The Glory of English Prose: Letters to My Grandson

A retired judge and literary scholar shares his passion for beautiful writing with young Antony in these affectionate, old-world letters from 1922. Stephen Coleridge, the great-nephew of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, acts as a patient guide through the treasures of English prose, teaching his grandson to discern true elegance from mere vulgarity. Through discussions of Swift, Milton, and Ruskin, among others, he demonstrates that clarity and force can coexist with grace, revealing the standards by which lasting prose endures. This isn't a formal education in literature but a private conversation across generations, where a learned elder passes down hard-won wisdom about what makes language truly sing. For readers who value literary tradition and the intimate exchange between teacher and student, these letters offer a window into how taste and judgment were once cultivated, a grandfather's gift of discrimination to the grandson he hopes will carry it forward.