Rose Macaulay was a fascinating and influential British writer, known for her wit and intellect. She wrote numerous novels, essays and biographies, and she was highly regarded for her versatility as a writer. Her works often explored themes of social change, women's rights and the complexities of human relationships. She had a unique ability to capture the essence of her characters and the world they inhabited, making her a much-admired figure in the literary world. The satirical novel What Not was published in 1918. Foreshadowing Orwell's “1984”, it is set in a futuristic England where a government agency, known as the Ministry of Brains, is responsible for regulating and controlling relationships and marriages based on intelligence and eugenics. The story follows the main character, Kitty Grammont, as she navigates and rebels against the strict rules and regulations imposed by the Ministry. “What Not” is notable for its biting social commentary on government control, bureaucracy and the dangers of sacrificing personal liberty for societal ideals.
With an evident love of language and a deft ear for biting humor, Clare Corbett has a field day narrating this delightfully inventive 1918 social satire, which savages eugenics, education, bureaucracy, and gender roles, among other hot topics of the early twentieth century. The premise is simple: To avoid the disaster of another Great War (WWI) the "Ministry of Brains" is created. Intelligence is
