Review by Choice Review
Heretofore reluctant to expose Collins's unconventional lifestyle, his heirs have finally given permission to make this substantial correspondence available in print. The editors located, collected ,and examined upwards of 2,000 scattered letters--letters reprinted in biographies; letters available only in private, university, and institutional collections; letters published in other sources--and elected to publish 591 and summarize 127 more. In the interest of future research, they append the full list of letters in chronological order. The result is as comprehensive and thoughtful a collection as any library could desire. The letters offer a rich primary source that provides not only a view into the personal life of a major Victorian writer from age 13 to 65, but also an extraordinarily articulate, generally good humored, and always engaged look at Victorian culture--especially in the areas of literature, publishing, art, music, and other artistic endeavor. Together with the careful introductions and exhaustive notes, appendixes, and indexes, this correspondence constitutes a significant addition to resources for the era for all academic and general readers. Even Collins specialists will want to start with this collection. T. Loe; SUNY College at Oswego
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
