# letters

A Python app that displays random historic love letters from authentic sources, downloaded from [Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/).

## Quick Start

```bash
python3 love_letters.py              # Show a random love letter
python3 love_letters.py -n 3         # Show 3 random love letters
python3 love_letters.py --list       # List available collections
python3 love_letters.py --source keats_brawne   # Filter by source
```

The `letters/` directory ships with 1,300+ pre-parsed letters — no download needed.

## Refreshing / Adding Sources

To re-download all letter collections from Project Gutenberg:

```bash
python3 download_letters.py           # Download (skips existing)
python3 download_letters.py --force   # Re-download everything
python3 download_letters.py --list    # List available sources
```

## Sources

| Collection | Author → Recipient | Period | Letters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn | Henry VIII → Anne Boleyn | c. 1527–1528 | 18 |
| Mary Wollstonecraft to Gilbert Imlay | Mary Wollstonecraft → Gilbert Imlay | 1793–1795 | 75 |
| Letters of Abelard and Heloise | Abelard & Heloise | 12th century | 6 |
| Napoleon's Letters to Josephine | Napoleon Bonaparte → Josephine | 1796–1812 | 395 |
| Letters of John Keats to Fanny Brawne | John Keats → Fanny Brawne | 1819–1820 | 39 |
| Robert Browning & Elizabeth Barrett Barrett, Vol. 1 | Browning ↔ Barrett | 1845–1846 | 281 |
| Robert Browning & Elizabeth Barrett Barrett, Vol. 2 | Browning ↔ Barrett | 1845–1846 | 292 |
| Robert Burns to Clarinda | Robert Burns → Agnes McLehose | 1787–1794 | 60 |
| Dorothy Osborne to Sir William Temple | Dorothy Osborne → William Temple | 1652–1654 | 51 |
| Beethoven's Letters (love letters selected) | Ludwig van Beethoven | 1790–1826 | 30 |
| Mozart's Letters (love letters selected) | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | 1769–1791 | 60 |

All texts are sourced from [Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/) and are in the public domain.

## Requirements

Python 3.10+ (no external dependencies).