{Entering the Lists [continued]}[17th February 1990]

[Redbook7:56][19900217:1832b]{Entering the Lists [continued]}[17th February 1990]

19900217.1832

[continued]

What comes across strongly from these letters* is that whether they like the book or not – and one or two of the better-known publishers apparently* did – for none of them does it fit: it’s not conventional enough.

The last letter, which just about puts the cap on it, strongly suggests why:

(1) It doesn’t fit into a compartment recognised by the publishers[;] and

(2) They probably don’t understand what it’s about anyway.**

Anyone who could call [2] a cocktail of anything and spiritualism, if the religious meaning is intended, either hasn’t read the book properly or is ignorant on matters of religion; but if the philosophical meaning of spiritualism is intended, the position is even worse than I thought, since it appears that such a system or theory is no longer legitimate and cannot (as it has to be) be ‘grounded’ in any specific context (such as a University).

The letter has another unfortunate ambiguity: does ‘rather unhappy’ refer to the defects of the cocktail or to the atmosphere of the book?

But there it is: it’s not really important any more.

*[See last previous entry, including final fn – [W] had submitted the ts as if from a literary agent, hoping thereby to have a better chance of (a) getting read, and (b) getting a considered and truthful, not merely anodyne, reaction.]

**[So whose fault is that?]

[continues]

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