Austin and Mabel: The Amherst Affair and Love Letters of Austin Dickinson and Mabel Loomis Todd

by Polly Longsworth (Editor)

A true tale of illicit love in the era of Emily Dickinson. The author adds her own annotations to correspondence, journals, diaries and the observations of the protagonists' peers, to paint a detailed picture of social and sexual mores in 19th-century America.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Relationships

464 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1984

Reviews

[Orion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Austin and Mabel is an amazing record of 19th century adultery. Austin Dickinson was the older brother of Emily Dickinson and the chief financial officer of Amherst College, as well as a leading citizen of the town of Amherst, Massachusetts. He was married and had three children. When the college hired a new astronomy professor, David Todd, along with him came his lovely young wife Mabel Todd. She was an artist and loved socializing. Austin and Mabel fell in love and maintained an intimate relationship while both stayed married. This book tells their story and prints their 13 years of letters, providing a detailed history of their love. Through these letters we see Austin, who is 27 years older than Mabel, grow old and die, while Mabel matures into an accomplished writer, editor and lecturer. "No love story approaches it" Mabel said of their relationship. While reading over 200 pages of love letters can get repetitious at times, Mabel and Austin are both wonderful people and their story is impressive.

[Evelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was suggested by a friend at the time. I found the story to be quite interesting and the parts involving Austin's sister, Emily Dickinson were fascinating. But there was too much info that was dry and boring and not necessary to the story. I would suggest it only to someone who has a lot of curiosity about the characters involved.

[Sherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first heard of this book at Hog Island Audubon Camp, off Bremen, Maine, the same Islas on which Mabel Todd Loomis had a cabin where she worked preparing Emily Dickinson's poetry and correspondence for publication. The entire 100 acre Hog Island was purchased by Mabel and presented to the Audubon society. Returning home I requested the book, Austin and Mabel: The Amherst Affair and Love Letters of Austin Dickinson and Mabel Loomis Todd. Polly Longsworth does a masterful job of editing the mountains of material and interpreting the secret codes within their gushing love letters. Mabel's husband, Amherst College astronomer, David Todd, was a willing co-conspirator to his wife's affair, for he too had a wandering eye. Not so Austen's jealous, vengeful wife, Sue who fiercely resented Mabel's intrusion into her marriage and her work on Emily's poems at the behest of Emily's sister Vinnie and brother Austin. Torrid, spiteful, deceit, lies, evasions and true devotion make this true story more melodramatic than fiction.

[Denis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book with a little trepidation. It after all could have just wound up being a kind of sordid, yet oh so mundane and boring read, but happily it didn't. Longsworth skillfully weaves Austin Dickinson and Mabel Loomis Todd's letters in with helpful narrative and brief but telling bits of her perspective on her voluminous research into these personalities and their letters to each other. Every time I thought that I might just put the book down and simply forget about it this author's own interpretation drew me back in. By book's end I was thoroughly pleased that I had stuck with it and learned so very much about the personalities in the background of Emily Dickinson's life and the initial publishing background of her work. For anyone interested in Emily Dickinson and her poetry this book is an important read.

[Kricket · Rating 3 out of 5]

here is my completely obscure read for 2015. when i was reading "and we stay" by jenny hubbard i got very interested in the life of emily dickinson. this is kind of weird because i don't care for her poetry, but as a human, she's pretty fascinating. somewhere in my research i landed on her brother austin, and did a late night inter-library loan request for this book. (some people make questionable shopping choices, i inter-loan random books and get confused when they show up.) but i'm glad i did. this is really well written and truly fascinating.

after reading: it turns out reading other people's loves letters isn't quite as fascinating as i thought it would be so i kind of skimmed the section of actual letters. i was more engaged by longsworth's version of events.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it, but didn't love it. I found the letters sort of tedious, preferring the author's, Longsworth's, writing more so than them. In a way, I thought too many letters were included, because the reader gets the gist of it regardless of the number of them, which I thought was overkill. The adulterous relationships or rather the casual acceptance of them was a bit shocking not to mention the number of abortions at the time, which I would have thought would have resulted in the women's deaths or at least sterilization, yet didn't. The Dickinson family was an odd sort, I have to say. The book is worth reading despite its length.

[Eric Cartier · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many very beautiful love letters. Although he didn't have a total command of language like his sister, Austin was a powerful writer, and Mabel was often eloquent, too. Longsworth chimes in only to add context once the letters are underway, and she bookends them with descriptions of the Dickinson, Loomis, and Todd families, as well as the lawsuit and trial that Vinnie Dickinson inexplicably won. Essential reading for any Emily Dickinson fan who wishes to learn more about her brother and the woman who first published books of her poetry.

[Holly Kaplan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a collection of the love letters between Austin Dickinson (brother of Emily Dickinson) and Mabel Loomis Todd (Emily's friend and later after the poet's death, editor). I have been reading Dickinson's poetry and have become interested in her world. I read White Heat: the Friendship of Emily Dickinson and Thomas Wentworth Higginson written by Wine apple as part of my interest.
As part of reading Wineapple's work, I learned of Austen and Mabel book of letters.

I appreciated the author's notes and the preface explaining the situation, but the letters simply became too much to digest. The writing is flowery which fits the period, but 13 years of PASSION is just too much.
Austen is simply an older man infatuated with a younger woman. Mabel is in love with herself to the point of being mean to her parents and abandoning her child. The spouses are interesting. Austen's wife Sue is depicted as the devil herself for not understanding her husband's need for Mabel. David the husband of Mabel is at most times all for the affair and at times had a polyamorous relationship with Mabel and Austin.
Emily Dickinson is mostly in the background serving as a supportive sister to her brother and Mabel. We learn more of her writing toward the end of the book as Mabel took over editing Emily's work. The book also goes into detail of the legal case between Mabel and Lavinia Dickinson (surviving sister of Austen) over a deed. Austen did not really provide for Mabel (or David) in his will; instead, he asks his sister Lavinia to give land to Mabel after his death. Lavinia seems to give land to Mabel and then says Mabel forced her to sign the deed. All of the confusion is blamed on Sue as Lavinia is frightened of her.
Anyway, the Dickinson crowd is fascinating and their sexual escapades are really wild. Mabel was a musician, writer, lecturer, and truly did not believe the social rules applied to her or her passionate lover. You truly end up not liking these people and the messes they create.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is just… a lot. I’m sure for people who are interested in Emily Dickerson and her circle, it would be more compelling.

[Prerna Lal · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just picked this up for some bio on Susan Gilbert. Mabel Todd was truly evil, distorted the true romance between Emily and sue, and I could care less about her letters to Austin. Gross

[MissJessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating account of an illicit love affair that stood the test of time.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting look beyond Emily Dickinson to her siblings; particularly her brother. Tugging and touching story of love and the social mores of the time.

[Mary Narkiewicz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book about the relationship between Austin Dickinson and Mabel Todd of Amherst.

[Tree · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting read on the lives of those close to Emily Dickinson and also a valuable insight into how and why Mabel Todd came to control (and alter) Emily's poetry.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding!