Is The Veracity Of Memoirs That Important? | Letters

People are upset erstwhile a memoir isn’t 100% existent (The Guardian position connected The Salt Path scandal: memoirists person a work to show nan truth, 11 July)? Really? Get complete it … it’s a book. Written by a person.

How galore group do you cognize who ever show nan truth? Plus, really galore group do you cognize who show a good story that has nary embellishments successful bid to make it a somewhat amended story?

Even speech from enhancing a story, astir people’s memories are inherently inaccurate. Two group astatine nan aforesaid arena will not study nan nonstop aforesaid scenario.

A memoir is an sentiment of a history that has been embellished to make it a bully story. A memoir is not a barren humanities relationship of events.

Just for illustration a speech successful existent life, readers request to separate the facts that they take to believe from those that are embellished. I person nary problem pinch this. A cleanable humanities relationship of astir people’s lives would beryllium very boring indeed.
Rachel A Lawrence
San Francisco, California, US

The champion justification for nan veracity aliases different of memoirs comes successful nan prologue to Spike Milligan’s memoir “Rommel?” “Gunner Who?”, successful which he utilized a statement from nan ancient Greek historiographer Thucydides connected nan reliability of memoirs: “I person described thing but what I saw myself.” Then added: “I conscionable jazzed excavation up a little.”
Andrew Keeley
Warrington, Cheshire