The Pursuit of Love & Love in a Cold Climate: Two Novels
by Nancy Mitford

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Book Reviews of The Pursuit of Love & Love in a Cold Climate: Two Novels

Book Review: The Prodigal Daughters
Summary: 5 Stars

At the other extreme is Lady Montdore, one of the more fascinating characters of "Love in a Cold Climate". She has everything Linda lacks: power, position, and money. But she is cold. When little Polly Montdore arrives in this world, her perfect beauty is used merely to further Lady Montdore's ambition. But Polly will grow up to be a prodigal daughter, breaking ties with her family and throwing away her inheritance to marry "Mr. Wrong".

Mitford's superb story-telling abilities offer levity and substance to lucky readers. While presenting a bird's-eye view of upper class European culture before and during WWII, Mitford simultaneously explores the conflict between the practical and romantic life.

This conflict is illustrated through the primary character of each of the novels. Two sides of the same coin, Linda and Lady Montdore both consider marriage to be the main event in a woman's life. Linda wants love, a physical and spiritual connection with a man; to her, that is marriage. A marriage license is just governmental red tape, almost useless, totally unromantic.

Lady Montdore views marriage as the only decent career for a woman. Her husband controls a great number of people and a vast fortune; and she, for the most part, controls him. Even in the modern world, where women work outside the home, marriage and career are interrelated, and people often choose partners who will be compatible with their career and ambitions. Early on, Lady Montdore warns Fanny, the book's narrator: "don't you go marrying just anybody, for love." Indeed, it's difficult to believe Lady Montdore has ever done anything for love.

Yet she is human and capable of being hurt. Mitford portrays both Linda and Lady Montdore with equal sensitivity. They are women and, if one believes in astrology, daughters of Venus. Through these books, one can learn much about the goddess of love and her realm. She is like the diamond, infinitely delicate yet stronger than any other stone; rare and resplendent yet created from common grey graphite; pure like a virgin, yet very ancient.

This contradiction is the heart of these volumes. Prodigal daughters gravitate towards love, like moths to a flame - but they rarely help it grow. Icy women fan the flame of love, but too much coldness snuffs it out. Stable, married women do not have it easy, but life is worse for women who think that romance will keep them afloat throughout life. In their pursuit of love they bolt from man to man, staying only so long as the magic lasts, wasting themselves in the process. Punishment is harsh for Linda, "The Bolter", Polly, and other prodigal daughters. Still, Mitford avoids tiresome moralizing, maintaining a light comic tone.

The two novels are skillfully connected; both are set during the same timeframe, in two distinct houses not far apart. They complement one other and many of the same characters can be found in both stories, i.e. savage Lord Radlett, hypochondriac Davey, and sexy Sauveterre. But the character which is most helpful in merging the stories is Fanny, the humble narrator. She is neither an ice queen nor a fiery prodigal daughter, but something in between - the ideal woman. In her early years as a debutante she found love and evergreen friendship. She works hard, is not easily bored, expects little, and gains much. Thus avoiding the troubles and uncertain fate of a prodigal daughter.

Summary of The Pursuit of Love & Love in a Cold Climate: Two Novels

Seen through the adoring eyes of Fanny Logan, the self-effacing cousin who records their shenanigans with a wicked sincerity, the Radletts of Alconleigh shine with Gloucestershire glamour: apoplectic Uncle Matthew; Lord Alconleigh (modeled to a fine nuance after Mitford's father, Lord Redesdale, who like Uncle Matthew used to hunt his children with bloodhounds); his kind, rather vague wife, Aunt Sadie; as well as Fanny's favorite cousin Linda and the other six Radlett children. The Radlett daughters and Fanny wait impatiently for life to become interesting. Because of their station, however, nothing but marriage is expected of them, so they hurl themselves at love like crusaders, with varied and always fascinating results. At one point Fanny recounts:

A few minutes only after Linda had left me to go back to London, Christian and the comrades, I had another caller. This time it was Lord Merlin...."This is a bad business," he said, abruptly, and without preamble, though I had not seen him for several years. "I'm just back from Rome, and what do I find--Linda and Christian Talbot. It's an extraordinary thing that I can't ever leave England without Linda getting herself mixed up with some thoroughly undesirable character. This is a disaster--how far has it gone? Can nothing be done?"

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