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It is always 1939
Jan. 28th, 2021 03:56 pmBook Review: Lady Clementine, by Marie Benedict
At some time in the past few months, I heard someone, I think of Scandinavian or northern European origin, most likely on Radio 4, express the view that in British drama, it is always 1939. It's not literally true, of course, but they have a point. For better or worse - and, as time goes on, I feel it's more often used for worse - the second World War is undeniably the creation myth of modern Britain (of course it does not bear thinking about what would have happened had we lost). I reflect uneasily on what could possibly displace it. The break-up of the United Kingdom seems all but inevitable, and may not be all bad, but hopefully taking place more in the Czechoslovakian mode than that of Yugoslavia.
I was inspired to look up Clementine Churchill after seeing Darkest Hour. In the film she was clearly portrayed as more than just "a politician's wife". This fictionalised account of her life in the period from 1908 to 1945 seemed as good a way as any to find out more. Coming from an impoverished aristocratic family sounds quite mainstream for fiction probing the nineteenth or early twentieth century. I wonder to what extent that's unusual; certainly much is made of comparing her own threadbare family and household with those she considers to be her peers, but we never see things from the other point of view, perhaps they are struggling to keep up appearances just the same. She is given quite liberal and radical political views, on issues from women's suffrage to India. Initially her views seem in close alignment with her husband, but later on there is more divergence, as Winston returns to the Conservative party. There's a focus on the strain between supporting her husband, her children, and having an independent existence. During the first World War she plays a much more supporting role, horrified by the consequences at Gallipoli of her husband's decisions (which she feels she may have influenced); returning to political power in the second World War, she drives her own domestic agenda, focussing on the need for food and shelter, and the war effort at home.
One or two things grate. American spelling is bearable, but use of words such as "sidewalk" and "fall" (autumn) seem out of place, especially as Clementine remarks once or twice about American English and the pronunciation of her name. There's a brief mention of the Manhattan project which feels quite anachronistic. Bletchley Park gets no mention, which may be plausible but seems odd given how much other wartime knowledge is attributed to Clementine and her own drive in getting women to join the war effort. Yet other things seem well considered, such as the perception of the relationships between Winston Churchill, FDR, Stalin and de Gaulle.
Overall, this feels quite skilfully slotted in to the more widely known history. I discovered that Benedict has made something of a career writing novels about historical female characters, which though worthy seems a bit of a niche to repeat over again. If this is representative of her works more widely, she has succeeded.
At some time in the past few months, I heard someone, I think of Scandinavian or northern European origin, most likely on Radio 4, express the view that in British drama, it is always 1939. It's not literally true, of course, but they have a point. For better or worse - and, as time goes on, I feel it's more often used for worse - the second World War is undeniably the creation myth of modern Britain (of course it does not bear thinking about what would have happened had we lost). I reflect uneasily on what could possibly displace it. The break-up of the United Kingdom seems all but inevitable, and may not be all bad, but hopefully taking place more in the Czechoslovakian mode than that of Yugoslavia.
I was inspired to look up Clementine Churchill after seeing Darkest Hour. In the film she was clearly portrayed as more than just "a politician's wife". This fictionalised account of her life in the period from 1908 to 1945 seemed as good a way as any to find out more. Coming from an impoverished aristocratic family sounds quite mainstream for fiction probing the nineteenth or early twentieth century. I wonder to what extent that's unusual; certainly much is made of comparing her own threadbare family and household with those she considers to be her peers, but we never see things from the other point of view, perhaps they are struggling to keep up appearances just the same. She is given quite liberal and radical political views, on issues from women's suffrage to India. Initially her views seem in close alignment with her husband, but later on there is more divergence, as Winston returns to the Conservative party. There's a focus on the strain between supporting her husband, her children, and having an independent existence. During the first World War she plays a much more supporting role, horrified by the consequences at Gallipoli of her husband's decisions (which she feels she may have influenced); returning to political power in the second World War, she drives her own domestic agenda, focussing on the need for food and shelter, and the war effort at home.
One or two things grate. American spelling is bearable, but use of words such as "sidewalk" and "fall" (autumn) seem out of place, especially as Clementine remarks once or twice about American English and the pronunciation of her name. There's a brief mention of the Manhattan project which feels quite anachronistic. Bletchley Park gets no mention, which may be plausible but seems odd given how much other wartime knowledge is attributed to Clementine and her own drive in getting women to join the war effort. Yet other things seem well considered, such as the perception of the relationships between Winston Churchill, FDR, Stalin and de Gaulle.
Overall, this feels quite skilfully slotted in to the more widely known history. I discovered that Benedict has made something of a career writing novels about historical female characters, which though worthy seems a bit of a niche to repeat over again. If this is representative of her works more widely, she has succeeded.