Mary McCarthy was a powerful figure in mid-20th-century American literature, known for her leftist beliefs and fierce critique of contemporaries. Her infamous feud with Lillian Hellman resulted in a costly libel suit that ultimately harmed Hellman’s reputation. McCarthy gained prominence with her novel 'The Group' in 1963, depicting young women's lives in postwar New York, though its impact seems muted today. Some of her best work includes 'Memories of a Catholic Girlhood,' which blends fiction with autobiographical elements, provoking thoughtful reflection on narrative truth and personal confession.
McCarthy was already an established critic and fiction writer when, in 1963, she published The Group, the novel that was to bring her huge popular success.
The famous feud between McCarthy and the playwright Lillian Hellman led to a $2.5m libel suit brought by Hellman but damaged her own reputation beyond repair.
I should not care to spend eternity in the company of [a god] who would damn me for not working out a deal with Him.
Much of the material had already appeared as autobiographical essays in the New Yorker, and in her preface here she expresses surprise that some readers have taken them for stories.
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