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Jan Struther

36quotes

Jan Struther: A Life of Wit and Wisdom


Full Name and Common Aliases


Jan Struther was the pen name of Margaret Elisabeth Robertson, a British journalist, novelist, and memoirist.

Birth and Death Dates


Born on January 9, 1903, in London, England; died on February 22, 1953.

Nationality and Profession(s)


British; journalist, novelist, and memoirist.

Early Life and Background


Jan Struther was born into a literary family. Her father, Charles Robertson, was a Scottish journalist, while her mother, Margaret Smith, was a writer of children's books. This family background fostered Struther's interest in writing from an early age. She attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) but soon turned to journalism as a career.

Major Accomplishments


Struther's most notable achievement is her work on "Mrs. Miniver," a novel that explores the experiences of British women during World War II. The book, first published in 1939, was a huge success and became an iconic representation of British domestic life during wartime. Its success also spawned a film adaptation, as well as a Broadway play.

Notable Works or Actions


In addition to "Mrs. Miniver," Struther wrote several other novels, including "The Minister's Wife," which explores the lives of clergy wives in London. She also contributed articles and short stories to various British publications, such as _The Listener_ and _Punch_. Her writing often focused on themes of domesticity, social class, and women's roles within society.

Impact and Legacy


Jan Struther's work has had a lasting impact on British literature, particularly in the portrayal of women's lives during wartime. "Mrs. Miniver" has become an enduring symbol of British resilience and determination during World War II. Her writing also contributed to a growing awareness of social class issues and women's roles within society.

Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered


Jan Struther is widely quoted or remembered for her insightful portrayals of British domestic life, particularly during wartime. Her work offers a unique perspective on the experiences of women during this period, making her an important figure in British literary history.

Quotes by Jan Struther

She reached her doorstep. The key turned sweetly in the lock. That was the kind of thing one remembered about a house: not the size of the rooms or the color of the walls, but the feel of the door-handles and light-switches, the shape and texture of the banister-rail under one’s palm; minute tactual intimacies, whose resumption was the essence of coming home.
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She reached her doorstep. The key turned sweetly in the lock. That was the kind of thing one remembered about a house: not the size of the rooms or the color of the walls, but the feel of the door-handles and light-switches, the shape and texture of the banister-rail under one’s palm; minute tactual intimacies, whose resumption was the essence of coming home.
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Words were the only net to catch a mood, the only sure weapon against oblivion.
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Words were the only net to catch a mood, the only sure weapon against oblivion.
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This was the cream of marriage, this nightly turning out of the day’s pocketful of memories, this deft habitual sharing of two pairs of eyes, two pairs of ears. It gave you, in a sense, almost a double life: though never, on the other hand, quite a single one.
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This was the cream of marriage, this nightly turning out of the day’s pocketful of memories, this deft habitual sharing of two pairs of eyes, two pairs of ears. It gave you, in a sense, almost a double life: though never, on the other hand, quite a single one.
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Clem Miniver: She was a good cook, as good cooks go. And as good cooks go, she went.
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Clem Miniver: She was a good cook, as good cooks go. And as good cooks go, she went.
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One is what one remembers: no more, no less.
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One is what one remembers: no more, no less.
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The worst of gardening is that it’s so full of metaphors one hardly knows where to begin.
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The worst of gardening is that it’s so full of metaphors one hardly knows where to begin.
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I can’t abide cats myself, but of course we have to have one in the kitchen to deal with the mice. I insisted on getting a black one, because anything else shows the dirt so in London.
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I can’t abide cats myself, but of course we have to have one in the kitchen to deal with the mice. I insisted on getting a black one, because anything else shows the dirt so in London.
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Things happen too quickly, crisis follows crisis, the soil of our minds is perpetually disturbed. Each of us, to relieve his feelings, broadcasts his own running commentary on the preposterous and bewildering events of the hour: and this, nowadays, is what passes for conversation.
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Things happen too quickly, crisis follows crisis, the soil of our minds is perpetually disturbed. Each of us, to relieve his feelings, broadcasts his own running commentary on the preposterous and bewildering events of the hour: and this, nowadays, is what passes for conversation.
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It seemed to her sometimes that the most important thing about marriage was not a home or children or a remedy against sin, but simply there being always an eye to catch.
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It seemed to her sometimes that the most important thing about marriage was not a home or children or a remedy against sin, but simply there being always an eye to catch.
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And I am a mockery, who was God before.
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And I am a mockery, who was God before.
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