Submitted by Carmel Boyle, Nov 7, 2007 22:54

I've never been a member of the Mitford fan club, breathlessly rushing out to buy yet the latest book about/on them.

I did read Jessica's letters last year and found them sufficiently interesting to survive the 600 or so pages of relentless Mitford self-absorption. She at least managed to overcome her class and work for those who were worse off. But I defy anyone to not tire completely of Mitford "speak" by the end.

One of the interesting aspects of the Mitford legend is the way they are trivialized by the whole Mitford "speak," their class and their beauty. Too often, the empty humor of their language represents for some, harmless innocents at play on the world stage.

Unity may have been intellectually feeble, but she was a 100% Nazi and was quite happy to claim a flat in Berlin which was forcibly requisitioned from a Jewish family — even to the point of making jokes as their furniture and goods were thrown on the street.

Diana was no beautiful, harmless, airhead sidekick of a Nazi. She was a vicious anti-Semite who would have been happy to fire the first shot — it was upper class pride and political conviction, rather than loyalty, that kept her so fiercely unrepentant.

"Muv" and "Farv" were pretty keen on Mr. Hitler too — as were a significant % of the English upper class at the time. To his credit "Farv" saw the light a bit earlier than "Muv."

It looks as if I may have to buy this one as well — too maddening (as they would have said).

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