Grace Metalious
Grace Metalious was a prominent American novelist best known for her groundbreaking work, "Peyton Place," published in 1956. Born into a challenging environment in a French Canadian neighborhood in New Hampshire, she faced financial hardships throughout her early life. After marrying George Metalious at eighteen and raising three children, she continued to pursue her passion for writing. "Peyton Place" became a literary sensation, selling millions of copies and challenging the norms of small-town life by revealing its hidden secrets. However, the novel also attracted significant criticism for its explicit content and led to accusations of poor writing. Despite publishing three more novels, Metalious struggled with the pressures of fame, public backlash, and personal challenges, including family issues and heavy drinking. Tragically, her life was cut short by cirrhosis of the liver, just a year after she became a grandmother. Her legacy continues to be explored, notably in Emily Toth's biography, "Inside Peyton Place: The Life of Grace Metalious."
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Subject Terms
Grace Metalious
Author
- Born: September 8, 1924
- Birthplace: Manchester, New Hampshire
- Died: February 25, 1964
- Place of death: New Hampshire
Biography
Novelist Grace Metalious was born into the impoverished and broken de Repentigny family in a French Canadian ghetto of New Hampshire, but she made her way through childhood with imagination and her love of writing. At age eighteen, she married George Metalious, and the couple had three children. Grace Metalious stayed at home with her children, still living in financially poor circumstances and still writing.
Her life changed in 1956 with the publication of the then- scandalous Peyton Place, depicting small-town lives and secrets. The book eventually sold millions and changed the face of publishing, but also induced severe criticism of the author, whom some condemned for what they considered her inappropriate storylines. Critics also accused her of being a poor writer in general. Though she went on to publish three additional successful novels, Metalious struggled with the harsh criticisms—Peyton Place was even banned in many places—and with family problems. She began drinking heavily in order to cope. Metalious died young of cirrhosis of the liver, just one year after becoming a grandmother.
Emily Toth penned a revealing biography of the writer, Inside Peyton Place: The Life of Grace Metalious, which was published in 1981. The controversial first novel was adapted into a film in 1957; it also inspired a 1960’s soap opera.