Thursday, July 7, 2011

Book Love - Wait for Me!

North American cover

I'm reading the memoirs of Deborah Mitford.  Actually I'm listening to them on CD.  I don't usually listen to books but my schedule has been challenging and I find I have little time to read.  So I decided to make use of my commute and listen to a book.

The Mitford sisters were so interesting.  I'm not really sure why.  Maybe because some of them were outrageous (one was a Fascist who married Sir Oswald Mosley, and another was a Communist, while still another shot herself in the head when she realized Great Britain declared war on Germany).  Deborah is probably the most conventional of all of the sisters and the youngest of them.  How funny that a Duchess would be considered, "conventional".  They had an interesting childhood and her writing is very "listenable".  It helps to have a good narrator in the way of Anne Flosnik.

Even though the girls didn't have a formal education (their mother was big on what we would be something akin to homeschool and she cared little for exams), they were so creative and witty.  All of them were voracious letter writers and their words have been preserved in various books written by them and about them. 

Most people know of Nancy Mitford, who wrote books about her family, thinly veiled as fiction.  You know my love of portraiture, be it human or dog or horse.  This is a portrait of Nancy Mitford I discovered and I love it.  She's a bit pointy looking in it, but I love it nonetheless.  I tried to find information on the artist but came up empty.


Nancy Mitford portrait by Mogens Tvede

The guys are off to Cub Scout Camp and I have three days to myself.  I'll be cleaning my filthy house, but also doing some stuff that will be more enjoyable.  Like staying up late and reading!


7 comments:

Margaret said...

I've heard the name, but didn't really know why. I'm not at all auditory, so I'm worried about trying to listen to books. I think my mind would wander. I don't remember things well either when I just hear them.

Arlene said...

Margaret,
This is really my first try to listen to a book on CD. I've heard excerpts before but never a full book. I do find my mind wandering sometimes and then I have to rewind. But for the most part it seems to be a good way for me to catch up on some "reading."

Unknown said...

Clean your house....? Why in heaven's name would you do that when you have all this alone time?? Settle in with a blanket and hot tea, dogs at your feet, and all your books. Read till you're sick of words. Much more useful.

Dolly said...

"sick of words"? Is that possible?

I read Pointy Nancy's Voltaire in Love a number of years ago. It was a fun read. I imagine Deborah Mitford's telling of her own tale is a hoot!

Arlene said...

Now, Dolly, this is exactly why we're friends. I've always appreciated your wide range of interests in everything from art to politics to child rearing (which you did quite admirably).


And Isabel, Dolly is right. How could you possible be sick of words? But I do get the idea.

Dolly said...

Thanks for the compliment, girlie! But don't think less of me because my reasons for reading Mitford were hardly noble: I went on a Voltaire binge after a required reading of Candide and learning that Voltaire was really, really good-looking.

Arlene said...

Ha! So glad you got something out of required reading-:).