BRACERS Record Detail for 135562
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"We had a long talk about Prisons. Whitehead has not read it yet and tells me he doesn't expect to be able to get through it—anything ethical bores him. Mrs. Whitehead criticized it very severely—not the ideas, which she agrees with, but the style. She says it is dull—the most severe criticism there is. She says it appears voulu; that the emotions spoken are not spoken of so as to be felt; and that the intellectual and emotional parts don't belong together. The gist of the matter is that being written when I was happy it fails to appeal to those who are not so—not that she put it that way.
I knew in my instincts she would not like it. She says the beauty of the "Free Man's Worship" is lacking.
It is rather a blow. I shall show it to Dickinson and see if he says the same. I feel you knew so well what I meant that you could hardly tell if I had conveyed it to someone who didn't already know; otherwise I should trust your judgment. I don't know yet whether it isn't that what I wanted and meant to do is something that would not interest Mrs. Whitehead, or whether it really is a failure. She takes no interest in philosophy, which is a relevant fact."
BR TO OTTOLINE MORRELL, [18 OCT. 1911]
BRACERS 135562. ALS. Morrell papers #224A, Texas
Proofread by K. Blackwell et al.
<letterhead>
Trinity College,
Cambridge.1, 2
In the train
Wed aftn.
My Darling,
I had hoped to go and see lodgings today but I wasn’t able to get away from the Whiteheads’ in time. Mrs W. strongly advised me to go to Bloomsbury. She says she will tell every one that I meant to go to Chelsea but Alys and Logan going there prevented it; I could choose Bloomsbury as being near King’s X. What do you think? The other of her arguments is that neither you nor I have many friends in Bloomsbury, and you being seen in Bloomsbury excites no comment. I can’t do anything without your opinion. But it would be much nicer to be in Bloomsbury.
We had a long talk about Prisons. Whitehead has not read it yet and tells me he doesn’t expect to be able to get through it — anything ethical bores him. Mrs W. criticized it very severely — not the ideas, which she agrees with, but the style. She says it is dull — the most severe criticism there is. She says it appears voulu; that the emotions spoken of are not spoken of so as to be felt; and that the intellectual and emotional parts don’t belong together. The gist of the matter is that being written when I was happy it fails to appeal to those who are not so — not that she put it that way.
I knew in my instincts she would not like it. She says the beauty of the “Free Man’s Worship”a is lacking.
It is rather a blow. I shall show it to Dickinson and see if he says the same. I feel you knew so well what I meant that you could hardly tell if I had conveyed it to some one who didn’t already know; otherwise I should trust your judgment. I don’t know yet whether it isn't that what I wanted and meant to do is something that would not interest Mrs W., or whether it really is a failure. She takes no interest in philosophy, which is a relevant fact.
I am thinking of looking for furnished rooms to inhabit while furnishing the others. If so I will hunt for them Saturday morning, somewhere round Bloomsbury. Perhaps I could have them by Monday. If you have any objection you might let me know.
Now this must be posted. Goodbye Darling. The cold douche of criticism has cured my impatience and set me on to thinking how to do better — I am sure I can, and I will. Criticism is very bracing. All my love, Dearest.
Your
B
- 1
[document] Document 000224A. Proofread against a colour scan of the original. The letter was sent in the same envelope as document 000224.
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[envelope] A circled “224”. The Lady Ottoline Morrell | Hotel des Saints Pères | Rue des Saints Pères | Paris | France. Pmk: LONDON.N | OCT 18 11A | 11.15 AM
Textual Notes
- a
“Free Man’s Worship” quotation marks supplied editorially
