Compton-Burnett, Ivy (1884-1969), an English novelist, ranks among the most accomplished literary stylists of her time. In achieving style, she largely ignored description, plot, and exciting action. Instead, she used highly polished dialogue to reveal the essential nature and inner thoughts of her characters. All her characters speak brilliantly—whether they are adults or children, masters or servants. Many of her books center around intricate family relationships. They are all set in the late Victorian upper-class atmosphere in which Compton-Burnett was raised. Her novels include Bullivant and the Lambs (1948), Mother and Son (1955), and The Mighty and Their Fall (1962).
Compton-Burnett was born in London on June 5, 1884. Queen Elizabeth II made her a Dame Commander in the Order of the British Empire in 1967, and she became known as Dame Ivy Compton-Burnett. Compton-Burnett died on Aug. 27, 1969.
