What do you think?
Rate this book
The Glitter and the Gold
This is the real-life story of the Vanderbilt heiress who married the Duke of Marlborough in 1895. It gives a fascinating insight into upstairs-downstairs life and the highest circles of Edwardian aristocracy.
290 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1952
627 people are currently reading
6330 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 276 reviews
November 25, 2014
I've seen this book and its author take some rather harsh, and I believe unwarranted, criticism. Granted, I have a particular interest in the history of the Vanderbilts and this is the fourth or fifth book I've read involving their legacy, so I was already familiar with some of what Mrs. Balsan relates here. However, referring to her as "snobbish" simply because of her use of formal English and rather common French idioms says more about the would-be "critic" rather than any hubris of the writer's.
I very much enjoyed Consuelo's writing style, managing to impart her struggles and passions without buying into the "poor little rich girl" narrative with which the world sought to burden her. She never seeks to invoke pity. I also found that she manages to talk about tireless work and great accomplishments in philanthropy without a hint of self-aggrandizement. In her world of such extreme comfort, she found true meaning in helping others.
Another frequent complaint about The Glitter and the Gold is that too much of it reads like a list of famous people the former Duchess met and entertained. Where I do find some of these passages to be a little tedious, "knowing your Vanderbilt history" comes in handy. I also think it would've been interesting to hear more about her feelings during some of the well-known and public events in her life. However, this is someone for whom publishing the more painful and salacious details would have been untoward. I think the Downton Abbey craze helps sales of books like these but then also condemns them to undue criticism when the "story" doesn't move along like a romance novel. The Countess of Carnarvon's books on Highlclere Castle are great examples of this: much of the real (and very interesting) history of Highclere can be found in the plot of the tv show, but people find the books "boring" because they're not "juicy" enough.
My suggestion, for anyone truly interested in the history and culture of this period or this family, is to read "Alva and Consuelo Vanderbilt" first. I think that book gives a far more complete picture and that this book makes a nice supplement to it. Overall, a very enjoyable read.
I very much enjoyed Consuelo's writing style, managing to impart her struggles and passions without buying into the "poor little rich girl" narrative with which the world sought to burden her. She never seeks to invoke pity. I also found that she manages to talk about tireless work and great accomplishments in philanthropy without a hint of self-aggrandizement. In her world of such extreme comfort, she found true meaning in helping others.
Another frequent complaint about The Glitter and the Gold is that too much of it reads like a list of famous people the former Duchess met and entertained. Where I do find some of these passages to be a little tedious, "knowing your Vanderbilt history" comes in handy. I also think it would've been interesting to hear more about her feelings during some of the well-known and public events in her life. However, this is someone for whom publishing the more painful and salacious details would have been untoward. I think the Downton Abbey craze helps sales of books like these but then also condemns them to undue criticism when the "story" doesn't move along like a romance novel. The Countess of Carnarvon's books on Highlclere Castle are great examples of this: much of the real (and very interesting) history of Highclere can be found in the plot of the tv show, but people find the books "boring" because they're not "juicy" enough.
My suggestion, for anyone truly interested in the history and culture of this period or this family, is to read "Alva and Consuelo Vanderbilt" first. I think that book gives a far more complete picture and that this book makes a nice supplement to it. Overall, a very enjoyable read.
Read
August 3, 2025DNF
One of the tougher memoirs to review… the language and tone was clearly rooted in the Gilded Age - the vocabulary so far above daily discourse that it’s no doubt this was penned by a Dutchess by way of Vanderbilt breeding and grooming.
Sadly, while I delighted in some of the name dropping (especially related to fashion, tiaras and art), there’s little “tea to be spilled here,” within or without the castle. The infamous Alva Vanderbilt is eventually relegated to the background and Consuela makes the best of a lousy situation! (For drama, I’ll stick with HBO’s Vanderbilt-inspired series, despite the fiction threaded through real events and people).
I no longer feel sorry for Consuela Vanderbilt… she persevered over her mother’s machinations and I believe found happiness in her involvement in women’s rights, politics, and heady tomes on philosophy and the intellectual crowd she surrounds herself with. When she finally divorces that Duke (good riddance), her return to society is on the arm of another husband, one of her own choosing. (I’m specifically being general as there are lots of her milestones I missed as I left her in her late 20s and she lived into the mid-20th century!)
Despite the great silky uppercrust voice of the audiobook narrator, the dry style of the writing began to feel like I was reading a ladies maid’s to-do-list. I was utterly overwhelmed with the minute details of married life in Great Britain (the appearance of young cousin by marriage Winston Churchill at dinners added some bright spots) that I am bidding adieu to Consuela and friends for now.
One of the tougher memoirs to review… the language and tone was clearly rooted in the Gilded Age - the vocabulary so far above daily discourse that it’s no doubt this was penned by a Dutchess by way of Vanderbilt breeding and grooming.
Sadly, while I delighted in some of the name dropping (especially related to fashion, tiaras and art), there’s little “tea to be spilled here,” within or without the castle. The infamous Alva Vanderbilt is eventually relegated to the background and Consuela makes the best of a lousy situation! (For drama, I’ll stick with HBO’s Vanderbilt-inspired series, despite the fiction threaded through real events and people).
I no longer feel sorry for Consuela Vanderbilt… she persevered over her mother’s machinations and I believe found happiness in her involvement in women’s rights, politics, and heady tomes on philosophy and the intellectual crowd she surrounds herself with. When she finally divorces that Duke (good riddance), her return to society is on the arm of another husband, one of her own choosing. (I’m specifically being general as there are lots of her milestones I missed as I left her in her late 20s and she lived into the mid-20th century!)
Despite the great silky uppercrust voice of the audiobook narrator, the dry style of the writing began to feel like I was reading a ladies maid’s to-do-list. I was utterly overwhelmed with the minute details of married life in Great Britain (the appearance of young cousin by marriage Winston Churchill at dinners added some bright spots) that I am bidding adieu to Consuela and friends for now.
Read
August 26, 2014Oh, poor little Consuelo! When reading this book, I didn't know if I should throw it against the wall, or simply muddle through to see if there were any redeeming qualities about poor little rich girl. Alas, I found none!
Self absorbed, she pats herself on the back for dividing the food in the tins given to the poor. Others, she notes, simple through all the left over food in the container mixing it all together. This indeed, was her claim to fame.
Of course, she hated her domineering mother who locked her in her room, forbidding her to come out until she agreed to marry the title Duke of Marlborough. Finally, when she agreed, she was whisked away to England to a life in Blenheim palace.
Hobnobbing with little Winston Churchill and his mother, there are pages and pages about the families who snipped and sneered.
There were way too many pages of who (royalty), when (always) and how (in high style) gliding their way throughout the glamours balls.
I should have stopped reading at 50 pages, but after visiting New Port, RI often and touring the homes, I thought this book would be interested.
Not recommended. Save your time and money for something worthwhile. Or, if you buy it, donate it to the poor and be like Consuelo, give yourself a hearty dose of self congratulation for sharing!
Self absorbed, she pats herself on the back for dividing the food in the tins given to the poor. Others, she notes, simple through all the left over food in the container mixing it all together. This indeed, was her claim to fame.
Of course, she hated her domineering mother who locked her in her room, forbidding her to come out until she agreed to marry the title Duke of Marlborough. Finally, when she agreed, she was whisked away to England to a life in Blenheim palace.
Hobnobbing with little Winston Churchill and his mother, there are pages and pages about the families who snipped and sneered.
There were way too many pages of who (royalty), when (always) and how (in high style) gliding their way throughout the glamours balls.
I should have stopped reading at 50 pages, but after visiting New Port, RI often and touring the homes, I thought this book would be interested.
Not recommended. Save your time and money for something worthwhile. Or, if you buy it, donate it to the poor and be like Consuelo, give yourself a hearty dose of self congratulation for sharing!
March 9, 2021
This was a fascinating look at how the 1% lived at the turn of the twentieth century, including an interesting description of Winston Churchill as a young man.
Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan was the American born wife of the 9th Duke of Marlborough. She was a member of the immensely rich Vanderbilt family and her cruel and ambitious mother arranged her marriage to an English duke who needed money to repair his house and pay his bills. An intelligent, well meaning, and kind lady, Consuelo did a great deal of charity work and took it seriously; treating everyone she met with respect.
However, the entitlement, arrogance, stupidity and selfishness of her husband, and many of the titled and Royal people she knew was sickening. They were especially repulsive because they lacked the noblesse oblige and dedication to public service that could have acted as a counter balance to their privilege. I do understand that they were a product of their times and some would say they didn't know any better, but at the same time, this environment produced the energy, brilliance and ambition of Winston Churchill and a dedication to duty and charity in Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan. Dare I say that their American blood had something to do with it? Yes, I will, though I am a dedicated Anglophile.
Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan was the American born wife of the 9th Duke of Marlborough. She was a member of the immensely rich Vanderbilt family and her cruel and ambitious mother arranged her marriage to an English duke who needed money to repair his house and pay his bills. An intelligent, well meaning, and kind lady, Consuelo did a great deal of charity work and took it seriously; treating everyone she met with respect.
However, the entitlement, arrogance, stupidity and selfishness of her husband, and many of the titled and Royal people she knew was sickening. They were especially repulsive because they lacked the noblesse oblige and dedication to public service that could have acted as a counter balance to their privilege. I do understand that they were a product of their times and some would say they didn't know any better, but at the same time, this environment produced the energy, brilliance and ambition of Winston Churchill and a dedication to duty and charity in Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan. Dare I say that their American blood had something to do with it? Yes, I will, though I am a dedicated Anglophile.
June 11, 2011
Consuelo Vanderbilt had an amazing life. The Glitter and the Gold gives a look into the days of one of the most famous women of American and English turn of the century aristocracy. Even though she grew up in some of the most famous houses on Fifth Avenue, Newport (RI) and England, her childhood was a sad one. She had the misfortune of having Alva Vanderbilt as her mother. Alva was a strong, selfish and ruthless mother. In fact, she locked away Consuelo and kept her prisoner until she agreed to marry the arrogant and violent Duke of Marlborough. Consuelo disliked the big mansions -- especially Marble House (how could she?!!!) In the end, however, she was able to find true love with Jacques Balsan. The writing is a bit awkward, but somehow adds to the veracity. Even when describing terrible treatment, Vanderbilt-Balsan retains the understated tact of an aristocrat. Interesting read.
November 14, 2016
I'm a tad confused. In other books, I've read how absolutely miserable consuelo's marriage was, but there is no mud racking in this autobiography. Amazing how within a couple of generations spurned ex wives would so willingly spill their dirty laundry for all the works to read
April 18, 2009
I think I'd enjoy a third person biography of Consuelo Vanderbilt-- I get the sense that there's a lot more to the story than she herself presents it. Fun for fans of the gilded age, but for the most part not too exciting: the frivolity of the London season is so tiring; weekend hunting parties at Blenheim palace are ever so tiring for the hostess; etc. Then, in the last twenty pages, the story becomes completely and unexpectedly gripping as the author and her husband are trying to get out of the way of the Nazi invasion of France. A decent read all in all, if a bit slack toward the middle.
April 29, 2019
Very readable and Consuelo is imminently likable.
The idle rich, creating so much poverty and pretending their social causes make more of difference than paying a fair wage would.
Sigh.
We are in the height of our own gilded age. I hope we treat those benefiting financially from huge societal inequalities marked worse than the robber barons.
Late stage capitalism is a bitch.
Reminds me again of why I loathe the suffragettes. 🗣Suffragettes were never feminist.
The idle rich, creating so much poverty and pretending their social causes make more of difference than paying a fair wage would.
Sigh.
We are in the height of our own gilded age. I hope we treat those benefiting financially from huge societal inequalities marked worse than the robber barons.
Late stage capitalism is a bitch.
Reminds me again of why I loathe the suffragettes. 🗣Suffragettes were never feminist.
March 6, 2021
For a forty-year-plus walk through history you could do worse than have Consuelo Vanderbilt as a guide and companion, with her warmth, humanity and innate optimism. Her narrative is engaging, full of observations on the vast number of famous people who crossed her path. She moved in the most elite circles, married against her will to the Duke of Marlborough, who was Winston Churchill’s cousin.
I’d long planned to read this book, having by coincidence come across Consuelo Vanderbilt on both sides of the globe - the Marble House in Newport, and Blenheim Palace in England. Of course the Vanderbilts were staggeringly wealthy and their mansions opulent and beautiful. I remember at the time being bemused by the excesses of the Gilded Age. One small example, in England from memory, she talks of a house party which lasted ten days or so and of the necessity to change clothes at least four times a day and to wear no single outfit twice. I remember noting this in Newport too, that families would travel to Paris to update their wardrobes at astounding cost. Money meant nothing.
For all the privileged lifestyle Consuelo led, there were sorrows in her childhood. The unhappiness of her parents’ marriage, for one thing, her father so invariably kind, so gentle and sweet sidelined by her domineering and confrontational mother. Then there was the horrible instrument...which I had to wear when doing my lessons. It was a steel rod which ran down my spine and was strapped at my waist and over my shoulders - another strap went around my forehead to the rod. I had to hold my book high when reading, and it was almost impossible to write in so uncomfortable a position. And yet, she concludes, I probably owe my straight back to those many hours of discomfort.
Another thing was how manipulative and domineering her mother Alva had been. Consuelo had been in love and wished to marry but Alva, her aspirations for her daughter fixed, had worked herself into such a state over Consuelo’s defiance that after a colossal row the young Conseulo broke off her secret engagement and consented to wed the Duke.
Interestingly, Marlborough also loved someone else. But out of duty to his title, he wed Consuelo. Hardly an auspicious beginning. Eventually they separated, at a time when this was almost unheard of, but typical of the pluck and independence which Consuelo, as an American, possessed in spades. Both the Duke and Consuelo went on to second marriages with a partner they loved.
Consuelo says that the book was intended as homage to a bygone era, but ended up being also partly memoir. It admirably fulfils both functions. She writes of learning to live in England, of becoming accustomed to the wholly different attitudes she encountered there. Then she devotes space to her philanthropic endeavours, having been sensitive from a young age to the disparity between her own affluence and the sufferings of others. Later, some of her passages read like a love letter to France. She ends up marrying and settling there, experiencing a full, happy, beautiful life only to eventually see all of it fall under the harrowing advance of the German troops as World War II begins.
And through these pages are scattered anecdotes and impressions of a dizzying array of names we read in the history books - royalty, politicians, foreign dignitaries, artists, performers, name-dropping of the most excusable type, giving as it does a glimpse of a world long gone, of a world in the throes of change. A few examples spring to mind: Churchill, the Czar of Russia, the Maharajah, Charlie Chaplin, Bernard Shaw, H G Wells, Yeats. She even held the canopy over Queen Alexandra at her coronation.
I found it interesting, too, to look up some of the places she mentioned on the internet - a favoured home near London, then another which she and her second husband built on the French Riviera.
And to conclude, a tense and fascinating eyewitness account of what it was like to be in France as it was overrun, of what it was like trying to get out with borders closing, surrounded by thousands of refugees, with the atrocities beginning and the awful spectre of occupation looming if escape wasn’t possible. Which was a gripping end to a fascinating read.
I’d long planned to read this book, having by coincidence come across Consuelo Vanderbilt on both sides of the globe - the Marble House in Newport, and Blenheim Palace in England. Of course the Vanderbilts were staggeringly wealthy and their mansions opulent and beautiful. I remember at the time being bemused by the excesses of the Gilded Age. One small example, in England from memory, she talks of a house party which lasted ten days or so and of the necessity to change clothes at least four times a day and to wear no single outfit twice. I remember noting this in Newport too, that families would travel to Paris to update their wardrobes at astounding cost. Money meant nothing.
For all the privileged lifestyle Consuelo led, there were sorrows in her childhood. The unhappiness of her parents’ marriage, for one thing, her father so invariably kind, so gentle and sweet sidelined by her domineering and confrontational mother. Then there was the horrible instrument...which I had to wear when doing my lessons. It was a steel rod which ran down my spine and was strapped at my waist and over my shoulders - another strap went around my forehead to the rod. I had to hold my book high when reading, and it was almost impossible to write in so uncomfortable a position. And yet, she concludes, I probably owe my straight back to those many hours of discomfort.
Another thing was how manipulative and domineering her mother Alva had been. Consuelo had been in love and wished to marry but Alva, her aspirations for her daughter fixed, had worked herself into such a state over Consuelo’s defiance that after a colossal row the young Conseulo broke off her secret engagement and consented to wed the Duke.
Interestingly, Marlborough also loved someone else. But out of duty to his title, he wed Consuelo. Hardly an auspicious beginning. Eventually they separated, at a time when this was almost unheard of, but typical of the pluck and independence which Consuelo, as an American, possessed in spades. Both the Duke and Consuelo went on to second marriages with a partner they loved.
Consuelo says that the book was intended as homage to a bygone era, but ended up being also partly memoir. It admirably fulfils both functions. She writes of learning to live in England, of becoming accustomed to the wholly different attitudes she encountered there. Then she devotes space to her philanthropic endeavours, having been sensitive from a young age to the disparity between her own affluence and the sufferings of others. Later, some of her passages read like a love letter to France. She ends up marrying and settling there, experiencing a full, happy, beautiful life only to eventually see all of it fall under the harrowing advance of the German troops as World War II begins.
And through these pages are scattered anecdotes and impressions of a dizzying array of names we read in the history books - royalty, politicians, foreign dignitaries, artists, performers, name-dropping of the most excusable type, giving as it does a glimpse of a world long gone, of a world in the throes of change. A few examples spring to mind: Churchill, the Czar of Russia, the Maharajah, Charlie Chaplin, Bernard Shaw, H G Wells, Yeats. She even held the canopy over Queen Alexandra at her coronation.
I found it interesting, too, to look up some of the places she mentioned on the internet - a favoured home near London, then another which she and her second husband built on the French Riviera.
And to conclude, a tense and fascinating eyewitness account of what it was like to be in France as it was overrun, of what it was like trying to get out with borders closing, surrounded by thousands of refugees, with the atrocities beginning and the awful spectre of occupation looming if escape wasn’t possible. Which was a gripping end to a fascinating read.
May 27, 2022
More glitter than gold, Consuelo leaves out most intimate details and instead fills her book with events and dinners with the glitterati including the Czar and Czarina of Russia, Queen Victoria, King George, and the Prince of Wales, and many others. Although these tales of dinners and balls can be interesting, they end up more of a list of social events than a look into Consuelo's life. The story becomes more heartfelt when she talks about her marriage to Jacques Balsan and her happy life in France. Most exciting is her tale of their escape from Nazi-occupied Paris to Spain and on to Lisbon and America.
March 10, 2024
I’ve been fascinated by Consuelo Vanderbilt, 9th Duchess of Marlborough, since seeing her portrait at Blenheim Palace as a teenager. Maybe it was her striking name, her elegance, the slightly lost look of one who was made to leave her home in the US so young in order to bolster the impoverished aristocracy - I’m not sure but she stuck in my mind and so I was delighted to find this memoir.
The descriptions of late Victorian and Edwardian society were very evocative - the pageantry, the running of a huge household, the interminable visits from wealthy (and often boring) guests, the dinner parties with famous names from the upper classes or political elite - and Consuelo comes across as someone with dignity and restraint, who often found the strictures of society amusing and maybe pointless, but nevertheless tried to do what was expected of her with good grace and warmth.
Perhaps she is a little too restrained and polite, as I would have welcomed more gossip, or at least more anecdotes and conversations among the descriptions. When she does add these more personal touches, they are lively and entertaining, and it is fascinating to get a first hand view from someone who actually knew such characters as Winston Churchill, Lord Curzon and Margot Asquith well, and to share a life that is so different from anything we can easily imagine.
Following her divorce (and later annulment) from the Duke, the second half of the memoir deals with her charitable endeavours (though no suffragette, she works tirelessly to improve the life of women and children, and even ends up on the London City Council), and then her remarriage to Jacques Balsan and her idyllic life in France which is finally interrupted by the German invasion in 1940. This section is less tightly written and seems to dart about, but Consuelo’s energy and cheerful good humour and her appreciation of the benefits her privileged position brings are apparent throughout.
Very enjoyable memoir that paints a vivid picture of a particular time and place seen from the height of British society. I still find Consuelo fascinating!
The descriptions of late Victorian and Edwardian society were very evocative - the pageantry, the running of a huge household, the interminable visits from wealthy (and often boring) guests, the dinner parties with famous names from the upper classes or political elite - and Consuelo comes across as someone with dignity and restraint, who often found the strictures of society amusing and maybe pointless, but nevertheless tried to do what was expected of her with good grace and warmth.
Perhaps she is a little too restrained and polite, as I would have welcomed more gossip, or at least more anecdotes and conversations among the descriptions. When she does add these more personal touches, they are lively and entertaining, and it is fascinating to get a first hand view from someone who actually knew such characters as Winston Churchill, Lord Curzon and Margot Asquith well, and to share a life that is so different from anything we can easily imagine.
Following her divorce (and later annulment) from the Duke, the second half of the memoir deals with her charitable endeavours (though no suffragette, she works tirelessly to improve the life of women and children, and even ends up on the London City Council), and then her remarriage to Jacques Balsan and her idyllic life in France which is finally interrupted by the German invasion in 1940. This section is less tightly written and seems to dart about, but Consuelo’s energy and cheerful good humour and her appreciation of the benefits her privileged position brings are apparent throughout.
Very enjoyable memoir that paints a vivid picture of a particular time and place seen from the height of British society. I still find Consuelo fascinating!
January 1, 2014
What a wonderful "sleeper" book! I say sleeper because when I purchased this, I didn't expect more than the shallow musings of a life spent attending and giving parties. I was wrong! This American Duchess whom I had never heard of, led an adventurous life . Through her wealth and altruistic nature she undoubtedly affected future generations for the better.
She lived through significant historical changes, from circulating in royal circles during the reign of Queen Victoria, to championing women's suffrage, to escaping war torn France with her husband. She has imparted her memoirs in an easy to read and entertaining manner. Her candid impressions of prominent historical figures are engaging. Her recollections of Winston Churchill are among my favorites.
This book by a Duchess heretofore unknown to me, is fraught with great historical moments, a good explanation of the customs and protocol of English nobility, and a reminder that things are not as they appear. From the outside looking in, I'm sure Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan was the object of envy and jealousy by many. However, her early years were far from the fairytale many imagined her life to be.
I thoroughly enjoyed this. The author imparts her memoirs in such an intimate way, that the reader feels as if they are walking beside her, having the privilege of exclusive audience with the American Duchess. This is a book in which I happily immersed myself, but felt a pang of sadness upon finishing. The Duchess is such a character that I will miss the daily reads of her exploits. She is someone I believe I would have liked.
PS--I think that fans of the Downtown Abbey series will particularly enjoy this book.
She lived through significant historical changes, from circulating in royal circles during the reign of Queen Victoria, to championing women's suffrage, to escaping war torn France with her husband. She has imparted her memoirs in an easy to read and entertaining manner. Her candid impressions of prominent historical figures are engaging. Her recollections of Winston Churchill are among my favorites.
This book by a Duchess heretofore unknown to me, is fraught with great historical moments, a good explanation of the customs and protocol of English nobility, and a reminder that things are not as they appear. From the outside looking in, I'm sure Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan was the object of envy and jealousy by many. However, her early years were far from the fairytale many imagined her life to be.
I thoroughly enjoyed this. The author imparts her memoirs in such an intimate way, that the reader feels as if they are walking beside her, having the privilege of exclusive audience with the American Duchess. This is a book in which I happily immersed myself, but felt a pang of sadness upon finishing. The Duchess is such a character that I will miss the daily reads of her exploits. She is someone I believe I would have liked.
PS--I think that fans of the Downtown Abbey series will particularly enjoy this book.
September 24, 2013
Interesting story written in a most uninteresting way. Consuelo Vanderbilt had an amazing life: raised with unlimited money by an evil, social-climbing mother, married off when young to the Duke of Marlborough, living a life as duchess in a Downton-Abbey-style castle, traveling the world, later (finally) divorcing and going on to be a great philanthropist and women's rights activist. But not a writer, sadly. The book was a snore.
April 25, 2014
I can truly say this book has beaten me. It's a rare thing for me to completely give up halfway through a book but this one takes the cake. It has officially bored me to death.
April 15, 2023
olen rohkem kui ühe korra käinud Blenheim Palace'is ja kuulnud lugu sellest, kuidas Marlborough' hertsog abiellus rikka ameerika pärijannaga, kes ihaldas üle kõige aadlitiitlit (ja hertsog omakorda tema raha, nii et kõik justkui klappis).
siit raamatust sain teada, et pärijanna oli vaevu täisealine ja ei ihaldanud suurt midagi (kui, siis ühe teise poisiga abielluda, sest oli armunud), küll aga oli tal võimukas ema, kes kõik need asjad ise otsustas. ja hertsog oleks ka parema meelega ühe teise naise võtnud, aga eks jah selle monstrumlossi ülalpidamiseks oli ikkagi Vanderbiltide raha vaja ja nii ta läks. igatahes selles osas päris kurb lugu ja kõik läks palju toredamaks sealtmaalt, kui neil jälle lahutada õnnestus.
lahutus 20. sajandi alguse Inglismaal muidugi polnud kuigivõrd lihtsam kui sel eelmisel hertsoginna-krahvinnal kellest lugesin, pr Chudleigh'l 18. sajandi keskpaigas. aga tundub, et hästi rikas ja mõjukas olemisest oli ikkagi abi. eraldi küsimus muidugi, et pärast suurt vaeva, mida lahutamisega nähti, oli hiljem ikka vaja teisele ringile minna ja abielu otsast peale tühistada, selleks, et osapooled saaksid katoliiklastega abielluda. klge, päriselt ka keegi usub, et mingi jumal nõuab sellist bürokraatiat neilt?
aga muidu ikkagi üsna tore lugeda sellisest elust, kus piiranguteks on, nojah, religioon ja kombed ja traditsioonid ja käitumisnormid, aga mitte iialgi raha. tahan, ehitan maja Londonisse, tahan, ostan lossi Prantsusmaal. tahan, asutan sanatooriumi kahesajale lapsele; tahan, toidan ära kaks tuhat põgenikku.
põgenike ajaks muidugi oli juba II maailmasõda käes ja see kõik juhtus Prantsusmaal. ja siis saabus see hetk, kus rikkus osutus omaette probleemiks, sest selgus, et natsid võtaksid hea meelega endise prl Vanderbilti (nüüdseks pr Balsan) pantvangi, et perelt palju lunaraha saada, seega tuli kiiruga Portugali kaudu Ameerikasse põgeneda - jällegi, siit mingit "Lissaboni ööd" ei tasu oodata, raha polnud probleemiks ja kõrgetasemelised tutvused aitasid ka viisajärjekordadest üsna kiirelt läbi ja mööda. ikka tasus kõiki neid poliitikuid ja aadlikke aastakümnete kaupa võõrustada oma eri lossides!
vb see oligu tüütu osa, et aegajalt tuli lugeda ikka jube paljudest neist võõrustatutest ja enamust neist me ju ei tunne või ei mäleta, ehkki raamatu ilmumisajal 1952 oli kaasaegsetel veel kindlasti huvitav lugeda. aga ikkagi oli abi sellest, et olen käinud nii Blenheim Palace'is kui kuldajastu Newporti mansionides ja kujutasin seda üldist õhkkonda nii seal- kui siinpool ookeani ette.
siit raamatust sain teada, et pärijanna oli vaevu täisealine ja ei ihaldanud suurt midagi (kui, siis ühe teise poisiga abielluda, sest oli armunud), küll aga oli tal võimukas ema, kes kõik need asjad ise otsustas. ja hertsog oleks ka parema meelega ühe teise naise võtnud, aga eks jah selle monstrumlossi ülalpidamiseks oli ikkagi Vanderbiltide raha vaja ja nii ta läks. igatahes selles osas päris kurb lugu ja kõik läks palju toredamaks sealtmaalt, kui neil jälle lahutada õnnestus.
lahutus 20. sajandi alguse Inglismaal muidugi polnud kuigivõrd lihtsam kui sel eelmisel hertsoginna-krahvinnal kellest lugesin, pr Chudleigh'l 18. sajandi keskpaigas. aga tundub, et hästi rikas ja mõjukas olemisest oli ikkagi abi. eraldi küsimus muidugi, et pärast suurt vaeva, mida lahutamisega nähti, oli hiljem ikka vaja teisele ringile minna ja abielu otsast peale tühistada, selleks, et osapooled saaksid katoliiklastega abielluda. klge, päriselt ka keegi usub, et mingi jumal nõuab sellist bürokraatiat neilt?
aga muidu ikkagi üsna tore lugeda sellisest elust, kus piiranguteks on, nojah, religioon ja kombed ja traditsioonid ja käitumisnormid, aga mitte iialgi raha. tahan, ehitan maja Londonisse, tahan, ostan lossi Prantsusmaal. tahan, asutan sanatooriumi kahesajale lapsele; tahan, toidan ära kaks tuhat põgenikku.
põgenike ajaks muidugi oli juba II maailmasõda käes ja see kõik juhtus Prantsusmaal. ja siis saabus see hetk, kus rikkus osutus omaette probleemiks, sest selgus, et natsid võtaksid hea meelega endise prl Vanderbilti (nüüdseks pr Balsan) pantvangi, et perelt palju lunaraha saada, seega tuli kiiruga Portugali kaudu Ameerikasse põgeneda - jällegi, siit mingit "Lissaboni ööd" ei tasu oodata, raha polnud probleemiks ja kõrgetasemelised tutvused aitasid ka viisajärjekordadest üsna kiirelt läbi ja mööda. ikka tasus kõiki neid poliitikuid ja aadlikke aastakümnete kaupa võõrustada oma eri lossides!
vb see oligu tüütu osa, et aegajalt tuli lugeda ikka jube paljudest neist võõrustatutest ja enamust neist me ju ei tunne või ei mäleta, ehkki raamatu ilmumisajal 1952 oli kaasaegsetel veel kindlasti huvitav lugeda. aga ikkagi oli abi sellest, et olen käinud nii Blenheim Palace'is kui kuldajastu Newporti mansionides ja kujutasin seda üldist õhkkonda nii seal- kui siinpool ookeani ette.
September 15, 2022
Real talk - I think Consuelo Vanderbilt seemed like a lovely lady who did a lot of good, and I wanted to read this because I'm on a binge of books around this era... but yikes was it a boring read.
Consuelo, as both a Vanderbilt and the Duchess of Marlborough, had such a dramatic and fascinating life, but this is in her own words and consequently she leaves all the juicy bits out.
I get it, a woman of her class and time would not want to air their dirty laundry in public but my god I wished she had. She was obviously very intelligent and discreet, and so this is like a very diligently written diary - not like a diary you reveal your secrets to but like a 'then we went to this place, and then we did this and we used this mode of transport.'
Her life had too many interesting aspects and the people she knew were too influential for this to be a total snoozefest but I have to admit I struggled.
Some lovely pictures though.
Consuelo, as both a Vanderbilt and the Duchess of Marlborough, had such a dramatic and fascinating life, but this is in her own words and consequently she leaves all the juicy bits out.
I get it, a woman of her class and time would not want to air their dirty laundry in public but my god I wished she had. She was obviously very intelligent and discreet, and so this is like a very diligently written diary - not like a diary you reveal your secrets to but like a 'then we went to this place, and then we did this and we used this mode of transport.'
Her life had too many interesting aspects and the people she knew were too influential for this to be a total snoozefest but I have to admit I struggled.
Some lovely pictures though.
August 2, 2017
This is Consuelo Vanderbilt's memoir, the tale of her life in her own words. Born in 1877, Consuelo was the great-granddaughter of Commodore Vanderbilt, the founding father of the wealth that made the family famous. Consuelo grew up in great luxury but with a rigid and authoritarian mother who achieved her crowning ambition for her daughter by marrying her off (against Consuelo's will) to the Duke of Marlborough. As Consuelo relates, the marriage was not a success from the beginning and ultimately the marriage was annulled. Consuelo accomplished significant social work through her connections and wealth and enjoyed a happy and loving second marriage as well as the company of family and friends, many of whom are famous and easily recognizable names.
Although I was disappointed that Consuelo is relatively close-lipped about her first marriage, this is hardly surprising given that this is the father of her two sons, who she loved dearly. She is not nearly so circumspect about discussing the harsh childhood she endured under her mother's iron rule - in some cases literally. Consuelo was made to wear a "steel rod" strapped to her spine while she completed her school lessons to improve her posture (11). Consuelo asserts that her mother had a "violent temper that, like a tempest, at times engulfed us all" (5).
Much of Consuelo's account of her life reads like a who's who of British society. She regularly socialized with royalty including the Prince of Wales, was presented to Queen Victoria, visited Tsar Nicholas, and was good friends with Winston Churchill. Indeed, the Prince of Wales was godfather to her oldest son, Blandford and for the coronation of King Edward VII, Consuelo was one of the four duchesses selected by Queen Alexandra to be her canopy bearers. It is evident from Consuelo's descriptions that she found the social obligations, particularly the endless wardrobe changes and household management entailed with entertaining royal guests exhausting and all consuming. She sounds much more passionate about the extensive time she devoted to social work, as she spent years championing the cause of women and children. She opened homes for wives of the incarcerated, helped establish hospitals for mothers to improve pre and post-natal care, and appealed for the rights of workers of sweatshops.
However, despite the value of reading of Consuelo's life in her own words, this reads much as it is: the musings of an elderly woman with relatively little background information or context provided. I found Amanda Stuart's biography of Consuelo and her mother immensely more informative than this memoir. Consuelo provides little to no history of her family and skirts around issues she would rather not discuss at length (most notably her relationship with her first husband). She also fails to discuss key figures throughout the narrative. For instance, she mentions her brothers in the opening chapters and only again refers to them to summarize their lives in the final chapters. Additionally, the memoir concludes quite abruptly, with her escape from Europe in 1940, with no mention of her life after that time. In sum, this read was interesting for those who may already have some knowledge of Consuelo Vanderbilt but would serve as a poor introduction to her.
Although I was disappointed that Consuelo is relatively close-lipped about her first marriage, this is hardly surprising given that this is the father of her two sons, who she loved dearly. She is not nearly so circumspect about discussing the harsh childhood she endured under her mother's iron rule - in some cases literally. Consuelo was made to wear a "steel rod" strapped to her spine while she completed her school lessons to improve her posture (11). Consuelo asserts that her mother had a "violent temper that, like a tempest, at times engulfed us all" (5).
Much of Consuelo's account of her life reads like a who's who of British society. She regularly socialized with royalty including the Prince of Wales, was presented to Queen Victoria, visited Tsar Nicholas, and was good friends with Winston Churchill. Indeed, the Prince of Wales was godfather to her oldest son, Blandford and for the coronation of King Edward VII, Consuelo was one of the four duchesses selected by Queen Alexandra to be her canopy bearers. It is evident from Consuelo's descriptions that she found the social obligations, particularly the endless wardrobe changes and household management entailed with entertaining royal guests exhausting and all consuming. She sounds much more passionate about the extensive time she devoted to social work, as she spent years championing the cause of women and children. She opened homes for wives of the incarcerated, helped establish hospitals for mothers to improve pre and post-natal care, and appealed for the rights of workers of sweatshops.
However, despite the value of reading of Consuelo's life in her own words, this reads much as it is: the musings of an elderly woman with relatively little background information or context provided. I found Amanda Stuart's biography of Consuelo and her mother immensely more informative than this memoir. Consuelo provides little to no history of her family and skirts around issues she would rather not discuss at length (most notably her relationship with her first husband). She also fails to discuss key figures throughout the narrative. For instance, she mentions her brothers in the opening chapters and only again refers to them to summarize their lives in the final chapters. Additionally, the memoir concludes quite abruptly, with her escape from Europe in 1940, with no mention of her life after that time. In sum, this read was interesting for those who may already have some knowledge of Consuelo Vanderbilt but would serve as a poor introduction to her.
August 24, 2012
I am totally conflicted about this book. It is republished from the original in 1953. It is the autobiography of most of the life of a woman whose family is partial heirs to the Cornelius Vanderbilt fortune. At age 17 Consuelo has an arranged marriage to the Duke of Marlborough in England. It has been reprinted because of the success of the Downton Abbey series on PBS.
What I liked was the incite into the heads to the very, very wealthy of the late 1800's and early 1900's. You meet royalty and important people by the score. You enjoy their formal dinners and their ball. People like Churchill keep popping up at these gatherings. But, even with all the wealth her marriage fails and we are told her second marriage is a much happier one.
What I didn't enjoy was her constant name dropping of royals and others many times with very little explanation about who they were. Also, this is a woman who has a life others only dream about not because of her own talent but only because of her family. Although later in life she does help orphans and sick kids but in general it is a guiltless life of privilege. She has no problem using her wealth to help flee the Nazis from France in the 1940's. I am reading an ARC so the only visual aid is her photo in the front cover. I truly hope that in the published edition in October they will have photos of the important people in her life.
The book is worth reading to be sure but it is a flawed work in many ways.
What I liked was the incite into the heads to the very, very wealthy of the late 1800's and early 1900's. You meet royalty and important people by the score. You enjoy their formal dinners and their ball. People like Churchill keep popping up at these gatherings. But, even with all the wealth her marriage fails and we are told her second marriage is a much happier one.
What I didn't enjoy was her constant name dropping of royals and others many times with very little explanation about who they were. Also, this is a woman who has a life others only dream about not because of her own talent but only because of her family. Although later in life she does help orphans and sick kids but in general it is a guiltless life of privilege. She has no problem using her wealth to help flee the Nazis from France in the 1940's. I am reading an ARC so the only visual aid is her photo in the front cover. I truly hope that in the published edition in October they will have photos of the important people in her life.
The book is worth reading to be sure but it is a flawed work in many ways.
August 3, 2013
I read this book a couple of years ago after visiting Biltmore (Consuelo's uncle's home in North Carolina), but I wanted to revisit it after reading To Marry An English Lord and understanding more about the time period and society that Consuelo lived in. I found it even more fascinating the second time around! If you are interested in the Gilded Age and the British aristocracy at the turn of the last century, this is a treat.
September 18, 2016
Consuelo Vanderbilt never meant this to be a personal memoir, but a picture of a time and place. The result is a nearly endless recital of who showed up at which dinner party - name after name after name.
There are a few interesting nuggets when she describes her early life, and the last chapter - when she's on the run from the Nazis in occupied France - is very interesting, but the rest of it is an interminable slog.
There are a few interesting nuggets when she describes her early life, and the last chapter - when she's on the run from the Nazis in occupied France - is very interesting, but the rest of it is an interminable slog.
August 27, 2019
A remarkable and detailed book, Consuelo writes of her life up until she escapes Europe after the Nazis invade France during World War 2. Consuelo met everyone from the last Tsars of Russia and Queen Victoria to Bernard Shaw and J.M.Barrie! Her account tells of a different time that even when writing was aware had disappeared. Truly brilliant!
June 24, 2024
Wow! It took me 1 1/2 months to finish this book! Although it was interesting, I continually had to stop and look up things she was talking about. Such as she met a specific person and characterized her as”the most beautiful woman I have ever met.” So I had to look her up to see if she was beautiful. (Not so much.). And when she talked about different mansions she had lived in or visited, I had to look the place up to see if it still existed. Other than that, it was an interesting book. I would like to give having unlimited funds a try!!
February 27, 2021
Engaging, easy listen. Balsan is convinced every handsome man she ever met wanted to marry her at some point, which should be annoying but manages to be endearing instead. She mentions hanging out with Edith Wharton specifically, which was interesting.
October 11, 2021
What an interesting life she lead!
March 5, 2022
I wanted to love this book so much as I have visited the Marble house as well as the Breakers many times and became fascinated by this family. However, sadly this book was almost 200+ pages of name dropping and stories about other people. I will give credit that the way events, clothing, and homes were described made me feel as if I was there seeing it with her.
May 9, 2025
I recently visited the Marble House mansion in Newport and became fascinated with the life of Consuelo Vanderbilt. This is her autobiography, which illuminates her life of wealth a century ago.
“It is curious how personal prejudice can blind even intelligent people to the most evident conclusions.”
“It is curious how personal prejudice can blind even intelligent people to the most evident conclusions.”
May 26, 2021
Fascinating tale of a wealthy heiress over hundred years ago. Her heart showed thru the pomp and pressure she endured. She did it with guts that I’m not sure I would have if put in her spot.
March 22, 2019
Didn’t finish. Didn’t like.
July 10, 2013
Consuelo Vanderbilt's memoir tells the story of a famed trans-Atlantic marriage where the wealthy bride was sold to the bidder with the best title, the 9th Duke of Marlborough. The bride was famously locked in her room in the weeks before the wedding. This is a fascinating look at the world of titled European families in the last years of the 19th century up to the beginning of WWII. For those with money it seemed to be world of snobbery, ridgid hierarchy, obsessive attention to pointless details, and lives mostly lived to maintain the system. Though Vanderbilt criticizes much that she saw and was part of, she never left that life totally behind — even though she spent significant parts of her life working for women's suffrage, and assorted social and health programs to aid women and children. A book that never really revealed its subjects thoughts and emotions where her own life was concerned. She was too much a child of her time to tell tales, especially about herself and her family.
May 3, 2025
Esta podría haber sido la historia de otra niña bien de familia rica que vive una vida de lujo gracias al dinero de su familia. Pero Consuelo Vanderbilt se sale del molde de “las princesas del dólar”. En lugar de utilizar su dinero únicamente para mantener el tren de vida propio de la hija de una de las familias más poderosas de Nueva York, empleó su estatus y su poder adquisitivo para mejorar la sociedad que la rodeaba.
Cuando estaba escribiendo esta reseña se me escapaba la palabra “novela” porque es tan interesante, pasan tantas cosas y hay tantos giros y sorpresas que parece una ficción. A que la lectura resulte ligera ayuda el estilo de la autora. No obstante, hay partes que resultan un tanto tediosas, como cuando menciona una interminable lista de lords y ladies ingleses presentes en un evento social.
Cuando estaba escribiendo esta reseña se me escapaba la palabra “novela” porque es tan interesante, pasan tantas cosas y hay tantos giros y sorpresas que parece una ficción. A que la lectura resulte ligera ayuda el estilo de la autora. No obstante, hay partes que resultan un tanto tediosas, como cuando menciona una interminable lista de lords y ladies ingleses presentes en un evento social.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 276 reviews