Rendez-vous

by Judith Krantz

1913. A l'age ou les jeunes filles revent d'un beau parti, Eve est celle par qui le scandale arrive. Elle s'eprend d'un chanteur et s'enfuit avec lui, rompant les liens avec sa famille bourgeoise. Au music-hall, elle devient la revelation du dernier printemps de la Belle Epoque. Delphine et Freddy, les deux filles nees de son mariage avec l'heritier de grands producteurs de champagne, sont aussi belles et intrepides que leur mere.
La premiere, apres avoir ecume les soirees huppees de Hollywood, devient l'une des actrices en vogue du cinema francais. Mais bientot l'Europe est en guerre. Sa soeur cadette, pionniere de l'acrobatie aerienne, s'engage alors dans l'aviation.
Apres la frivolite des Annees folles, les deux soeurs sont confrontees a l'aprete du conflit. Des vignobles de Champagne a Los Angeles, du theatre aux armees aux studios de cinema dans Paris occupe, des salles de bal d'un chateau britannique aux terrains d'aviation de la RAF, elles feront preuve chacune d'une force d'ame a toute epreuve...

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance, France, British Literature

765 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Judith Krantz was an American author of blockbuster romance novels including her first novel Scruples followed by Princess Daisy. Krantz's books have been translated into 52 languages and sold more than 85 million copies worldwide. Seven have been adapted as TV miniseries, with her late husband, Steve Krantz.

Reviews

[Floripiquita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Y otro culebron de los de antes. Lo leí prácticamente cuando salió y no lo he releído, así que tiene la puntuación del efecto que causó en mi hace un montón de tiempo.

Releído en agosto de 2021 con motivo del #RetoRita5 #RitaBrilli y tengo que decir que me ha gustado menos, pues lo he sentido algo frío y desapegado. En 30 años, una lee mucho, algunos gustos cambian y otras cosas quedan viejunas. Por cierto, por mucho que la vendan así, esto NO es una novela romántica, es otra cosa.

#Popsugar21 Reto 12: Un libro que has visto en la estantería de alguien (en la vida real, en una videollamada, en un programa de televisión, etc.). En la estantería de mi madre, que es a quien se lo he cogido prestado.

[Kimberly Carrington-Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nuestras reseñas del #RitaBrilli en A la cama con... un libro

No sé qué decir de este libro, no ha sido para nada lo que esperaba. Me ha gustado y, a la vez, no. Lo que sí tengo claro es que no es una novela romántica aunque sí hay amor.

[Margitte]

Judith Krantz gave meaning to our lives when the mores and values of society were rapidly changing and we needed new role models for our young selves. I know, in retrospect, we should have been more cautious. :-)) But I simply loved all her books at the time. No rating or review unless I reread it.

[Paul Dyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judy more lush and panoramic than usual, with her delicious flair for obscenity curiously reined in. The novel extends from the years leading upto WWI to about a decade after WWII. The problem with a multi-generational novel that incorporates the World Wars is that anything that comes after the dread and excitement of WWII is bound to feel like a let-down, unless it’s a novel about the post-War years in its own right. But after 1945, the book seemed to fizzle a little, as if Judy were introducing kinks into the lives of her characters simply to keep us going into the Fifties, when she could have ended things with the war. I can’t justify that opinion without introducing spoilers, so I’ll just leave it there. Certainly some events had to wait for the passage of time before they could be resolved, but that could be imputed to bad plotting. Still, Judy is Judy, and all the lushness and shameless romance are here. In fact, I don’t think her prose has ever been richer. If you want something that flows along comfortably, between a Mozart opera and a nice cup of chai, by all means, crank up the volume, settle into a nook, and, with a steaming cup beside you, sink into literary self-indulgence.

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Revolves around the lives of three young women as they deal with the incidents around them. Along the way they find romance and become swept up in family intrigue.

[diamond · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite book, ever. I've reread it so many times I've lost count!

The plot and subplots span generations with an ever changing backdrop of big historical shifts like WW2 and cinema. 10/10 recommend.

[oliviasbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect kind of guilty pleasure.

[Tani · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I was less stubborn, I never would have finished this. For that matter, if I was less stubborn, I never would have read it in the first place. My parents gave me this one; they picked it up at a lawn sale. They probably paid about 50 cents for it, and in my opinion, they probably overpaid. The concept was strong, but the execution was not. I did not like the characters. I did not believe the emotions they supposedly experienced. I finished only out of a sense of obligation and the tiniest bit of curiosity over what would happen. Curiosity satisfied, now I can say that I am very happy to be putting this book behind me.

[Shahrzad · Rating 5 out of 5]

از خواندن این کتاب بسیار لذت بردم. نویسنده به خوبی پاریس، لس آنجلس و ایالت شامپانی فرانسه در طی سالهای جنگ های جهانی اول و دوم را توصیف کرده است. داستانی در مورد زندگی یک مادر و دو دخترش. هر سه زنانی مصمم، با اعتماد به نفس و کله شق! که هرکدام به نوعی قهرمان زندگی خویش اند

[Stacia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit of a slow start for me - I'm not usually into what I'll call "period pieces" but I ended up really enjoying this book. It has several scenes that Pam Bernard would really enjoy.

[Magdalena Wajda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read it once in high school and re-read it now. It still makes a pleasant read and a good escape from reality. And Freddy is still my favorite character.

[Maryann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though it took me a while to read this novel, I enjoyed it thoroughly and rewarded the read at least 4 stars. I had the idea the novel would be like Love-Makersby Judith Gould with the idea the blurb had revealed, that the main plot would be about Eve and her daughters.
Except, only a few chapters were dedicated to Eve and the rest of the book followed the lives of her daughters, Freddy and Delphine.
They were all rebellious in their youths, they all chose a life of scandal and the only favorable of the women was Freddy, though even sometimes, I found her character slightly irritating.
Eve was the first to burn the path when she ran away from home with a young performer at the age of 17 and leaved in sin with him because she thought it was so adventurous. After finding out he was a fake, he leaves in shame and anger and Eve becomes a performer in the theatre under the guise "Maddy". She becomes a legend in the theatre but unfortunately in those days it was below her station to be performing and therefore she was disowned by her parents.
The war begins and theatres shut down which leaves Eve idle for a while. Only for a while. She gets a brilliant idea to sing to the soldiers in the battlefield just for inspiration and courage.
She meets Paul, who is mesmerized by her voice when she sings "till we meet again." After a few years or months, I think, he tracks her down and confesses his undying love. A few minutes after that, he proposed and they marry.
Paul had had a son in his early marriage, Bruno, who is a real jerk face and is continually the main villain of the story.
Eve leaves Maddy behind and her parents are again proud to call her daughter.
Eve has two daughters, Delphine and Freddy.
Delphine grows up to be an actress and man eater and sleeps with directors and producers of films everywhere in France.
Freddy becomes a pilot and grows up to have an affair with her instructor whose probably 20 years her senior.
Bruno turns out to be a mentally disturbed spoiled brat with a liking for old women with wicked sexual fantasies.
Another war hits and the story trails after the two women, Freddy and Delphine and their villainous half brother through the war.
Their love lives, their struggles and their self discovery unwound in the later chapters until, they too had children of their own.
Somewhere in the end, the author remembers Eve and brings her back into the plot.
It's a lovely read, even though I didn't reflect it in my review :/
Four stars to the novel!! Thats all Im willing to give.

[Linda]

From the desk of the "Learning to Write A Review"...

This book was a re-read. First read was at its publication and at the time Judith Krantz was a favorite author. She still is one of the best for this genre, but regretfully, it has been a long time since she has published.

I always "fall into" a story that features the lives of a few women. It is much fun to follow your favorite, cheer her on and well, what can you say but that there is always one "not so much" do you like her.

Freddy was the heroine for me, followed by her Mom Eve (a/k/a Maddy). The story opens at a family gathering. Delphine (the older daughter) and Freddy (Frederique Marie) the younger, their family. Eve's favorite granddaughter opens her closet and finds "Maddy's Famous Red Dress" and wants to wear it. This sets the stage for the memories of the past, which become written as "a present time" and concludes at the beginning of the book.

I found Freddy's story to be the most interesting. From a child, Freddy, wants to fly a plane. Her story charts her learning to fly, her love of it as well as falling in love with her instructor to a tragic ending. I love her independent spirit and her choices seem to flow with ease - that is, except for her love life. Yet, what is a good story without a turbulent love life?

Delphine's story was more a fairy tale come true. As an actress, Delphine climbs to the top. I felt I had to assume that she did have talent, but I had a sense she wasn't a great talent. Her love life was the core of her story. I sit on the fence as to how I really feel about Delphine. She seems to have intellect that she uses, especially when she meets her husband-to-be Armand and falls in love for the very first time.

Eve's story stands out... however, in modern times and compared to her daughters, we have to ask why she gave up her astonishing career. Then, some of us may remember, all for love and how fortunate she is to find a "Grand Passion".

As the chatelaine (inherited when Paul passes) she instilled in me a great love of wine and wineries. This was one of the best gifts from reading this and a reason for the reread.

Maybe it is time to re-read, yet another Judith Krantz... Mmm...

[Didi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun beach read, but some of Krantz's other books are better.
Till We Meet Again follows the story of Eve, who runs away from home in pre-WWI France to live with a singer and then becomes an even more successful singer herself, and her daughters Delphine, an actress, and Freddie, a pilot.
The central notion is that all three women are "Daring." The book makes a pretty good case that Eve and Freddy are daring in their own ways, but I'm not so sure about Delphine. She's kind of a nitwit who drifts into acting in the French film industry and becomes incredibly successful because (1) she's extremely beautiful and (2) apparently has an orgasm whenever she's being filmed which conveys an elemental sexuality to audiences. She falls in love with a Jewish film director and they drift along in blissful love, oblivious to the rise of Nazism, until the outbreak of war and her lover gets called up to fight in the army, and then is taken prisoner in Germany. Delphine "daringly" rides out the war in Paris, worrying about her lover (whose name I can't recall), continuing to act in films, but declining to actually collaborate with the Nazis. On the one hand, it's annoying that there's no real reason they didn't leave France; Delphine was born in America and is an American citizen, so they could have gotten married and fled together and gone to work in Hollywood like so many European film people did. On the other hand, portraying life in Occupied France and the pressures to collaborate was interesting, but didn't get developed very far.
Freddie's story is more fun. She becomes a stunt pilot and then a pilot in England during the war. (Women pilots did not participate in combat, but performed auxiliary roles moving planes around, etc.) I would have enjoyed an entire book on that storyline.
Anyway, it's mostly a fun book. I enjoyed all the WWII parts. The main drawback is that by jumping around so many different locations and storylines, it skims the surface of tantalizing stories of which I would have enjoyed more development.

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book focuses on Eve, Freddy and Delphine's journey through a rough time period where the consequences of being an independent and headstrong female with no regard to who they harm.

I found the stories of Eve and Freddy to be much more interesting than Delphine. Delphine seems to be the cliched beautiful actress who is successful and super oblivious to what is happening around her (like the Nazi occupation of France) until her beloved is taken away because of his Jewish background.

Eve caused quite a scandal running away to live with a singer before becoming a successful singer, only to turn around and fall in love with someone from an aristocratic background, and that also causes a scandal. She fought hard to be recognized as someone worthy for years, she has the drive and determination to get it done.

Freddy has always wanted to be a pilot as a young child and she daringly (well stubbornly) took to it. When she become a pilot she did so many interesting and couragous things, like performing the airplane stunts in Hollywood movies, playing an active part in WWII, taking (often times) unnecessary risks, falling in love and finding love again.

Bruno (Paul's kid by his deceased first wife) was totally aristocratic through and through, having mostly been raised by his maternal grandparents who blame Paul for their daughter's death and Eve for her scandalous background. During the war, Bruno did lots of despicable things, especially to other people (like those who helped run the family estates) I am so glad he finally got what was coming to him even though it took some years for justice to be served! A pity he didn't suffer a bad ending before he did all those money scheming and backstabbing actions

It was an interesting read that passes the time.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, so it took me a while to get into the story. at first it was kind of hard for me to
read the names. After i got over that hurdle, i was like, do i need to remember my
history? im lousy with remembering history, to a point. So, after that, my being at a
generation where women have rights and stuff. . it makes you open your eyes to the
experience womans standards were. i was really glad to see Eve rebel. i was sad that she
was deemed a . . scandalous woman, since in todays light, it is more common, an experience
that she made for herself. so its like a time table, of seeing the difference of time
era's. Then i got to the point of Bruno. He was portrayed as an ambitious boy. But he
seems to have turned out as a person with a high nose, im better than you type person.
Forever in the lifehood of a bacholar. i like how later his father see's him for who he
really is. As well as the life of Delphine. She likes to live the life of bacholaretism. Until. . . ..well, i dont want to give away the whole book. And for Freddy, it is an
exciting experience to read her experiences. Your rooting for her grandatious ambitions.
.and proud of her for them. But then an unfortunate event took place, and i got so sad, i
had a hard time picking up the book again because of how captivated i had become with
freddys relationship. but i continued on. it took a while to get used to her new
relationship. and then you read on that the person and their family wanted her to become someone she wasnt. but it surprises you. There are some unfortunate events that take
place that makes Freddy second guess herself a few times, but she finds herself again,
which makes you happy in the end. I have to say, overall, it was a thrill to read. i found it enjoyable.

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read quite some books written by Judith Krantz and this is by far my favorite. In this book she tells the story of a family that takes the reader through the rainy streets of Paris, the sunny boulevards of the magical Hollywood, to the romantic vineyards of Champagne and to the battle fields of two world wars in England and in Paris.

It starts with 17-year-old Eve creating a scandal by running away from home with a performer. She becomes a singer in the theaters of Paris. When war begins the theaters shut down and she falls in love and marries Paul who is from one of the famous Champagne dynasties.
They have two daughters:
Delphine who first lives a double life in the nightclubs in Hollywood and when she's sent off to her grand-parents in France she becomes a famous actress and seductress of men.
Stubborn Freddy becomes something she always wanted to be; one of the first women pilots. Flying is her life and not something she's ever going to give up.

It may be a guilty pleasure book, but who cares, it's a very lovely and entertaining read.

[Ary Chest · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought Scruples was dumb. Not fun trashy, but trashy as in what a mess. Krantz got to where she is from privilege and speaking the language of superficial glamour.

Thank the lord she made up for it with this one. This was gripping (mostly.)

I loved the setting, from stuffy Dijon, to wild Paris, to glitzy Los Angeles, and then back to war-torn France. The plot went in all directions, but each one was fun.

I have a few interesting notes. During their teen years, Freddy's story was more interesting than Delphine's. In their adult years, I thought Delphine's storyline was more interesting. Freddy interacted with too many characters for her adventures to be memorable.

I withheld one star because this book did kind of fizzle out in the end. I thought the confrontation between Paul and Bruno could've combusted more.

[Ilena Holder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this book wasn't I thought it was. Huge (again!) J. Krantz did a ton of research on French wine country around 1910. Though the book was about 3 women, I will just talk of one- the mother. Eve is the daughter of a highly respected physician in Dijon. She runs away to Paris to pursue love and a singing career-- a lower type of job for a woman of her breeding. I found the description of Paris, the theaters, the weather, the food, the vineyards -- all interesting and so descriptive. While not a fan of France, I felt like I was there, experiencing everything Eve went through. The other 2/3 of the book concerns her daughters, Delphine and Freddy. I love Krantz's voice. Her picture on the back cover was so 80's- I loved it. Acid washed jeans and paper mache earrings-- just like I used to wear!

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I disliked the main characters but really liked a lot of the side characters (the men they loved and lost). I had a problem with their morals and the fact that these women did things with disregard for who they hurt in the name of 'love' (which was mostly misplaced and unwarranted). The ending is satisfying with most folks getting their just due. I kept thinking I'd like to pass it along to my mom and then there would be some random kinky sex scene out of nowhere so I think I'll skip it and kick it back to the thrift store from whence it came. A solid escape vacation book.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the type of book that I would only read many, many years ago and at over 500 pages, I enjoyed the storyline very much. Eve and daughters Delphine and Freddy are the stars of this storyline from 1910 – 1955 apx. There is much about WWI and WWII along with the entertainment scene of movies and music in Paris, champagne and flying. It takes place in the US, England, France and some references to life in Australia. Since the family is well to do and connected hardships are minimal, but tragedy and loss still happen.

[F. O. · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite Judith Krantz novel so far! Her books would make really enjoyable movies, and it's so much fun to think about who I'd cast as the main characters. After much discussion with Jenne, we have decided on the following:

Young Eve: Sophie Turner
Older Eve: Julie Delpy
Freddy: Emma Stone
Delphine: Natalie Portman
Armand: Adrian Brody

I guess they made a 1989 version with Courtney Cox as Freddy. I do not approve.

[fearthainn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typically extravigant Judith Krantz. I remember adoring this book the first time I read it, because one of the main characters was a pilot and I wanted to be a pilot. It doesn't quite hold up on reading it as an adult, but I still enjoyed it.

[Lara Gingerich · Rating 4 out of 5]

She's my guilty pleasure author....

[sminismoni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book I read in my teens, during my romantic mass-paperback fiction phase. Saw the movie too - with a young Courtney Cox. Loved it.

[Marko]

I have the german edition: Widersehen in Valmont
and the english original: Till we meet again

[Shirley · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading two non fiction books with heavy subjects, I was ready for something frivolous. This was. A formulaic multi generational tale of impossibly beautiful women, their men and their trials.

[Jennifer Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a holiday read gift from a friend, a novel written in 1988, so I had nothing to lose in reading it but I'm glad I did! It was a great read, a luscious story of a different era that was a perfect beach read.
Starting pre World War one, the end of the Edwardian era, it details the isolated and restricted life of Eve, whose father is the doctor in Dijon, a provincial city in Central France. Her life appears to be pre ordained as a society wife and mother, and she is facing a highly restrictive life until she visits the theatre with her chaperone and meets a singer and performer in the show. He tries to leave once when realises her position in society, but she follows him to Paris.
Eve becomes a talent in her own right, performing, and becoming well known, as Madeleine, or Maddy.
Recognised by her aunt, she gains a reputation as an immoral woman but she is a great singer and earns her reputation. The writer adds the names of famous singers of the day, such as Maurice Chevalier and creates a strong background to Eve's story.
When the war comes she sings for the troops, and meets her future husband Paul, who is a member of a family that owns a Champagne vineyard. His 1st wife had died in childbirth, and his son Bruno was cared for by his parents so does not join his family, as they travel to many places.
As his father and uncle work the vineyard, Paul becomes a diplomat, and he and Eve are sent to various countries, and have two daughters, Danielle and Marie-Frederique or Freddy. Bruno never joins the family, and grows up very conservative, relating well to the Fascists gaining power in Europe.
Delphine breaks away from university and education, when she visits the film studios and is offered a screen test, becoming an in demand actress. She is based in Paris, and falls in love with her director who is Jewish, which in 1930's Europe was a dangerous religion due to Hitler's violent hatred.
In America Freddy's great love is aviation, and she trains in secret with Mac, an older flier, before telling her parents when she gains her licence. She eventually moves in with Mac, and they work together in flying running a business.
World War 2 comes, and Delphine is in Paris, but her partner is taken by the Germans when they occupy the city. She stays there, waiting for his return.
Bruno takes control of the Vineyard as his grandfather died, and sold all the stored Champagne in the 'Tresor' (or treasure store hidden in case of need) to his German contacts for his own wealth but also had the three key workers killed by the Germans to silence them about his actions.
When his father returns after the war he banishes Bruno, who goes to America.
Freddy loses Mac, as he died in an accident while trianing pilots for the war, and she volunteers to fly planes in England once war breaks out, meeting Jane, another pilot. She meets Jane's brother Tony, and marries him, initially living in England with him and their daughter Annie at the family home.
After the war she proposed a company to fly goods in America using old planes, with her husband and his RAAF friend Jock. Eventually their company makes money but her husband just misses home, and they have grown apart so they divorce, she stays in America with Annie and flying is her life.
Delphine's husband Armand returns from Germany, and they are re-united.
Paul dies suddenly, so Bruno returns to pay his respects but is murdered by the local workers who know his part in stealing from the vineyard, allowing the key French staff to be murdered by the Germans.
Freddy has an accident flying, and is assisted in her recovery by her doctor David, to whom she becomes attached, but eventually she realises he is not for her. She has become very frightened by flight, but on her return from Europe Jock manages to get her to get into her own plane, and take her up to conquer her fear, and to show her this love!
The story contains some frank sexual scenes, but also a lot of historical facts delivered by a good story teller so it was every entertaining

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eve dared. . . Eve, with passion that overruled her total innocence, ran away from home to live in unrepentant sin; won stardom singing on the stage of the Parisian music halls before Worlds War I; married into the world of international diplomacy; and become the greatest lady Champagne. Eve's younger daughter, Freddy, inherited all of her mother's recklessness. Growing up in California, she became a pilot by sixteen; throughout World War II she ferried war planes in Britain--a glorious redhead who captured men with one humorous, challenging glance. Eve's elder daughter, Delphine, exquisite, gifted, and wild, romped through the nightlife of Hollywood of the thirties. On a whim, she made a screen test in Paris and soon found herself a great star of French films. She chose to risk her life in occupied France because of a love that transformed her frivolity into courage.

[Helene · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Judith Krantz - just a great complex love story involving a woman who left home at 16 to start a new life, who learned her first true love was not true but then found her life partner. The love story then moves to her daughters and their explorations to find true love. Story spans years and continents, champaign producing and early aircraft, gay Paree and WWII with a bit of an English manor tossed in along with life near Los Angeles.

Just a fun read as you watch people make awful decisions but who are rescued by friends who are closer than family. A few surprises but "All's well that ends well".