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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
I knew nothing of Coco Chanel before listening to this. I could not have any empathy for the main character, which makes it difficult to finish the book. She was entitled, and generally horrible. The author spun her story as a product of her circumstances, which usually was for her own self gain anyway. I only finished it because I wanted to see if Coco Chanel as a historical character had any redeeming qualities. Not really.
emotional
slow-paced
Find this review and more on my blog at Worlds Unlike Our Own.
Thank you to the publisher, Blackstone Publishing, and Edelweiss for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Queen of Paris is a glimpse into the life of Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel better known as Coco Chanel during the years of World War II. On one hand, the Nazi occupy Paris, and on the other, Coco’s business partner has escaped to America taking with him the confidential formula of the world famous Chanel No. 5 perfume. Fearing a double cross that might see her cut out of her business and the loss of her life’s work, she begins a legal battle for the ownership of the House of Chanel and is determined to win at any cost, using the fact that her business partner is Jewish to her favour, and even collaborating with the Nazis.
Coco Chanel is a new historical figure for me, and I’ve never read much about her before. What I found most interesting about this book was that, although it is set in the middle of World War II, it focuses entirely on Chanel’s experience of it. Largely, Coco’s lifestyle is not affected much by the Nazi occupation at all, and she continues her luxurious lifestyle, legal battles aside. Interspersed with flashbacks from her younger years, the author paints a fascinating portrait of a girl of humble beginnings who learned some hard lessons along the way and grew into a strong and determined woman. I think this is also the first time I’ve read a historical fiction novel that doesn’t focus on a character that could be considered a ‘heroic’ figure by any stretch of imagination – a very complicated protagonist, if she can be called that at all.
Coco is a hard character to like. She’s had a difficult life, no doubt, but her only focus is on her business and what might become of her were she to lose it. A Nazi sympathizer, she treats the war as no more than a nuisance and in some cases turns a deliberate blind eye to the sufferings around her, only caring when it affects someone close to her and even then only for that one person. The extent she is willing to go to to ensure her personal financial security and that of the House of Chanel is quite shocking – collaborating with Nazis, even before her costly mistake that leads to her turning spy. However, what I found far more interesting were the flashbacks from her earlier years, the repeated betrayals by the men in her life, and the events that led to the creation and rise of the House of Chanel, known as the Société Mademoiselle. But behind the glamour in the end, Coco Chanel led a very solitary life, ultimately something she brought upon herself by her actions.
One thing I found really odd about this book was how the flashbacks were in first person, but the present day timeline was not. It was very jarring each time it switched, and would have been much better had the entire story been in first person. It was also extremely curious how, despite how driven by self-interest alone Coco is, there was a part of her that was astonishingly enough, still naive even after the many experiences and lessons she has gone through in life – she still doesn’t care to look beyond her own perspective.
I really enjoyed this portrayal of Coco Chanel, a woman who was charming, but also undoubtedly cold, calculating and ruthless. It was fun getting to know about this interesting personality in this well researched and intriguing read. Highly recommended!
Thank you to the publisher, Blackstone Publishing, and Edelweiss for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Queen of Paris is a glimpse into the life of Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel better known as Coco Chanel during the years of World War II. On one hand, the Nazi occupy Paris, and on the other, Coco’s business partner has escaped to America taking with him the confidential formula of the world famous Chanel No. 5 perfume. Fearing a double cross that might see her cut out of her business and the loss of her life’s work, she begins a legal battle for the ownership of the House of Chanel and is determined to win at any cost, using the fact that her business partner is Jewish to her favour, and even collaborating with the Nazis.
Coco Chanel is a new historical figure for me, and I’ve never read much about her before. What I found most interesting about this book was that, although it is set in the middle of World War II, it focuses entirely on Chanel’s experience of it. Largely, Coco’s lifestyle is not affected much by the Nazi occupation at all, and she continues her luxurious lifestyle, legal battles aside. Interspersed with flashbacks from her younger years, the author paints a fascinating portrait of a girl of humble beginnings who learned some hard lessons along the way and grew into a strong and determined woman. I think this is also the first time I’ve read a historical fiction novel that doesn’t focus on a character that could be considered a ‘heroic’ figure by any stretch of imagination – a very complicated protagonist, if she can be called that at all.
Coco is a hard character to like. She’s had a difficult life, no doubt, but her only focus is on her business and what might become of her were she to lose it. A Nazi sympathizer, she treats the war as no more than a nuisance and in some cases turns a deliberate blind eye to the sufferings around her, only caring when it affects someone close to her and even then only for that one person. The extent she is willing to go to to ensure her personal financial security and that of the House of Chanel is quite shocking – collaborating with Nazis, even before her costly mistake that leads to her turning spy. However, what I found far more interesting were the flashbacks from her earlier years, the repeated betrayals by the men in her life, and the events that led to the creation and rise of the House of Chanel, known as the Société Mademoiselle. But behind the glamour in the end, Coco Chanel led a very solitary life, ultimately something she brought upon herself by her actions.
One thing I found really odd about this book was how the flashbacks were in first person, but the present day timeline was not. It was very jarring each time it switched, and would have been much better had the entire story been in first person. It was also extremely curious how, despite how driven by self-interest alone Coco is, there was a part of her that was astonishingly enough, still naive even after the many experiences and lessons she has gone through in life – she still doesn’t care to look beyond her own perspective.
I really enjoyed this portrayal of Coco Chanel, a woman who was charming, but also undoubtedly cold, calculating and ruthless. It was fun getting to know about this interesting personality in this well researched and intriguing read. Highly recommended!
challenging
dark
informative
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’d like to start by thanking Blackstone Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC. Prior to reading this book, I did not know much about the story of Gabrielle (Coco) Chanel. I have read a lot of WWII historical fiction, so I was very excited to read this. I've seen some claims that she was anti-Semitic so I was interested to see how that was approached in this novel and if I felt like I could come to the same conclusion. Of course, this is historical FICTION, so I understand that there may be some slant.
The author's style in this book is very engaging and has the right amount of description. The writing was easy to follow and I like that the chapters were relatively short. My one concern with the writing style in Queen of Paris is that the pacing seemed a little strange; the years 1940 and 1941 take up nearly 85% of the novel while the remaining years through the end of WWII seemed rushed.
This is one of the first novels I can remember classified as a WWII historical fiction that I've read that isn't focused on a "hero"... someone who resists the Nazis, is part of the French Resistance, or is Jewish and taken to a concentration camp. I liked that this was a different viewpoint and that Coco Chanel is clearly not a one-dimensional "perfect" person. While her character can be annoying at times and she frequently makes idiotic decisions, I think that is refreshing for this genre. While reading, I would find her actions to be frustrating and inappropriate, but then she'd surprise me by doing something I could understand. I am not saying I agree with every decision she made throughout this novel, I'm just saying it was refreshing to read about a "gray" character and attempt to understand the reasoning behind the decisions she made.
In summary, I did enjoy reading this novel. At the end, the thought that stuck with me was that we all make poor decisions in our life, largely driven by our own experiences. Should we be forgiven for these mistakes if they are made because we are naive and acting in our own self interest? I'm not sure of the answer to that question, but this book will definitely make you think about it.
Overall, a 3.5 star read for me.
The author's style in this book is very engaging and has the right amount of description. The writing was easy to follow and I like that the chapters were relatively short. My one concern with the writing style in Queen of Paris is that the pacing seemed a little strange; the years 1940 and 1941 take up nearly 85% of the novel while the remaining years through the end of WWII seemed rushed.
This is one of the first novels I can remember classified as a WWII historical fiction that I've read that isn't focused on a "hero"... someone who resists the Nazis, is part of the French Resistance, or is Jewish and taken to a concentration camp. I liked that this was a different viewpoint and that Coco Chanel is clearly not a one-dimensional "perfect" person. While her character can be annoying at times and she frequently makes idiotic decisions, I think that is refreshing for this genre. While reading, I would find her actions to be frustrating and inappropriate, but then she'd surprise me by doing something I could understand. I am not saying I agree with every decision she made throughout this novel, I'm just saying it was refreshing to read about a "gray" character and attempt to understand the reasoning behind the decisions she made.
In summary, I did enjoy reading this novel. At the end, the thought that stuck with me was that we all make poor decisions in our life, largely driven by our own experiences. Should we be forgiven for these mistakes if they are made because we are naive and acting in our own self interest? I'm not sure of the answer to that question, but this book will definitely make you think about it.
Overall, a 3.5 star read for me.
informative
slow-paced
Loveable characters:
No
My dislike for Coco is not factoring in to my rating of this book because 1) I did not realize I did not like her until I read this book and 2) my issue with the book is stylistic. It is well written, but the switching from third to first person and back was unappealing and frankly confusing as I was listening to the book. I am a fan of historical fiction and I like that the majority of the story was based in truth, that the fictional parts included some of the rumors surrounding Coco and that some of the dialogue had to be made made. But, the narration change was not working for me. My dislike for Coco will be covered by spoilers for anyone who, like me, was unaware. We start the book believing that Coco is a sympathetic character. I was ready to ride at dawn for this woman (and by that I mean go out and start buying No.5 whether or not I like how it smells) since she was being cheated out of her name, her company, and her perfume that she created all on her own. Then we get her backstory about being abandoned by her father after the death of her mother. Then we find out that she was a kept woman. All of this is interspersed with her time during the war, which she thought was fake. Even when she was living in a German occupied hotel she still thought it was fake. She saw a Jewish woman being drug away from her family and she didn't speak out. I understand the women who slept with the German soldiers to keep themselves safe; for many it was the only way they could stay alive. But not Coco. She did it because they were old friends and why not. She was quite possibly the most self centered person I have ever read about. Her being a Nazi spy, which based on this book appears to have been under duress to protect her nephew (who might have actually been her son), I can understand. But her refusing to see what was really happening, refusing to believe what was really happening. All because "what can I do?" was despicable. Getting her nephew/son out of the prison camp and to safety and then taking care of her maid after she was attacked just because she was her maid. The book ends with her having a meeting with her business partner, the one who owned 90% of the company and caused her so many problems, showing up with a a bank statement showing how much money she has made since he moved the company to America and them being friends again. We also find out that he was the one who got her out of France and to Switzerland, where she was staying at the end of the war. He was a good character, a good person, and deserved better than Coco. I realize this is historical fiction, but I learned a lot about Coco Chanel during this book and while some of it was sad, most of her troubles were of her own making and I cannot feel bad for her.
Incredible!
I loved the story, but being a huge, lifetime admirer of Coco, I knew certain factors already common knowledge, to be different than written in the book. I chose to let the mix up’s slide, and I’m glad I did. Read this marvellous book, including the authors notes, where she immediately addresses the very thing!
I loved the story, but being a huge, lifetime admirer of Coco, I knew certain factors already common knowledge, to be different than written in the book. I chose to let the mix up’s slide, and I’m glad I did. Read this marvellous book, including the authors notes, where she immediately addresses the very thing!
Unlike the cringe-worthy title, I found the book extremely engaging. Unputdownable - when I did try to occasionally drift away, I caught myself thinking about the plot.
The book takes one through four years of the German’s occupation of France and how Coco, at the same time, struggled with her personal battles. For an ingenuous reader, the book is a very well-founded source to fathom into how Chanel became the brand it is today - Coco’s appalling childhood, her love affairs, her incipience with fashion, encounter with opportunities that led her to dextrously building the brand, her stance in protecting her business and the succinct, go-with-your-chin-up attitude has nothing but made her an unparalleled prodigy of creations.
Characters in History have me scared given their beaucoup nature, but the author has them subtly slip in and out without making you bereft of the storyline. For my taste, the book was quite inclined towards Coco’s personal life, I would have liked to be more informed of Chanel’s business decisions. Nonetheless, the description is appeasing your imaginative eye with impressive visuals. All in all, a five star read!
The book takes one through four years of the German’s occupation of France and how Coco, at the same time, struggled with her personal battles. For an ingenuous reader, the book is a very well-founded source to fathom into how Chanel became the brand it is today - Coco’s appalling childhood, her love affairs, her incipience with fashion, encounter with opportunities that led her to dextrously building the brand, her stance in protecting her business and the succinct, go-with-your-chin-up attitude has nothing but made her an unparalleled prodigy of creations.
Characters in History have me scared given their beaucoup nature, but the author has them subtly slip in and out without making you bereft of the storyline. For my taste, the book was quite inclined towards Coco’s personal life, I would have liked to be more informed of Chanel’s business decisions. Nonetheless, the description is appeasing your imaginative eye with impressive visuals. All in all, a five star read!
Historical fiction. Parts grabbed my attention and some parts did not. Not my normal genre but I did overall enjoy listening to this audiobook.
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes