Books
by Nancy Mitford
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Love in a Cold Climate |
Reading this again 40 years on, I found it as amusing a romp as ever. The cast consists mainly of eccentric English aristocrats who live in large country houses in Oxfordshire during the 1920s and 30s. The story of loves and marriages sparkles with wit and ingeniously comic situations which kept me chuckling from beginning to end.
(Jeremy Swann - bwl 24 June 2004) |
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The Sun King |
This biography of Louis IV, one of the most influential monarchs in world history is, although not new, certainly worth reading again, and again. Written not by an academically-formed historian but by a cultured aristocratic socialite, with a laser-sharp, analytical brain, witty tongue and unusual writing talent. Her deep knowledge and understanding of 'things French' and wide reading give this a richness and a brilliance that more scholarly efforts cannot equal. The Sun King comes to life in all his inapproachability but his more kindly aspects are revealed as well.
(Kathie Somerwil Ayrton - bwl 114 Autumn 2024) |
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Voltaire in Love |
This serious study of a side of Voltaire, rarely considered by historians, is
very well-researched and Mitford's experienced novelist's eye, and nose,
make for a refreshingly light touch. Her sophisticated world view
makes this account of the love match between Voltaire - famous French
writer-philosopher - and the Marquise du Châtelet - the most important
physicist and scientist in France at the time and a woman at that - an
exquisite and delightful read.
(Kathie Somerwil Ayrton - bwl 78 Autumn 2015) |
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