A review by casspro
Gospel According to Coco Chanel: Life Lessons from the World's Most Elegant Woman by Karen Karbo

2.0

For the most part, I'm on board with Karbo's spin on Chanel. Part biography, part guide to life and a smidge of self help, I can let myself believe that I'm just chic enough follow Chanel's "rules of engagement" while reading. What threw me was Karbo's section on femininity. Specifically, when she declares that any good relationship needs some irrationality. And not just your run-of-the-mill whacky misunderstandings--but plate-throwing, tear-inducing, dramatics-flying irrationality. Karbo even goes so far to say that men expect women to act in such a way and that to act like a rational, stable and (dare I say)mature partner causes men to act suspicious and shifty. Embracing your idiosincracies is one thing--to act like a raging lunatic is another. And to suggest all females must act as such a lunatic in order to seem feminine is a whole other kettle of fish. While Chanel was a bold, outspoken, passionate woman, she was also the Mother Superior of simplicity (in both her fashion and how she lived her life). I doubt that she would approve of such outlandish and complicated behavior and certainly wouldn't condone it as typical and expected of women everywhere.

One bad section isn't enough to ruin the rest of the book for me. Karbo uses Chanel's life and business as a model for the rest of us schlubs to emmulate. Taking advice from Coco on success, money, time, fashion, rivals and beauty can be helpful for those of us who need a little glamour in our day-to-day. Just skim over the femininity section and you'll be in the clear.