Decca: The Letters of Jessica Mitford by Jessica Mitford Reviewed by Christopher Hitchens
The Atlantic Monthly
"It is said that, just before the Sino-Soviet split, Nikita Khrushchev had a tense meeting with Zhou Enlai at which he told the latter that he now understood the problem. 'I am the son of coal miners,' he said. 'You are the descendant of feudal mandarins. We have nothing in common.' 'Perhaps we do,' murmured his Chinese antagonist. 'What?' blustered Khrushchev. 'We are,' responded Zhou, 'both traitors to our class.' For a true appreciation of the character and style of Jessica Mitford, it is necessary to picture Lady Bracknell not only abandoning the practice of arranging marriages for money but also aligning herself with the proletariat, while still managing to remain a character in a Wilde play...." Read the entire Atlantic Monthly review.