I was touched and was impressed by William Styron’s novel Sophie’s Choice, a Holocaust novel that portrayed a Roman Catholic, Sophie, her Holocaust experience, and her later love relationship with a Jewish man. When I saw the new release, Letters to My Father, in the book store a while back, I just had to buy it.
I wanted to learn more about the man who could author a book like Sophie’s Choice, a book that was heart-wrenching, not only for the Holocaust and post Holocaust aspect, but for the choice that Sophie was confronted with, and had to make on a moment’s notice. When reading it, I felt the devastation and despair, and was stunned that it was written so sensitively.
I became thoroughly involved in the book from the first page to the last. It is fascinating on many levels, insightful, poignant, and filled with the stuff that inspirational memoirs are made of. The father-son relationship reigns supreme within the pages of this beautifully composed book of over one hundred letters plus additional content. The letters were written by Styron to his father, William C. Styron, Sr.
That Styron was able to openly pen them and discuss his feelings and thoughts to his father is a testament to the both of them and their strong father-son bond. From his insecurities to his personal life, Styron speaks to his father through the letters quite frankly and without fear of negative feedback. The closeness he felt to his father is extensively exhibited within the correspondence.
The reader sees the emotional growth developing in Styron, as he moves through his early years. From serving in World War II to his university studies, to marriage and living abroad, the documentation of his life is forthright and fascinating. He speaks to his father in a candid manner, holding nothing back. The content is intense and compelling, and offers a look into not only the mindset of Styron the author, but is also a psychological study as to the inadequacies that Styron felt about his writing, recognition for his work, and the difficulties confronting him as a writer.
That he felt insecure about himself, in his younger years, belies the maturity with which he wrote his novels. We are given glimpses into an author’s thoughts, emotions and relationship with his father like no other book I can think of. It is a beautiful volume, filled with copies of some of the correspondence. The book also contains some of Styron’s earliest writings.
This reader was completely taken in from page one, and finished Letters to My Father, basically nonstop. I came up for air to eat, but the book was beside me while I did. It lingers with me, as I write this. It is one of those books that are difficult to let go of because of the emotional involvement of the reader. It is an extremely inspiring book. I highly recommend Letters to My Father to everyone, not only to fathers and sons.
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I personally own and have read this book.
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Thursday December 3, 2009 – 16th of Kislev, 5770
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