Date of Birth: September 8, 1924
Zodiac Sign: Virgo
Date of Death: February 25, 1964
Biography
Grace Metalious was an American novelist best known for her sensational debut novel, “Peyton Place,” published in 1956. Born Marie Grace DeRepentigny on September 8, 1924, in Manchester, New Hampshire, she grew up in a working-class Franco-American family. Metalious exhibited a passion for writing from a young age, often escaping the mundanities of her daily life through her vivid imagination and storytelling. “Peyton Place,” a novel set in a small New England town, exposed the hidden secrets and scandals of its seemingly idyllic community. The book became a massive bestseller, notorious for its explicit content and controversial themes, and it was later adapted into a successful film and TV series. Despite its success, the novel brought Metalious both fame and infamy, as she faced criticism and ostracism from more conservative circles. Metalious followed up with a few other novels, including “Return to Peyton Place” (1959), “The Tight White Collar” (1961), and “No Adam in Eden” (1963). However, none achieved the same level of acclaim or notoriety as her debut work. Her personal life was tumultuous, marked by financial struggles, alcoholism, and strained family relationships. Grace Metalious died of cirrhosis of the liver on February 25, 1964, at the age of 39. Despite her tragic end, her work left a lasting impact on American literature and culture, particularly in how it addressed taboo subjects and challenged societal norms.
5 Interesting Facts about Grace Metalious
1. “Peyton Place” stayed on The New York Times bestseller list for over a year and sold more than 12 million copies.
2. Metalious wrote much of “Peyton Place” in her kitchen, often while balancing the responsibilities of motherhood.
3. The success of “Peyton Place” was so overwhelming that Metalious’ hometown of Gilmanton, New Hampshire, distanced itself from her.
4. The film adaptation of “Peyton Place” received nine Academy Award nominations.
5. Metalious suffered from alcoholism, which contributed significantly to her early death.
5 Most Interesting Quotes from Grace Metalious
1. “If I’m a lousy writer, then an awful lot of people have lousy taste.”
2. “Even Tom Sawyer had a girlfriend, and to talk about adults without talking about their sex drives is like talking about a window without glass.”
3. “I looked back at my life and I knew that I had written the truth.”
4. “To talk about adults without talking about their sex drives is like talking about a window without glass.”
5. “It was a small town by a small river and a small lake in a small northern part of a gigantic country.”
Highest Net Worth Achieved
At the peak of her career, Grace Metalious’ net worth was estimated to be around $1 million, a significant sum during the 1950s and 1960s.
Children
Grace Metalious had three children with her husband, George Metalious: Marsha, Michael, and Cindy.
Relevant Links
1. [Wikipedia: Grace Metalious](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Metalious
2. [Peyton Place on Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/95827.Peyton_Place
3. [Biography on Biography.com](https://www.biography.com/writer/grace-metalious
4. [Peyton Place Film Information](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050839/
