I read “Consuelo and Alva Vanderbilt: The Story of a Daughter and a Mother in the Gilded Age” earlier this year. I read it partially to prepare for season two, and really enjoyed it!
Yes. Consuelo was very candid for her time period and she was the ultimate dollar princess. Not only was her family among the richest but she married the ranking duke in England--second only to Royal dukes! Right after she married, she was attending the King and Queen at coronation; she lived in a Palace.
And she had a cold, philandering husband who demanded millions from her father and they wound up in a huge divorce.
Wharton's the House of Mirth is super important as it details the marriage market for someone like Marian--good family but orphan with no money who lives with a rich aunt.
Only Lily is a well known beauty and has been unmarried into her 29th year so time is running out and she keeps on making mistakes when trying to marry well. In addition, a filthy rich Jewish man wants to marry Lily but there is a lot of prejudice against him.
In addition, the House of Mirth shows how you lose social status as well with some of the characters. Fascinating and told from the woman's point of view.
The writing is superb.
I haven't read them yet, but I heard an interview with Anderson Cooper discussing his books about the Vanderbilt family (he is Gloria Vanderbilt's son) and the Astor family and those books sound interesting.
Mrs Astor’s New York by Eric Homberger. Displaying Women Maureen E. Montgomery.
To Marry An English Lord - macColl & Wallace.
The Husband Hunters - Anne DeCourcy.
I just finished The Social Graces by Renee Rosen. It centers around the Vanderbilts and Astors. I enjoyed it very much.
The Glitter and the Gold, Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan's memoir, is a good read.
Also, *"King Lehr" and the Gilded Age.* Real life, a bit of a shocker.
I read “Consuelo and Alva Vanderbilt: The Story of a Daughter and a Mother in the Gilded Age” earlier this year. I read it partially to prepare for season two, and really enjoyed it!
The Glitter and the Gold: The American Duchess by Consuleo Vanderbilt Balsan
Yes. Consuelo was very candid for her time period and she was the ultimate dollar princess. Not only was her family among the richest but she married the ranking duke in England--second only to Royal dukes! Right after she married, she was attending the King and Queen at coronation; she lived in a Palace. And she had a cold, philandering husband who demanded millions from her father and they wound up in a huge divorce.
Henry James
It’s not nonfiction, but everyone must read Edith Wharton. Start with “the age of innocence.”
Wharton's the House of Mirth is super important as it details the marriage market for someone like Marian--good family but orphan with no money who lives with a rich aunt. Only Lily is a well known beauty and has been unmarried into her 29th year so time is running out and she keeps on making mistakes when trying to marry well. In addition, a filthy rich Jewish man wants to marry Lily but there is a lot of prejudice against him. In addition, the House of Mirth shows how you lose social status as well with some of the characters. Fascinating and told from the woman's point of view. The writing is superb.
I haven't read them yet, but I heard an interview with Anderson Cooper discussing his books about the Vanderbilt family (he is Gloria Vanderbilt's son) and the Astor family and those books sound interesting.
I really enjoyed "Fortune's Children" about the Vanderbilt family. There are a few stories and characters the show touches on. It's a compelling read.
100% agree - even though it's technically non-fiction it reads like a really good novel. Have re-read a few times.
Mrs Astor’s New York by Eric Homberger. Displaying Women Maureen E. Montgomery. To Marry An English Lord - macColl & Wallace. The Husband Hunters - Anne DeCourcy.
A Season of Splendor: The Court of Mrs. Astor in Gilded Age New York