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memawls's review against another edition
Ok, so I couldn't even read this one. I read a few pages and was bored. Usually I give a book a chance, but the writing steered me away from wanting to read more.
booksladycma's review against another edition
3.0
This was a nice, conversational book. It told about Coco Chanel's life and how she lived it, and drew lessons from various points in that life. It did provide a balanced look, not all Chanel-could-do-no-wrong, which I liked. The author told stories about herself as well, as they related to the chapters and Chanel.
Not a heavy philosophical tome, but a nice read.
Not a heavy philosophical tome, but a nice read.
summermsmith's review against another edition
4.0
This book is not what I expected, but I really enjoyed Karen Karbo's writing style and sharp wit. It had me laughing at several parts of the book.
Everyone knows when you hear the word Chanel, you think elegance and style. She gave us the LBD {little black dress}, jersey knit, button-up cardigans, No.5, etc., all good news. However, this book goes into far more than the House of Chanel and into the personal life and times of Coco.
Bad news- when actually learning about her life and some of her attitudes and choices in life, I do not know if I would chose her as someone to look up to. However, no one can doubt this women did something right. This is not a book about fashion do and don'ts, although there is a little of that thrown in, it is a fantastically witty book about the very complex fashion icon that redefined women's fashion forever.
***Spoiler Alert***
Fascinating news- Chanel had rights to ONLY 10% of Chanel No. 5. Pierre Wertheimer owned the other 90%. Upon realizing how much money she was loosing to him she sued him & then continued to sue him on and off for approx. 40 years. It was truly a love hate relationship because in 1954 he funded her come-back and then when that failed miserably the first time, he continued to fund her until she got back on her feet.
Final news- she had an impressive line up of lovers! The chapter that lays it out for you is probably the funniest in the book. Choose to use the puns, or not, for a more gratifying understanding.
Everyone knows when you hear the word Chanel, you think elegance and style. She gave us the LBD {little black dress}, jersey knit, button-up cardigans, No.5, etc., all good news. However, this book goes into far more than the House of Chanel and into the personal life and times of Coco.
Bad news- when actually learning about her life and some of her attitudes and choices in life, I do not know if I would chose her as someone to look up to. However, no one can doubt this women did something right. This is not a book about fashion do and don'ts, although there is a little of that thrown in, it is a fantastically witty book about the very complex fashion icon that redefined women's fashion forever.
***Spoiler Alert***
Fascinating news- Chanel had rights to ONLY 10% of Chanel No. 5. Pierre Wertheimer owned the other 90%. Upon realizing how much money she was loosing to him she sued him & then continued to sue him on and off for approx. 40 years. It was truly a love hate relationship because in 1954 he funded her come-back and then when that failed miserably the first time, he continued to fund her until she got back on her feet.
Final news- she had an impressive line up of lovers! The chapter that lays it out for you is probably the funniest in the book. Choose to use the puns, or not, for a more gratifying understanding.
emilyclairem's review against another edition
4.0
A fun, intriguing read on the fascinating life of Coco Chanel! I loved the authors insights and the life lessons, it added an interesting feel to an otherwise typical biography.
ewf's review against another edition
3.0
It was fun. A little more vulgar than it needed to be but I'm getting sensitive to that.
crazygoangirl's review against another edition
3.0
A fun, breezy read that defies genre. This is no in-depth biography and if that's what you're looking for, this is not the book for you. This is Karbo's take on Chanel, in which she attempts to understand the famous or should I say infamous (especially after reading this book!) mystique and far-reaching influence of this style icon and demystify her persona and translating it to our modern day sensibilities. She writes with humour and a refreshing candour that makes Chanel's already fascinating life, eminently readable, especially to a complete fashion-ignoramus like me. I knew nothing of her great rivalry with Schiaperelli for example, and was fascinated with her list of famous lovers. I didn't realize she was friends with the likes of Picasso!
I'm not a fashion enthusiast nor am I fond of non-fiction, so for me, this is the perfect book - it offers me facts in a palatable, interesting format; in an easy style, where every chapter is based on a famous Chanel quote and explores her life in its context. A rather fun way to get to know a legend I know next to nothing about. I also liked that Karbo doesn't shy away from being opinionated. I got a fair idea of what Chanel must have been like from the narrative - an enigmatic, hard-working, direct, no-nonsense woman, passionately dedicated to her craft. Her personal life seems typical of many celebrities - full of passionate loves, gay parties and ultimately - loneliness. I love that she worked hard to make style look so simply elegant, so timeless, so classic. She may have been born with good taste but she worked hard to build an iconic empire based on it - which when you think about it - is nothing short of miraculous! Karbo mentions that she wasn't particularly skilled as a seamstress either, nor as a draftsman, which only adds to the miraculousness!
I LOVED the cheeky illustrations by Chelsey McLaren - they were what caught my attention in the first place! That and the title :) An interesting, witty read on one of the most alluring celebrities of our times.
I'm not a fashion enthusiast nor am I fond of non-fiction, so for me, this is the perfect book - it offers me facts in a palatable, interesting format; in an easy style, where every chapter is based on a famous Chanel quote and explores her life in its context. A rather fun way to get to know a legend I know next to nothing about. I also liked that Karbo doesn't shy away from being opinionated. I got a fair idea of what Chanel must have been like from the narrative - an enigmatic, hard-working, direct, no-nonsense woman, passionately dedicated to her craft. Her personal life seems typical of many celebrities - full of passionate loves, gay parties and ultimately - loneliness. I love that she worked hard to make style look so simply elegant, so timeless, so classic. She may have been born with good taste but she worked hard to build an iconic empire based on it - which when you think about it - is nothing short of miraculous! Karbo mentions that she wasn't particularly skilled as a seamstress either, nor as a draftsman, which only adds to the miraculousness!
I LOVED the cheeky illustrations by Chelsey McLaren - they were what caught my attention in the first place! That and the title :) An interesting, witty read on one of the most alluring celebrities of our times.
theinkdarksea's review against another edition
3.0
Review for Pickwick Style blog (pickwickstyle.blogspot.com)
Artistic revolutionary Jean Cocteau said of his friend Coco Chanel, “Her spectacular liaisons, her rages, her nastiness, her fabulous jewels, her creations, her whims, her excesses, her kindness as well as her humor and generosity, all those were part of her unique, endearing, attractive, excessive, and very human personality…. She looks at you tenderly, then nods her head and you’re condemned to death.”
I’m a Chanel girl. Simple lines, classy cuts, and colors that can be found somewhere between a summer sky and the shade of rich soil- she put all of the pieces together when it came to dressing independent women and wrote the book on what we consider a “classic” look today. Still, Chanel is the legend, and “The Gospel According to Coco Chanel” gave me a peek into the world of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, the individual, instead of just the Chanel-lore, a deep well of fashion mythology. I was so grateful for Karen Karbo’s little book. Her writing was zippy, honest and so clearly heartfelt that I was as much enamored with her as I was with Chanel by the conclusion. She gave wonderful and unique insight into Chanel and created a very sweet homage to a complex and, of course, utterly fabulous woman.
I recommend this to any catwalk watchers, but more importantly, to those interested in a great underdog story. Filled with sweet personal anecdotes from the writer and testaments to the passion and self-made nature of Chanel’s empire, it will inspire you and add a touch of lovely to your day.
Artistic revolutionary Jean Cocteau said of his friend Coco Chanel, “Her spectacular liaisons, her rages, her nastiness, her fabulous jewels, her creations, her whims, her excesses, her kindness as well as her humor and generosity, all those were part of her unique, endearing, attractive, excessive, and very human personality…. She looks at you tenderly, then nods her head and you’re condemned to death.”
I’m a Chanel girl. Simple lines, classy cuts, and colors that can be found somewhere between a summer sky and the shade of rich soil- she put all of the pieces together when it came to dressing independent women and wrote the book on what we consider a “classic” look today. Still, Chanel is the legend, and “The Gospel According to Coco Chanel” gave me a peek into the world of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, the individual, instead of just the Chanel-lore, a deep well of fashion mythology. I was so grateful for Karen Karbo’s little book. Her writing was zippy, honest and so clearly heartfelt that I was as much enamored with her as I was with Chanel by the conclusion. She gave wonderful and unique insight into Chanel and created a very sweet homage to a complex and, of course, utterly fabulous woman.
I recommend this to any catwalk watchers, but more importantly, to those interested in a great underdog story. Filled with sweet personal anecdotes from the writer and testaments to the passion and self-made nature of Chanel’s empire, it will inspire you and add a touch of lovely to your day.
tats_the_reading_expat's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely fantastic! A brilliant and funny read about a power house woman and her time. It's not just on fashion but really on living life like CC, on your own terms! Could not recommend it enough!
mich_26's review against another edition
3.0
I never knew how interesting of a person Coco Chanel was until I read this book.
curiouslykatt's review against another edition
3.0
This is hard to rate. It has some good moments and some less than desirable. It's a cross between a fluffy self help style book and a surface level memoir of Coco Chanel. The anecdotes are cute and memorable, but they're just anecdotes no real depth is provided.