<> Boyd Letters Boyd Estate 1953 May 28th Linen Hall Library Wednesday, March 16, 2016 TIFF Boyd010 Letter Esperenza, Goldblatt English https://www.niliteraryarchive.com/content/boyd010 Linen Hall Library Linen Hall Library Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA https://www.niliteraryarchive.com/sites/default/files/Boyd010_3.jpg LHL Archive 28th May, 1953. Dear St.John, Thank you very much for sending me Esperanza. What happened was I asked Goldblatt to let me read it, and he promptly did so, asking me to return it to him in a day or so. The result was I read it very quickly and returned it to him; but I am very glad you sent it to me because I have now been able to read it carefully. I find it very exciting indeed: the people springing at once into life, and the whole atmosphere and action most convincing. It would, i think, play extraordinarily well, for it is full of dramatic movement and sound philosphical reflection. The characters are certainly interesting in themselves - the Oscotts; Agatha Chope; that lovely girl Annie Appleyard; and Rennie; and the delightful Stevens, the steward; and the Rev. Macdonald. All excellent. The only characters I didn't wholly believe in were Crawley and Tripp: to my mind both are overdrawn; your anti-communism has got the better of you. Haven't you done the equivalent of the 'bloated capitalist' nonsense perpe- trated by C.P. writers? I'm grateful to you for letting me read it: and it has so much life in it that it is bound to be produced, sooner or later. If it isn't it'll be disgraceful! I'd love to be at the first night. You remember I mentioned to you that I would like to dramatise Mrs. Martin's Man. Since you left I have been engaged in doing it, and find that the book falls naturally into three acts. I have made a first draft of it and find that the novel was dramatically constructed, and the characters are a very diversified lot, with Martha of course coming out the strongest. If you approve of my proceeding with this I would, of course, show you the first draft when I get it typed. If you disapprove, I know you will say so at once. I have already mentioned to Goldblatt that I was engaged in this and he says the Group would like to do it. Text