T. E. Lawrence Correspondence – Page 229

To R.A. Fontenc, Anemoen, Brading, Isle of Wight. Sorry to send back your envelope; no large ones to be bought in camp. 22.3.28 I have read these things twice, very carefully, putting them away for a month in between; at least I meant it for a month; but I have not been very well, so it has been more. I think they are literature; and if the rest of the book has their sense of form it would be ten thousand pities not to publish it. The Moharram is the hotter: the earthquake thin finer, I fancy. You have kept the characters very carefully intact and harmonious within themselves. For the public there is too much Turkish transliterated: agreed it gives atmosphere; but it irritates those who don't know Turkish. I try always to imagine that I am using the last ... of paper in the world: and that after me nobody will be able to write anything. Then you feel the responsibility of ..., and try tomake every sentence, in its way, structural and significant. The Greeks achieved something of the same economy, by imagining their epitaphs carved, later, better in marble. The expense and toil kept them to essentials. It's only your Turkish phrases (or some of them) which seemed to me redundant. Your english is uniformly beautiful. More sculpture than painting: you design the shapes more than the colours - I have written to Garnett, who is Cape's reader, & suggested to him that perhaps he made a mistake. You see how it is: there is no money in your book. It will not sell greatly, having no ... sensationalism in it. I have also written to Faber, of Faber & Gwyer, and given him your address. I hope he will take it on. Cape will probably not go back on his refusal. If nothing happens in the few weeks after this letter comes to your hand, let me know again. It must come out, somehow. I feel it is really good.- T E S. - and it is harder to say so, on paper, than to tell them so, to the month. If I were in ... I could arrange it, simply. But that will not be till 1930, I'm afraid.