From Letters to a Stranger

In “Letters to a Stranger,” Maurois reflects on people's behavior and morals, the relationships between men and women, the arts of seduction, on why marriages turn out to be happy, why divorces happen, and why feelings fade. The author addresses his letters to a woman, but who she is remains a mystery to the reader. A female silhouette glimpsed by chance in the theater stalls, a beautiful lady flashing somewhere in the bustle of the day—this is how the Stranger appeared in Maurois's imagination, a woman whom the writer instructs, teaches about life, and gently educates. These letters can teach us, readers of the 21st century, a great deal as well—they will be useful not only to women seeking support in this life, but also to men, who so often fail to understand the logic of behavior and the psychology of the fair sex.
On Radio Russia Saint Petersburg, literary readings of “From Letters to a Stranger” by André Maurois are broadcast.