The Great Dictator by Matthew Sweet review
An excellent, compassionate biography of the wildly prolific romantic novelist
TL;DR
- Barbara Cartland was known for dictating her novels at a rapid pace, producing around 8,000 words daily and publishing 723 books in total.
- Her life and personality were characterized by an indomitable will, influencing husbands, dogs, houses, and even the local council.
- Matthew Sweet's biography treats Cartland as a serious cultural phenomenon, utilizing extensive personal materials to provide a clear-sighted account.
- Cartland's upbringing in the lower upper class, with a father in business and a mother from the gentry, influenced her views on financial self-sufficiency and the fragility of men.
- Early in her career, Cartland wrote society gossip columns, revealing a post-WWI London society marked by loss and emotional restraint.
- She made strategic marriages to wealthy men, prioritizing financial security and her name, and was notably frustrated by not receiving a title until late in life.
- Cartland had a close relationship with her younger brother, Ronald, with whom she shared interests in philosophy and politics, advocating for Tory internationalism and writing against antisemitism.
- In her later "imperial phase," she became a relentless self-promoter, marketing various products under her name and engaging in unusual promotions.
- Her daughter Raine's connection to Diana Spencer provided Cartland with new promotional opportunities, linking her image to the royal wedding.
- Sweet's biography successfully embeds Cartland within the 20th century's transformations, portraying her as an admirable, self-made woman.