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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
Title: The Queen of Paris: A Novel of Coco Chanel
Author: Pamela Binnings Ewen
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
@blackstonepublishing
Let me preface this review by saying, I really didn’t know much about Coco Chanel before reading this book. Other than her famous No. 5 perfume. Turns out she was not a very likable person. That makes a book tough when you don’t like the main character!
Coco behaved like a typical spoiled wealthy girl and didn’t care who or what was in her way; Including colluding with the Nazi’s to save her perfume business when her partner went behind her back to cut her out of the business.
This book is a lesson to remind us that we are only as good as our choices and Coco’s choices and morals were not really great.
I don’t have much else to say.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ I love historical fiction, but this one wasn’t my favorite. Glad I had others to chat with this one from book club.
Author: Pamela Binnings Ewen
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
@blackstonepublishing
Let me preface this review by saying, I really didn’t know much about Coco Chanel before reading this book. Other than her famous No. 5 perfume. Turns out she was not a very likable person. That makes a book tough when you don’t like the main character!
Coco behaved like a typical spoiled wealthy girl and didn’t care who or what was in her way; Including colluding with the Nazi’s to save her perfume business when her partner went behind her back to cut her out of the business.
This book is a lesson to remind us that we are only as good as our choices and Coco’s choices and morals were not really great.
I don’t have much else to say.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ I love historical fiction, but this one wasn’t my favorite. Glad I had others to chat with this one from book club.
I knew nothing about Chanel and while this is fiction, it gives shape to her life during WWII and how it may have affected her personally as well as her business. Chanel is not always a likeable character and she acknowledges her at times questionable morals. Yet you, as the reader, still want her to survive because of her class and tenacity.
Thanks to Netgalley for the early copy and to Blackstone for approving my request to read.
Well, The Queen of Paris gets two stars from me. First, the good. Pamela Bunnings Ewen writes beautifully. She uses lush prose and brings the beautiful scenery and luxury of Coco Chanel’s lifestyle to the page with astounding clarity. She has certainly done a thorough job with her research. That’s THE only reason I’m giving the book any stars.
Now, the bad. I somehow did not know that Coco Chanel was a Nazi Collaborator. I could blame that on not really being familiar or a fan girl of the Chanel brand, but my own ignorance is appalling. I requested this book because I figured it would be cool to learn about a woman who built a legacy long after she had passed on.
Coco seems like the type of woman who ruthlessly went for what she wanted. To the point of selfishness and at times, humiliation. This story does not depict a kind or even likable person in my eyes. It might just be the subject matter, but I could not find admiration in Coco’s choice to collaborate with Nazis, and even take a Nazi lover, even if it was to help her friends and family. I can understand her thought process, as it would be unimaginable to know that your friends and family were in the hands of terrible people (that you are also willingly sleeping with). But, I think the admiration for people in that time lies with the ones who did everything to survive and fight AGAINST the Nazi wishes.
This book made me realize that Coco Chanel was talented and commanding, but a terribly lonely social climber… willing to tear the world apart to suit her whims and fancies. I could find no joy in this book because of what I learned, but sadly, I know there’s plenty of people out there who are Chanel fans who will use this book as a means to heighten her pedestal.
Well, The Queen of Paris gets two stars from me. First, the good. Pamela Bunnings Ewen writes beautifully. She uses lush prose and brings the beautiful scenery and luxury of Coco Chanel’s lifestyle to the page with astounding clarity. She has certainly done a thorough job with her research. That’s THE only reason I’m giving the book any stars.
Now, the bad. I somehow did not know that Coco Chanel was a Nazi Collaborator. I could blame that on not really being familiar or a fan girl of the Chanel brand, but my own ignorance is appalling. I requested this book because I figured it would be cool to learn about a woman who built a legacy long after she had passed on.
Coco seems like the type of woman who ruthlessly went for what she wanted. To the point of selfishness and at times, humiliation. This story does not depict a kind or even likable person in my eyes. It might just be the subject matter, but I could not find admiration in Coco’s choice to collaborate with Nazis, and even take a Nazi lover, even if it was to help her friends and family. I can understand her thought process, as it would be unimaginable to know that your friends and family were in the hands of terrible people (that you are also willingly sleeping with). But, I think the admiration for people in that time lies with the ones who did everything to survive and fight AGAINST the Nazi wishes.
This book made me realize that Coco Chanel was talented and commanding, but a terribly lonely social climber… willing to tear the world apart to suit her whims and fancies. I could find no joy in this book because of what I learned, but sadly, I know there’s plenty of people out there who are Chanel fans who will use this book as a means to heighten her pedestal.
medium-paced
3.5 stars. Longer than necessary, and Chanel devolved into an entitled termagant in the last ~1/3.
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is simply too long. I was hooked at the end, but it took me around five hours to get there. Also, coco definitely has a case of dumb bitch disease.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual content, Torture
Nazis. It’s a World War Two book guys you get what you pay for.
informative
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Just finished reading this amazing book and I’m in awe.The author brought this icon to life in these pages.The different roles she played during World War II and the reasons why.This book goes beyond the facade to show us the real woman.The one who did what she had to for love of family and Chanel No 5.
Extremely interesting details of how the rich lived during this time.
You won’t be able to put it down once you start.
Thankyou Netgalley for this ARC.
Extremely interesting details of how the rich lived during this time.
You won’t be able to put it down once you start.
Thankyou Netgalley for this ARC.
"Don't be like the rest of them, darling."
* An advanced e-book was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was intrigued by The Queen of Paris because of, well, Coco Chanel. But I was surprised by an implication in the novel.
The book is a historical fiction novel about Coco Chanel, iconic French fashion designer and Nazi sympathizer. It follows her mainly from the late 1930s to the liberation of France in 1944, with flashbacks to other points in time as well.
The good things first: Ewen's logical reasoning to fill in gaps of history was good. I believed it to be fact until the notation at the end told me otherwise. I also appreciated her use of other historical figures in the story, like Goring.
There was also the implication that Chanel was just collaborating with the Nazis for her son-nephew. It was almost as if Ewen expected us to not believe that Chanel had any deeper knowledge about the going-ons in Germany, and that no one drunkenly told her anything about the concentration camps. I had a hard time believing that.
It was also needlessly long. The 100+ pages about her quest for jasmine extract was absolutely useless and served nothing to the plot.
* An advanced e-book was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was intrigued by The Queen of Paris because of, well, Coco Chanel. But I was surprised by an implication in the novel.
The book is a historical fiction novel about Coco Chanel, iconic French fashion designer and Nazi sympathizer. It follows her mainly from the late 1930s to the liberation of France in 1944, with flashbacks to other points in time as well.
The good things first: Ewen's logical reasoning to fill in gaps of history was good. I believed it to be fact until the notation at the end told me otherwise. I also appreciated her use of other historical figures in the story, like Goring.
There was also the implication that Chanel was just collaborating with the Nazis for her son-nephew. It was almost as if Ewen expected us to not believe that Chanel had any deeper knowledge about the going-ons in Germany, and that no one drunkenly told her anything about the concentration camps. I had a hard time believing that.
It was also needlessly long. The 100+ pages about her quest for jasmine extract was absolutely useless and served nothing to the plot.