Those given to hasty judgments might find the title of Betty Maxwell's autobiography something of a logical contradiction. Even leaving aside the strangeness, to feminist eyes, of the title's construction, just a passing knowledge of the dynamics of Robert Maxwell's ego would seem to preclude the possibility of having the one while being with the other for 47 years. Yet, when one has read the book, it becomes clear that the colon is, after all, perfectly placed between the two propositions, and that the initial judgment turned on a very narrow and possibly rather transitory definition of having a mind of one's own. If living with Robert Maxwell provides satisfaction, however specialised, then to do so is perfectly in keeping with having a mind of one's own.

LRB 26 January 1995 | PDF Download