Hope Mirrlees
Hope Mirrlees
================
Full Name and Common Aliases
Hope Emily Mirrlees was a Scottish novelist and poet, best known for her fantasy novel Lud-in-the-Mist, published in 1926.
Birth and Death Dates
Mirrlees was born on September 23, 1887, in London, England, but she spent most of her life in Scotland. She passed away on July 24, 1978, in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Mirrlees held dual British and Scottish nationality. Her profession spanned both writing (novels and poetry) and teaching. She was an accomplished linguist with a deep understanding of various languages, including French, German, Italian, and ancient Greek.
Early Life and Background
Born to a family that valued education and the arts, Mirrlees developed her intellectual curiosity from an early age. Her father, James Mirrlees, was a civil servant who had moved to London from Scotland for work opportunities. The family maintained close ties with their Scottish heritage, which significantly influenced Mirrlees's writing.
Mirrlees attended the University of Edinburgh and later the University College London, where she studied German, French, and Italian. Her academic background laid the foundation for her future literary pursuits. Her early years were marked by a love for fantasy literature and poetry, an interest that would evolve into a lifelong passion.
Major Accomplishments
Mirrlees's most notable work is Lud-in-the-Mist, a novel that explores themes of imagination, morality, and the importance of art in society. The book has been celebrated by readers and critics alike for its unique narrative voice and imaginative world-building. In addition to her literary contributions, Mirrlees was also known for her translations from German and Italian.
Notable Works or Actions
In addition to Lud-in-the-Mist, Mirrlees wrote several other novels, including Kallikratia (1927), which she later abandoned. Her poetry collection, One Foot on the Past, was published posthumously in 1979.
Mirrlees's most notable contribution to literature is not limited to her writing alone but also extends to her influence on fellow authors and critics. She maintained a close relationship with the author E.M. Forster, who is said to have admired her work.
Impact and Legacy
Hope Mirrlees left an indelible mark on the fantasy genre through Lud-in-the-Mist. Her novel's themes of imagination, creativity, and social commentary continue to resonate with readers today. Despite her relatively small body of work, Mirrlees has become a cult figure in literary circles.
Mirrlees's influence can be seen in later authors who have built upon or been inspired by her themes and style. Her unique narrative voice and imaginative world-building continue to captivate readers and inspire new generations of writers.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Hope Mirrlees is widely quoted and remembered for several reasons:
Innovative storytelling: Lud-in-the-Mist's exploration of themes such as imagination, morality, and the importance of art in society has made it a seminal work in the fantasy genre.
Literary influence: Mirrlees's writing has inspired numerous authors and critics, solidifying her place in literary history.
* Cult following: Despite her relatively small body of work, Mirrlees has developed a devoted fan base among readers who appreciate her unique style and themes.
Overall, Hope Mirrlees was a talented author and poet whose contributions to the fantasy genre continue to inspire and captivate readers today.
Quotes by Hope Mirrlees
Hope Mirrlees's insights on:
The narrow zone of color created by the firelight was like the planet Earth – a little freak of brightness in a universe of impenetrable shadows.
Besides, there was that foolish feeling of his that reality was not solid, and that facts were only plastic toys; or, rather, that they were poisonous plants, which you need not pluck unless you choose. And, even if you do pluck them, you can always fling them from you and leave them to wither on the ground. He.
And there were ruined castles covered with ivy – the badge of the old order, clinging to its own; and into the ivy doves dived, seeming to leave in their wake a trail of amethyst, just as a clump of bottle-green leaves is shot with purple by the knowledge that it hides violets.
All the world over we are very conscious of the trees in spring, and watch with delight how the network of twigs on the wych-elms is becoming spangled with tiny puce flowers, like little beetles caught in a spider’s web, and how little lemon-colored buds are studding the thorn. While as to the long red-gold buds of the horse-chestnuts – they come bursting out with a sort of a visual bang. And now the beech is hatching its tiny perfectly-formed leaves.
There is not a single homely thing that, looked at from a certain angle, does not become fairy.
At last they settled down to their long watch – squatting round the fire, and laughing for sheer love of adventure as good campaigners should; for were there not marching towards them some eight dark hours equipped with who could say what curious weapons from the rich arsenal of night and day?
For he realized at last that the spiritual balm he had always found in silent things was simply the assurance that the passions and agonies of man were without meaning, roots, or duration – no more part of the permament background of the world than the curls of blue smoke that from time to time were wafted through the valley from the autumn bonfires of weeds and rubbish, and that he could see winding like blue wraiths in and out of the foilage of the trees.
A relationship that has become artificial, and connected, on one side, with a sense of duty rather than with spontaneous affection, is always an uncomfortable one.
You should regard each meeting with a friend as a sitting he is unwittingly giving you for a portrait – a portrait that, probably, when you or he die, will still be unfinished.