Has anyone read the book? The New Yorker had some excerpts from his letters recently (around the "awakenings" era) and they seemed a bit haphazardly put togethe

Has anyone read the book? The New Yorker had some excerpts from his letters recently (around the "awakenings" era) and they seemed a bit haphazardly put together at first glance - more of interest to a literature scholar than a casual reader. Should I just stick with his actual books, or would a casual reader enjoy the letters too?