Review by Booklist Review
So much of fashion is artifice and illusion, its allure dependent upon the power to convince and the willingness to believe. So it was with one of its most iconic and rebellious designers. An enigma wrapped in a riddle, Coco Chanel, as portrayed by biographer Chaney (Hide-and-Seek with Angels: A Life of J.M. Barrie, 2006), was insecure yet daring, innovative yet conservative, independent yet needy. Profoundly influenced by her impoverished, peripatetic childhood, Chanel exhibited a cutthroat sense of self-preservation that carried her from the depths of seedy cafes to the heights of cafe society. Her professional ambition to rise from a mere shopkeeper's assistant to become the unrivaled arbiter of style and elegance was equally matched by a hedonistic personal drive that delivered her to the beds of some of the twentieth century's most celebrated and controversial political and artistic figures, from Igor Stravinsky to the Duke of Westminster. Deeply researched, Chaney's enthralling biography unearths previously unavailable sources to reveal the elementally conflicted yet unequivocally gifted woman whose name will always be synonymous with sophistication and originality.--Haggas, Carol Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Chaney explores the glamorous life and fashion empire of one of the most influential women of the 20th century, investigating the humble origins of Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, demonstrating how she changed the world around her, and scrutinizing her often controversial and provocative private life: rumored drug use, lesbian affairs, etc. Chaney offers up fascinating, new historical evidence-some taken from recently discovered letters-so the audio edition of her book should be compelling. Unfortunately, it is not. Carole Boyd's narration is precise and clear, but her pace is painfully slow and her intonation flat-and this takes the fizz out of Chanel's bubbly life. And while Boyd lends Chanel a fine French accent, it's not enough to restore vitality to the audiobook. A Viking hardcover. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, one of the most influential figures in fashion history, is often credited with helping change the image of the modern woman. However, the person behind the world-famous brand is somewhat shrouded in mystery. Self-conscious about her impoverished childhood and early lack of social status, Chanel (1883-1971) often fabricated her past, making it a challenge to verify details of her life. The author offers insight into Chanel by chronicling her relationships with friends, family, business associates, lovers, and celebrities of the day, including Salvador Dali, Igor Stravinsky, and Pablo Picasso. VERDICT Carole Boyd reads with a sophisticated tone and creates a feeling of glamour that expertly captures the sense of time and place. One need not have an interest in fashion to appreciate the story of this trailblazing woman, as her influence stretches far beyond that of clothes and perfume. ["Recommended for general readers interested in biography, fashion, and modern womanhood," said the review of the Viking hc, LJ 10/1/11.-Ed.]-Theresa Horn, St. Joseph Cty. P.L., South Bend, IN (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Hide-and-Seek with Angels: A Life of J.M. Barrie, 2006, etc.) delves into the life and times of one of the 20th century's most controversial fashion icons. The author probes beneath the cool exterior of Coco Chanel (18831971), the woman who, for all the money, status and power she attained, would always "remain self-conscious about her background," and whose personal torment over a tragic past would later manifest as an addiction to morphine. Chaney chronicles Chanel's early life in France, from her birth into a family of "impoverished, nomadic market-traders" and difficult adolescence at a convent orphanage to her years as a struggling apprentice seamstress. Hard-working and ambitious, Chanel understood that men were critical to her advancement and took young scions of wealthy families as her lovers. One such individual, Arthur Capel, not only became the love of her life, but also the man who helped Chanel establish the "little business" that, by the end of World War I, was well on its way to becoming a fashion empire. In the 1920s, Chanel catapulted to the center of cultural and artistic life in Paris, a place she occupied almost continuously until her death. Beautiful, provocative and possessed of a "mordant wit," she became linked to celebrated artists such as Stravinsky, Picasso and Dal; members of the Russian nobility; other women; and, during World War II, a German soldier with Nazi ties. Chaney's engagement with her subject is evident throughout, and her exhaustive research into Chanel's life--especially its darker, more enigmatic corners--and the cultural history she so profoundly impacted make the book as fascinating as it is informative.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Review by Library Journal Review
Review by Kirkus Book Review
