excerpts from Sayers's letters

[bronze_ribbons]

Dorothy L. Sayers to Muriel St. Clair Byrne (6 March 1935):

...my dear, my heart is BROKEN! I have seen the perfect Peter Wimsey. Heigh, voice, charm, smile, manner, outline of features, everything - and he is - THE CHAPLAIN OF BALLIOL!! What is the use of anything?

In the meantime, I have completed the love scene, except for the infernal quotation, which won't come right. It is too, too shy-making for words, and kept on falling into blank verse in the most unfortunate manner. I expect it will have to be scrapped. I will ring you up tomorrow in town. I am absolutely shattered by this Balliol business. Such waste - why couldn't he have been an actor?

Dorothy L. Sayers to Muriel St. Clair Byrne (24 June 1935):

I think I have got over most of the technical snags in Gaudy Night now, but the writing is being horribly difficult. Peter and Harriet are the world's most awkward pair of lovers -- both so touchy and afraid to commit themselves to anything but hints and allusions! I feel sure that at some point after their engagement (not necessarily in the book, though) the following piece of dialogue occurred:

Harriet: I thought there was so much I had to say to you. But now there seems to be no need to say anything.
Peter: No; we have passed that point... I have been talking for twenty years to conceal my thoughts. With you, thank God, I can at least be silent. (They are eloquently silent)

But in the meantime, they are still talking!...

And then there's this Giant Rat of Sumatra bit to Sir Donald Tovey (18 April 1936):

I doubt whether the story of the Attenbury emeralds is of sufficient importance to make a book, and it would be difficult to go back at this date to the early Peter. I think it more likely that this part of his psychology will tend, more and more, to emerge in 'flash-backs' as his wife gets to know more about him. What I have got in mind, is the complete history of all Peter's earlier women, leading up to their reappearance from time to time in his detective present. We shall then know what happened to Barbara, to the Viennese singer and also to that unknown lady who was his partner during the Ali Baba period; and may also have some information about those 'trustworthy hands' in which Uncle Paul established him in Paris.

[All things considered, I think I'm more glad than not she never got around to this.]

ETA: Can't recall who rec'd this (it's an old bookmark), but this illustration of a scene in GAUD is lovely.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

I _must_ buy myself Sayers' letters. But post GN I think P&H are being disingenuous and making up excuses about why they don't need to talk, in order to maximise time spent kissing.

One might also imagine:

"Dear Muriel,

I am in the depths of dispair. I simply _can not_ get Bunter to take his clothes off! He's so very reticent and unless Peter surprises him in the bathtub, I really cannot see how to make it happen. Mr Gollanz has also expressed his concerns; I'm afraid I shall have to re-write the whole blasted book."

Multiple women may have been best avoided, but I would have loved to see Barbara make a re-appearance. (It occurs to me that this passage may explain JPW's mention of the VOS in Thrones).

nineveh_uk

[marginaliana.insanejournal.com]

Oh, interesting! *adds letters to library book list* I'm amused by What is the use of anything? - *snickersnicker*