The letters of bruce chatwin
By Aaron King
The author Bruce Chatwin suffered from the peculiar burden of restlessness. The study of this condition saturated Chatwin’s finest writing, that is, his short writing: brief sketches of people, places and ideas.
That his letters are brief make them a pleasure to read. There were and still are those who consider Chatwin a poseur, one with unimportant ideas and overestimated ability. The letters show that Chatwin did have an inflated ego and went to lengths to nourish it. Yet what these letters ultimately demonstrate is that Chatwin was genuinely—scarily—talented and original in thought.
‘Under the Sun: The Letters of Bruce Chatwin’
By: Bruce Chatwin
Publisher: Viking Adult
Released: February 3
Pages: 560
Price: $20
(February 2011)