NancyMitford.pptx

NancyMitfordNancyMitford(19041973)lBorn:November28,1904,London,EnglandlDied:January30,1973(aged68),Versailles,FrancelOccupation:novelist,biographerLifeExperiencelBornandbroughtupinLondonlMovedtoParisattheendoftheSecondWorldWarandlatertoVersaillesin1967lAwell-knownpublicpersonality,invariablyelegantlydressed,livedabusysocialandliterarylife,hadahugenumberoffriendsandacquaintancesintheEnglish,FrenchandItalianaristocracies,traveledfrequentlyandestablishedapatternofvisitstocountryhousesinEngland,IrelandandFranceaswellasannualvisitstoVenice.MitfordSisterslShewasoneofthenotedMitfordSistersandthefirsttopublicizetheextraordinaryfamilylifeofherveryEnglishandveryeccentricfamily,givingrisetoaMitfordindustrywhichcontinues.lPoliticallyamoderatesocialist,shesomehowkeptongoodtermsmostofthetimewithhersisters,despitetheextremepoliticalviewsofDiana,JessicaandUnity,mainlybydeployingheracerbicwit.SomeoftheirlettersarerepublishedinThe Mitfords:Letters between six sisters.TheMitfordSiblingslPamelaMitford(November25,1907April12,1994)ThomasMitford(January2,1909March30,1945)DianaMitford(June17,1910August11,2003)UnityMitford(August8,1914May28,1948)JessicaMitford(September11,1917July22,1996)DeborahMitford(bornMarch31,1920)StylelShehadaparticularMitfordbrandofhumorwhichbecameverywellknownthroughhernovelsandnewspaperarticlesandattractedacultfollowing.lHernovels,letters,articlesandessaysarenotablefortheirhumor,irony,teasesandculturalandsocialbreadth.GenrelSheisbestrememberedforherseriesofnovelsaboutupper-classlifeinEnglandandFrance,particularlythefourpublishedafter1945;lShealsowrotefourwell-received,well-researchedpopularbiographies(ofLouisXIV,MadamedePompadour,Voltaire,andFredericktheGreat).MajorWorkslHighland Fling(1931)lChristmas Pudding(1932)lWigs on the Green(1935)lPigeon Pie(1940)lThe Pursuit of Love(1945)lLove in a Cold Climate(1949)lThe Blessing(1951)lMadame de Pompadour(1954)lVoltaire in Love(1957)lDont Tell Alfred(1960)lThe Water Beetle(1962)lThe Sun King(1966)lFrederick the Great(1970)AwardslShewasmadeaCommanderoftheOrderoftheBritishEmpireandanOfficerintheFrenchLegionofHonourin1972.lSheisthesubjectofseveralbiographies,including:Nancy Mitford:a MemoirbyHaroldActon(1976),Nancy Mitford:A BiographybySelenaHastings(1986)andLife in a Cold ClimatebyLauraThompson(2003).