crux, it seems, an uneven equivalencies of "feeling" and adaptability exists.
I picked it up because it was on the library "New" shelf and I opened it to a page of Richard Burton writing to Liz Taylor. "So My Lumps" by Burton, which with her answer, is one of the best duos in the book.
It's extremely literate. And of various past ages. Most of the GR readers who have read extensively will recognize about 75 to 95% of the letter writers. Wharton, Hemingway, Charlotte Bronte, Rebecca West/H.G. Wells, Dickens, Virginia Wolfe, Lord Bryon, Kafka, Yeats, Churchill, Graham Greene, Oscar Wilde, Sylvia Plath, Abelard, Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn, FDR to Lucy, MM- and more. You get the idea?
It was a one sit down beautiful summer night read- and most of the emotions expressed COMPLETELY not what I had envisioned before the reading experience began. Let me tell you just a few stark reactions. Now, do not forget, if I have not told you- that each letter also has a response or a series of interchanges- not just one sided. And that between each section is a one or two page introduction to the people and circumstances of the letter. (As if we have to know who Marilyn Monroe's past included!) But for some of them, just a few, those introductory trailer pages were essential.
Here is the reaction of shock by this reader! Most of these people were grovelling rejects and pathetic and desperate for attention, or 2nd or 3rd best on a good day. A great number have the woman correspondent many years older than the male half of the pair. At least 2/3rds of all of these were married to other people at the time of the writing, and in every case but 2 or 3 the male was repeatedly sexually unfaithful or had other mistresses also. And the most shocking of all- that the mental health situation of one or both, was in some context in huge acknowledged decline or on the brink of self-destruction.
Now come on, that is shocking by any era's standards. Don't you consider that love with sexual and/or spiritual bonding be HAPPIER than this if it is SO sought.
The letters themselves were by 75% MOST enjoyable to read. The other 25% were embarrassing to read. For me, they were. Especially Charlotte Bronte's and Loretta Young's. And the last few pages were heartbreaking war good-bye letters that TRULY were wrenching.
But I'm glad I read this book, it sure was a window. The mental gymnastics observable by these letter writers were 5 star. Very interesting. And sometimes also pleasant and joyful. Especially Burton and Taylor- you can see the huge flaws but also the humongous joy capacity, attraction, connection and spirit of adventure shared.
If you think being in love and staying in love is always a good thing- I recommend this book.
There are some exceptions to the "happiness scale" of NONE to little. But the categories for unrequited love are long. Also the muddled at foundation of/for connections between their personalities or desires of/for love is nearly all. Not only in a sense of sexual connection or passion experienced or desired either. But at the crux, it seems, an uneven equivalencies of "feeling" and adaptability exists.
I picked it up because it was on the library "New" shelf and I opened it to a page of Richard Burton writing to Liz Taylor. "So My Lumps" by Burton, which with her answer, is one of the best duos in the book.
It's extremely literate. And of various past ages. Most of the GR readers who have read extensively will recognize about 75 to 95% of the letter writers. Wharton, Hemingway, Charlotte Bronte, Rebecca West/H.G. Wells, Dickens, Virginia Wolfe, Lord Bryon, Kafka, Yeats, Churchill, Graham Greene, Oscar Wilde, Sylvia Plath, Abelard, Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn, FDR to Lucy, MM- and more. You get the idea?
It was a one sit down beautiful summer night read- and most of the emotions expressed COMPLETELY not what I had envisioned before the reading experience began. Let me tell you just a few stark reactions. Now, do not forget, if I have not told you- that each letter also has a response or a series of interchanges- not just one sided. And that between each section is a one or two page introduction to the people and circumstances of the letter. (As if we have to know who Marilyn Monroe's past included!) But for some of them, just a few, those introductory trailer pages were essential.
Here is the reaction of shock by this reader! Most of these people were grovelling rejects and pathetic and desperate for attention, or 2nd or 3rd best on a good day. A great number have the woman correspondent many years older than the male half of the pair. At least 2/3rds of all of these were married to other people at the time of the writing, and in every case but 2 or 3 the male was repeatedly sexually unfaithful or had other mistresses also. And the most shocking of all- that the mental health situation of one or both, was in some context in huge acknowledged decline or on the brink of self-destruction.
Now come on, that is shocking by any era's standards. Don't you consider that love with sexual and/or spiritual bonding be HAPPIER than this if it is SO sought.
The letters themselves were by 75% MOST enjoyable to read. The other 25% were embarrassing to read. For me, they were. Especially Charlotte Bronte's and Loretta Young's. And the last few pages were heartbreaking war good-bye letters that TRULY were wrenching.
But I'm glad I read this book, it sure was a window. The mental gymnastics observable by these letter writers were 5 star. Very interesting. And sometimes also pleasant and joyful. Especially Burton and Taylor- you can see the huge flaws but also the humongous joy capacity, attraction, connection and spirit of adventure shared.
If you think being in love and staying in love is always a good thing- I recommend this book.
February 26, 2017
It's comforting to know that men and women have been doing each others heads in since time began, all because of that dastardly little thing called love.
January 11, 2024
This was one of the most enjoyable collections of life writing I’ve ever read. It wasn’t a cutesy superficial exchanges I expected but in fact very interesting excerpts from the (love) lives of interesting people who are exceptionally good at expressing themselves. I only didn’t like two chapters — and all the rest were fascinating in their own ways — some about fantastically liberal relationships (for their own time), some expressing ordinary feelings in an extraordinarily beautiful way, some just funny and heartwarming. Some told me that Churchill would be a cool boyfriend, and that I definitely need to read more of Woolf, and that Charlotte Brontë has an adorably ridiculous crush on her teacher, and how Kafka seriously managed to give up his most beloved fiancée for the sake of writing and avoiding the drama…
February 3, 2017
What a lovely little book. I wish it was a little bit longer! But what's there not to like: personal insight into the love affairs of well known historical/ literary figures. By reading their intimate letters, one satisfies this perverse pleasure of peeping into other people's lives!! It's the same instinct that makes us look into the neighbours' windows on the dark winter's day when they forgot to draw the curtains.
And the topic is also appealing- love. Who cannot relate to these letters? One only needs to be in love once to be able to identify with the longing, desperation and vulnerability of a person in love. It often is that love equals sadness and lack of fulfilment but that maybe because happy and fulfilled people in love don't write letters- they make love. I guess love letters indicate distance and distance is not the best friend of lovers. If you ever felt desperate or pathetic when in love you will find that the feeling is common and non discriminatory of social status, success, intelligence or age and that's pretty consoling. Author's editorial notes maintain the lyrical mood of the letters while offering historical background to their authors' relationships. Very refreshing, unique read that makes one ponder love a little. Great prelude to Valentine's Day!
And the topic is also appealing- love. Who cannot relate to these letters? One only needs to be in love once to be able to identify with the longing, desperation and vulnerability of a person in love. It often is that love equals sadness and lack of fulfilment but that maybe because happy and fulfilled people in love don't write letters- they make love. I guess love letters indicate distance and distance is not the best friend of lovers. If you ever felt desperate or pathetic when in love you will find that the feeling is common and non discriminatory of social status, success, intelligence or age and that's pretty consoling. Author's editorial notes maintain the lyrical mood of the letters while offering historical background to their authors' relationships. Very refreshing, unique read that makes one ponder love a little. Great prelude to Valentine's Day!
April 24, 2017
Really beautiful book highlighting the increasingly lost art of letter writing. Lovely evocations of lost love, found love and all different types of love.
June 15, 2021
Yours Always: Letter xof Longing
Yours Always was first published in 2017. It is a collection of love letters of famous people conpiled amd edited by Eleanor Bass.
Are you into love letters? Do you think you would have known love better if you were in another era? This book is it.
My experience - I love letters. So, obviously I bought this book as soon I saw it. I am yet to finish reading it though. I always wondered if people in earlier era felt love differently. I always wondered if they were more clear about what they are supposed to feel when they fall in love. But everyone has been confused about love since the start of time. These letters are proof of that. Eleanor Bass has given a brief of the scenario in which the letters were written. Although, I would have wanted more of letters and less of breifs. The english is a a bit tough considering most of the letters are from 1800s or before.
Talking about what I felt, letters are very personal. You read all these things about famous people on internet but letters give insights into their thoughts. And most of the times, they will defy the character or image that you have formed of them in your heads. They did great things but were still confused like we are right now. Their lives and feelings are complicated just like ours. It's weirdly satisfying to know that we are not the only generation who is fucked up.
Pick this book up. Read one section at a time. Think about it. Read more about it. Give it time. These are real letters of real people struggling to convey their words.
Yours Always was first published in 2017. It is a collection of love letters of famous people conpiled amd edited by Eleanor Bass.
Are you into love letters? Do you think you would have known love better if you were in another era? This book is it.
My experience - I love letters. So, obviously I bought this book as soon I saw it. I am yet to finish reading it though. I always wondered if people in earlier era felt love differently. I always wondered if they were more clear about what they are supposed to feel when they fall in love. But everyone has been confused about love since the start of time. These letters are proof of that. Eleanor Bass has given a brief of the scenario in which the letters were written. Although, I would have wanted more of letters and less of breifs. The english is a a bit tough considering most of the letters are from 1800s or before.
Talking about what I felt, letters are very personal. You read all these things about famous people on internet but letters give insights into their thoughts. And most of the times, they will defy the character or image that you have formed of them in your heads. They did great things but were still confused like we are right now. Their lives and feelings are complicated just like ours. It's weirdly satisfying to know that we are not the only generation who is fucked up.
Pick this book up. Read one section at a time. Think about it. Read more about it. Give it time. These are real letters of real people struggling to convey their words.
March 27, 2025
مجموعة من الرسائل بين مؤلفين، شخصيات مشهورة، وأخرى
منها ما هو محزن ومؤلم، وآخر يبدأ بحزن ويتكلل بزواج وارتباط بين الشخصيات
الرسائل متنوعة، تجد من يحب أخرى وهو متزوج، ومنهم من يبدأ العلاقة بتبادل الرسائل
الترجمة ممتازة
منها ما هو محزن ومؤلم، وآخر يبدأ بحزن ويتكلل بزواج وارتباط بين الشخصيات
الرسائل متنوعة، تجد من يحب أخرى وهو متزوج، ومنهم من يبدأ العلاقة بتبادل الرسائل
الترجمة ممتازة
September 8, 2018
Loved this, a great collection of beautiful letters.
February 14, 2023
هذا الكتاب انهيته منذ قرابة العامين . تنوع الشخصيات في الكتاب يمنحك نظرة مختلفة للحب طبقا لكل شخصية كان الحب مختلفا وكأن الحب هو فقط إحتياج و انت تبحث عما ينقصك في الآخر ... سأعيد قرائته يوما ما .
July 10, 2024
Source of comfort during emotional times.
December 14, 2019
Letters, especially love letters, are a window into the insecurities and longings and vulnerabilities of the author. They provide an intimate view of a human life and in this case, of a life known to us previously through the lens of historical or artistic significance. Letters are a lost art, a sadly rare way of human connecting these days. This book provides a glimpse into the lives of historical figures and brings them to earth. I loved it.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews