The Letters of Dorothy L. Sayers: 1937-1943 Drama Incarnate

by Dorothy L. Sayers

Picking up in 1937, where the first volume leaves off, this second volume of collected letters deals with Sayers' transition from popular author to Christian playwright and scholar. of photos. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312181272
• ISBN13: 9780312181277
• Release Date: April 1998
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 464 Pages
• Weight: 1.72 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.3" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

From Wimsey to religion

Dorothy L Sayers was much more than a writer of detective novels. From the late 1930's until her death, she was also in great demand as a writer and speaker on religious issues. She wrote a series of radio plays on the life of Christ called "The man born to be king", and the sensation caused by these made her into an instant "expert" on religion in the eyes of the public and the media of the day. The letters dealing with the writing and production of the plays are fascinating. The uproar caused by an actor portraying Jesus was unbelievable (Christ hadn't been portrayed on stage since Oliver Cromwell's time), and Sayers was accused of blasphemy because she used everyday language instead of only the words of the Bible. There's very little about her detective novels in this volume of letters, but I still found them full of interesting insights into the life of a writer. Sayers' very distinctive voice comes through, and her letters to friends are lots of fun. Her joy at receiving a lemon as a present during the war (unobtainable due to rationing) is wonderful, as are her discussions with her husband on the best way to use this treasure. A fascinating collection of letters from one of my favourite writers.