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Hotel du Barry
Rare book
368 pages, Paperback
Published May 10, 2017
15 people are currently reading
575 people want to read
About the author
Lesley Truffle
5 books18 followersLondon-born Australian Lesley Truffle has travelled extensively and worked in London and Japan. At present she’s living in a garret in Melbourne. She’s worked as a secondary teacher, photographer, hotel maid, fringe actor and in art galleries, bars, nightclubs and other jobs too ghastly to mention.
While exhibiting her art photography in Melbourne galleries Lesley realised she wanted to create imaginary stories and interior monologues, and returned to writing.
Her fiction piece 'A Man of Fashion' was published in 'Scarlet Stiletto:The Second Cut' in 2011, and 'Memoir of a Trollop' was performed by Baggage Productions: Madwomen Monologues in 2013. 'Memoir of a Trollop' will be performed again as part of the Madwomen Monologues retrospective in November 2016.
Lesley's first novel, 'Hotel du Barry' was published in 2016 and 'The Scandalous Life of Sasha Torte' will be published by Harper Collins January 2017.
While exhibiting her art photography in Melbourne galleries Lesley realised she wanted to create imaginary stories and interior monologues, and returned to writing.
Her fiction piece 'A Man of Fashion' was published in 'Scarlet Stiletto:The Second Cut' in 2011, and 'Memoir of a Trollop' was performed by Baggage Productions: Madwomen Monologues in 2013. 'Memoir of a Trollop' will be performed again as part of the Madwomen Monologues retrospective in November 2016.
Lesley's first novel, 'Hotel du Barry' was published in 2016 and 'The Scandalous Life of Sasha Torte' will be published by Harper Collins January 2017.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
December 22, 2025
Trama/Plot ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Personaggi/Characters ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Stile/Style ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Un bel mix tra mistery, storico e un po' di romance. Un libro corale, non c'è un vero e proprio protagonista principale, se non l'hotel Du Barry stesso, storico albergo londinese dove, negli anni '30 del secolo scorso, si dipanano le storie, gli amori e le lotte di tutti quelli che vi si trovano a vivere, dai piani alti – dove vive la famiglia Du Barry – al Labirinto, ossia il regno sotterraneo della servitù. Intenso, a tratti crudo e spinto, un bell'affresco della società dell'epoca.
***
A nice mix of mystery, historical and a bit of romance. A choral book, there is no real main character, if not the Du Barry hotel itself, a historical London hotel where, in the 1930s, we learn the stories, loves and struggles of all those living there, from the upper floors - where the Du Barry family lives - to the Labyrinth, the underground kingdom of servants. Intense, at times crude and driven, a beautiful fresco of the society of the time.
Personaggi/Characters ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Stile/Style ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Un bel mix tra mistery, storico e un po' di romance. Un libro corale, non c'è un vero e proprio protagonista principale, se non l'hotel Du Barry stesso, storico albergo londinese dove, negli anni '30 del secolo scorso, si dipanano le storie, gli amori e le lotte di tutti quelli che vi si trovano a vivere, dai piani alti – dove vive la famiglia Du Barry – al Labirinto, ossia il regno sotterraneo della servitù. Intenso, a tratti crudo e spinto, un bell'affresco della società dell'epoca.
***
A nice mix of mystery, historical and a bit of romance. A choral book, there is no real main character, if not the Du Barry hotel itself, a historical London hotel where, in the 1930s, we learn the stories, loves and struggles of all those living there, from the upper floors - where the Du Barry family lives - to the Labyrinth, the underground kingdom of servants. Intense, at times crude and driven, a beautiful fresco of the society of the time.
Read
June 12, 2018Avoid this book at all costs.
There is just so much wrong with it, I would have stopped reading, but wanted to know how bad it would get.
A few of the things that are so bad in this book:
It’s verbose
Appalling dialogue
Badly written characters
Unfinished story lines
No editing
This was one of the worst books I have ever had the misfortune to read, thus the zero star rating.
There is just so much wrong with it, I would have stopped reading, but wanted to know how bad it would get.
A few of the things that are so bad in this book:
It’s verbose
Appalling dialogue
Badly written characters
Unfinished story lines
No editing
This was one of the worst books I have ever had the misfortune to read, thus the zero star rating.
August 10, 2016
Urged to read Hotel Du Barry by Lesley Truffle by a dear friend, she began telling me a little about the book in order to persuade me. She had me sold when she described the opening scene (this isn’t a spoiler, either, because it’s part of the blurb) where a baby is found hanging on the clothesline of a chic hotel in London during the 1930s. What’s not to love about such a gloriously unusual beginning?
Just who the chortling baby’s mother might be is uncertain - never mind her father. Enchanted by the splendid little girl, the hotel staff determine to keep her. When the owner of the place, Daniel Du Barry, who is grieving the loss of his lover, discovers the child, he too falls under her spell.
Naming her Cat, after his favourite bottle of champagne, Daniel is captivated. Unfortunately his new wife, Eddie, sister of his lover is not, but she’s forced to tolerate this child everyone else adores - the clever little girl with violet eyes and the propensity to fall asleep at the most inopportune moments – or is it only in Eddie’s presence? Over the years, Cat grows into a charming and talented young woman, as comfortable with the luxury of the penthouse as she is with the maids and various staff below stairs. Raised on a diet of classic and modern art, music, great (and sometimes inappropriate for her age) literature, as well as gossip, the sexual high-jinks, drug-taking and alcoholism of her step-mother and dirty habits of too many hotel guests, Cat isn’t at all damaged by what she bears witness to - she has her insatiable curiosity piqued again and again and her zest for life and people grows.
When, however, tragedy strikes her rather charmed existence, Cat decides to get to the bottom of not only the mystery surrounding the death of loved ones, but to also find her mother. Drawing on the help of her all too eager hotel family, together they plumb the depths and scale the heights of the hotel and its associates searching for answers… answers that not only take her beyond English shores, but prove dangerous to find…
This is a delicious romp filled with such memorable characters, witty, snippy asides that had me laughing out loud, heartfelt scenes that make your soul ache, and characters you want to sit back and swill gin with. The tone is marvellous – light and yet not at the expense of beautiful writing or deeper meaning. It’s so very different to the kind of books I’ve been reading lately and utterly refreshing. What I also found really stimulating was the fact that not all threads are neatly tied together at the end of the story. Truffle (what a great name) allows the reader to make their own minds up about some of the characters’ pasts and, indeed, their futures beyond the pages of the book and I simply loved that.
This is a sizzler of a read that I cannot recommend highly enough for those who love to be immersed in a past they can smell, see, feel and taste, like a good mystery packed to the brim with three-dimensional characters with personalities you love and loathe, or for those who simply enjoy great writing.
Unexpected and simply delightful.
Just who the chortling baby’s mother might be is uncertain - never mind her father. Enchanted by the splendid little girl, the hotel staff determine to keep her. When the owner of the place, Daniel Du Barry, who is grieving the loss of his lover, discovers the child, he too falls under her spell.
Naming her Cat, after his favourite bottle of champagne, Daniel is captivated. Unfortunately his new wife, Eddie, sister of his lover is not, but she’s forced to tolerate this child everyone else adores - the clever little girl with violet eyes and the propensity to fall asleep at the most inopportune moments – or is it only in Eddie’s presence? Over the years, Cat grows into a charming and talented young woman, as comfortable with the luxury of the penthouse as she is with the maids and various staff below stairs. Raised on a diet of classic and modern art, music, great (and sometimes inappropriate for her age) literature, as well as gossip, the sexual high-jinks, drug-taking and alcoholism of her step-mother and dirty habits of too many hotel guests, Cat isn’t at all damaged by what she bears witness to - she has her insatiable curiosity piqued again and again and her zest for life and people grows.
When, however, tragedy strikes her rather charmed existence, Cat decides to get to the bottom of not only the mystery surrounding the death of loved ones, but to also find her mother. Drawing on the help of her all too eager hotel family, together they plumb the depths and scale the heights of the hotel and its associates searching for answers… answers that not only take her beyond English shores, but prove dangerous to find…
This is a delicious romp filled with such memorable characters, witty, snippy asides that had me laughing out loud, heartfelt scenes that make your soul ache, and characters you want to sit back and swill gin with. The tone is marvellous – light and yet not at the expense of beautiful writing or deeper meaning. It’s so very different to the kind of books I’ve been reading lately and utterly refreshing. What I also found really stimulating was the fact that not all threads are neatly tied together at the end of the story. Truffle (what a great name) allows the reader to make their own minds up about some of the characters’ pasts and, indeed, their futures beyond the pages of the book and I simply loved that.
This is a sizzler of a read that I cannot recommend highly enough for those who love to be immersed in a past they can smell, see, feel and taste, like a good mystery packed to the brim with three-dimensional characters with personalities you love and loathe, or for those who simply enjoy great writing.
Unexpected and simply delightful.
November 17, 2016
Recensione presente anche sul blog Bookish Advisor http://bookishadvisor.blogspot.it
Di solito quando si pensa agli anni 20/30 la mente corre subito ai locali di musica jazz che invadevano l'America, New Orleans, New York, Chicago sono poche delle città che ben si sono sposate come setting ideale per le ambientazioni per questi anni – sia nella letteratura che nei film – ma Hotel Du Barry ci porta, invece, nella sfavillante Londra, una delle più antiche capiteli europee alla scoperta di un Hotel, di una famiglia, di una vita, di una ragazza e la sua personale ricerca verso la verità.
Il libro inizia con la scoperta di una bambina in fasce alle porte dell'Hotel Du Barry, non è dato sapere chi abbia abbandonato la bambina ma dal preciso istante in cui Cat è comparsa tutti sono rimasti stregati da quella speciale bambina dagli occhi violetti e lo stesso proprietario dell'albergo non ha potuto che prendere la bambina sotto la sua protezione ed è così che la piccola neonata cresce a suo agio sia tra i prominenti ospiti di spicco dell'hotel, nelle stanze più lussuose, e nei corridoi e cucine dove si raduna lo staff.
Come tutti avrete ben capito ci troviamo in un fantastico romanzo storico dall'ambientazione unica ma la capacità dell'autrice è stata quella di inserire in una favolosa cornice un mystery che sarà la nostra protagonista a risolvere. Come spesso capita negli Historical Fiction la bravura dell'autore sta nel organizzare il “giallo” senza stravolgere la realtà storica in cui la storia è immersa e la Truffle ci riesce alla grande!
Il setting, le ambientazioni sono estremamente dettagliate e precise, senza però assillare il lettore, che si troverà al centro della scena e protagonista in prima persona del romanzo: gli sembrerà camminare tra le stanze dell'Hotel, tra lampadari di cristallo, poltrone dai tessuti pregiati, e le porcellane più delicate dove si riflette lo sforzo e la stravaganza di un'epoca che cerca di dimenticare la brutalità della prima guerra mondiale.
Ma la caratteristica che più colpisce è il lettore è la variopinta presenza di personaggi unici che non possano inosservati: la protagonista Cat, che non passa certo inosservata incantando il lettore come ogni persona che incontra tra le pagine del romanzo, il divertentisso ed ilare staff dell'hotel, David Du Barry, uomo da gran cuore, e l'eccentricità di ognuno degli ospiti dell'hotel.
Come capita spesso nei Mystery il PoV passa da un protagonista all'altro dando la possibilità al lettore di organizzare un viaggi a 360° nella lettura e poter dare uno sguardo completo e cercare a suo modo di venire al capo del giallo che è la protagonista cerca di svelare.
Lo stile che caratterizza la Truffle è uno dei più belli letti recentemente: linguaggio elegante e raffinato che si sposa perfettamente con il tipo di storia narrata, una storia di altri tempi, di un'altra vita che però diventa la tua nei giorni in cui sei impegnata nella lettura.
Questa romanzo si è rivelato una lettura indimenticabile, coinvolgente, appassionate ma, più di ogni altra cosa, estremamente emozionante: Hotel Du barry si fa ricordare per un umorismo dal gusto sottile che diverte senza pretese ma che allo stesso tempo riesce anche a commuovere per l'incredibile storia di un affetto, una relazione che supera a volte anche i più stretti legami di sangue.
Lettura consigliata per ci ama un buon storico dalle ambientazioni suggestive ed uniche, per chi cerca un mystery coinvolgente ed emozionante, ma soprattutto per chi cerca una storia che riesca a regalarci emozioni vere.
4 Stelle
Di solito quando si pensa agli anni 20/30 la mente corre subito ai locali di musica jazz che invadevano l'America, New Orleans, New York, Chicago sono poche delle città che ben si sono sposate come setting ideale per le ambientazioni per questi anni – sia nella letteratura che nei film – ma Hotel Du Barry ci porta, invece, nella sfavillante Londra, una delle più antiche capiteli europee alla scoperta di un Hotel, di una famiglia, di una vita, di una ragazza e la sua personale ricerca verso la verità.
Il libro inizia con la scoperta di una bambina in fasce alle porte dell'Hotel Du Barry, non è dato sapere chi abbia abbandonato la bambina ma dal preciso istante in cui Cat è comparsa tutti sono rimasti stregati da quella speciale bambina dagli occhi violetti e lo stesso proprietario dell'albergo non ha potuto che prendere la bambina sotto la sua protezione ed è così che la piccola neonata cresce a suo agio sia tra i prominenti ospiti di spicco dell'hotel, nelle stanze più lussuose, e nei corridoi e cucine dove si raduna lo staff.
Come tutti avrete ben capito ci troviamo in un fantastico romanzo storico dall'ambientazione unica ma la capacità dell'autrice è stata quella di inserire in una favolosa cornice un mystery che sarà la nostra protagonista a risolvere. Come spesso capita negli Historical Fiction la bravura dell'autore sta nel organizzare il “giallo” senza stravolgere la realtà storica in cui la storia è immersa e la Truffle ci riesce alla grande!
Il setting, le ambientazioni sono estremamente dettagliate e precise, senza però assillare il lettore, che si troverà al centro della scena e protagonista in prima persona del romanzo: gli sembrerà camminare tra le stanze dell'Hotel, tra lampadari di cristallo, poltrone dai tessuti pregiati, e le porcellane più delicate dove si riflette lo sforzo e la stravaganza di un'epoca che cerca di dimenticare la brutalità della prima guerra mondiale.
Ma la caratteristica che più colpisce è il lettore è la variopinta presenza di personaggi unici che non possano inosservati: la protagonista Cat, che non passa certo inosservata incantando il lettore come ogni persona che incontra tra le pagine del romanzo, il divertentisso ed ilare staff dell'hotel, David Du Barry, uomo da gran cuore, e l'eccentricità di ognuno degli ospiti dell'hotel.
Come capita spesso nei Mystery il PoV passa da un protagonista all'altro dando la possibilità al lettore di organizzare un viaggi a 360° nella lettura e poter dare uno sguardo completo e cercare a suo modo di venire al capo del giallo che è la protagonista cerca di svelare.
Lo stile che caratterizza la Truffle è uno dei più belli letti recentemente: linguaggio elegante e raffinato che si sposa perfettamente con il tipo di storia narrata, una storia di altri tempi, di un'altra vita che però diventa la tua nei giorni in cui sei impegnata nella lettura.
Questa romanzo si è rivelato una lettura indimenticabile, coinvolgente, appassionate ma, più di ogni altra cosa, estremamente emozionante: Hotel Du barry si fa ricordare per un umorismo dal gusto sottile che diverte senza pretese ma che allo stesso tempo riesce anche a commuovere per l'incredibile storia di un affetto, una relazione che supera a volte anche i più stretti legami di sangue.
Lettura consigliata per ci ama un buon storico dalle ambientazioni suggestive ed uniche, per chi cerca un mystery coinvolgente ed emozionante, ma soprattutto per chi cerca una storia che riesca a regalarci emozioni vere.
4 Stelle
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 3, 2016
Honestly, I fell a little bad giving this such a low rating because in retrospect, I’ve gained a lot of enjoyment from this book. The experience of reading it was so bizarre, and the narrative so juvenile that it’s continued ability to miss every opportunity to surprise or interest the reader was almost comical by the end. It’s been almost eight months since I read it and I still find myself wondering I somehow missed some enormous joke. Surely no book can so completely fail to hit the mark?
Ultimately I can never forgive this book for two things:
Ultimately I can never forgive this book for two things:
April 13, 2016
The blurb for this book made me think this was the book for me – history with a bit of a mystery and a great cast of characters. I got that and so much more. There was glamour, excesses and lots of sex. The story was way over the top and the mystery to be solved was not that complicated, but the characters were so interesting and full of contradictions; the rich guy who felt much more at home with the poor; the officer who was always referred to as corrupt but who everyone trusted implicitly; the young person who was very adult. This turned out to be something different to what I thought it would be – not all that disappointing, but be warned there is bad language and sex.
June 12, 2017
This is the second book I've read by Lesley Truffle and just like The Scandalous Life of Sasha Torte I adored Hotel du Barry. Truffle's books may not be for everyone, they can be a little on the silly side, but they are always a delightful romp in the truest sense of the word. Hotel du Barry has everything sex, glamour, death, intrigue. Truffle also has a deliciously witty turn of phrase. I found myself laughing out loud in parts due just to her wording of a certain phrase.
Hotel du Barry does an excellent job of being exactly what it set out to be a rollicking good story.
Hotel du Barry does an excellent job of being exactly what it set out to be a rollicking good story.
June 27, 2019
This meandered through too many pages with very little happening. The mystery of the baby and the crimes were solved but little detail was given about how.
December 28, 2019
Review to come.
October 22, 2017
There was a lot to like about this book. The blurb lived up to the promise of an intriguing story, and captivating it was. The glittering hotel and its cast of characters, ever so slightly exaggerated made for a wonderful cast in the vein of The Grand Budapest Hotel (which I loved). So why the two stars? Firstly, this novel is longer than necessary: time and again we are fed scenes which in no way progress the story nor develop the characters.
Secondly, part of the appeal of The Great Gatsby and The Grand Budapest Hotel (to which this novel is compared in the blurb) have a wonderful sub-surface frisson derived from the unseen but all-too-real sexual chemistry between the characters: we are shown little, but imagine much. We the reader/viewer make the connections. Things are suggested, hinted at, whispered, but filling in the details is left to the imagination of the reader. The sexual chemistry in The Hotel du Barry is in your face, and the more it went on, the less witty and alluring it became: it quickly became boring and tawdry. Why? I can only imagine that the author has a point to prove about herself, rather than a point to prove about her characters, or an atmosphere to create. It read like she was saying "Oooh! I can write a titillating sex scene! Look at how gratuitous I can be! I must be a grown-up, serious writer!", or "Look! I can use the c*** word!" Honestly, it was so obvious that my imagination just disengaged the more it went on.
Thirdly, the opportunity to really make the most of the unseen character of Matthew as a forceful presence behind the narrative was lost. He just ends up being as flat and cut-out as his portrait. He could have been a Rebecca de Winter presence - he starts out that way - yet the steam just boils out of the idea part of the way through. Similarly, the force of Edwina's character runs out of steam. Her character was like Lady Macbeth, but without the chutzpah.
Fourthly, the ending is a complete let-down. That whole chapter set in hell is stupid and unnecessary. And the plot is resolved WELL before the end of the novel. And that resolution was so completely banal. For a story that stared with such a bang, it deflated to an unsatisfying whimper in the end.
Secondly, part of the appeal of The Great Gatsby and The Grand Budapest Hotel (to which this novel is compared in the blurb) have a wonderful sub-surface frisson derived from the unseen but all-too-real sexual chemistry between the characters: we are shown little, but imagine much. We the reader/viewer make the connections. Things are suggested, hinted at, whispered, but filling in the details is left to the imagination of the reader. The sexual chemistry in The Hotel du Barry is in your face, and the more it went on, the less witty and alluring it became: it quickly became boring and tawdry. Why? I can only imagine that the author has a point to prove about herself, rather than a point to prove about her characters, or an atmosphere to create. It read like she was saying "Oooh! I can write a titillating sex scene! Look at how gratuitous I can be! I must be a grown-up, serious writer!", or "Look! I can use the c*** word!" Honestly, it was so obvious that my imagination just disengaged the more it went on.
Thirdly, the opportunity to really make the most of the unseen character of Matthew as a forceful presence behind the narrative was lost. He just ends up being as flat and cut-out as his portrait. He could have been a Rebecca de Winter presence - he starts out that way - yet the steam just boils out of the idea part of the way through. Similarly, the force of Edwina's character runs out of steam. Her character was like Lady Macbeth, but without the chutzpah.
Fourthly, the ending is a complete let-down. That whole chapter set in hell is stupid and unnecessary. And the plot is resolved WELL before the end of the novel. And that resolution was so completely banal. For a story that stared with such a bang, it deflated to an unsatisfying whimper in the end.
November 9, 2016
Hotel Du Barry è un romanzo dallo stile prezioso ed elegante e dalla trama rilassante, ma coinvolgente.
È facile appassionarsi alla vita di personaggi, tanto ben delineati e raccontati per dettagli salienti.
Viene narrata una storia originale, assolutamente incredibile.
È ambientato nel 1930, in un hotel lussuoso, elegante, dove a coinvolgere il lettore sono anche le stanze, gli arredi, lo sfarzo, la luminosità e lo scintillio delle superfici alla moda, in perfetto stile Belle Époque. L'ambientazione è tanto suggestiva da voler entrare a far parte di quel mondo e scoprirne i segreti.
LESLEY TRUFFLE ha esordito con questo interessantissimo e insolito mystery. Tra i protagonisti al centro di questo romanzo, c'è anche una neonata "la bambina dell'Hotel du Barry". L'hanno trovata avvolta in un paio di mutandoni da donna e appesa al filo del bucato nel cortile della lavanderia del lussuoso albergo londinese, miracolosamente scampato ai bombardamenti della prima guerra mondiale.
Nessuno può resistere a quella neonata che conquista tutti con la potenza del suo sorriso. I membri del personale decidono, all'unanimità, di tenerla con loro e con mezzi non del tutto ortodossi convincono il proprietario, Daniel, ad adottarla.
Alla neonata viene dato il nome di Cat e cresce amata e coccolata sia dallo staff che dagli ospiti dell'hotel, ugualmente a proprio agio nella sontuosa suite del nono piano e nel labirinto di corridoi dello scantinato. Molti anni dopo, quando Daniel du Barry muore in circostanze a dir poco sospette, Cat decide di risolvere il mistero e chiede aiuto ai membri della sua insolita famiglia affinché l'aiutino a inchiodare l'assassino dell'uomo che le ha fatto da padre e le ha donato tanto amore, dandole la possibilità di vivere un'esistenza unica.
HOTEL DU BARRY è una lettura, adatta a tutti, per chiunque. È un mistery, insolito e brillante, sullo sfondo dei ruggenti anni Trenta, capace al tempo stesso di commuovere e divertire. È una lettura avvincente, con una bella trama.
June 23, 2016
Just could not finish this book. The construct is far-fetched and misses imparting the ambiance I think was intended, a bit immature.
June 26, 2016
Heartbreak, love, joy, secrets and intrigue is a normal day for the infamously fabulous Hotel du Barry.
A highly entertaining read, I would highly recommend this book- 5+ stars!
A highly entertaining read, I would highly recommend this book- 5+ stars!
August 4, 2019
Die Angestellten des eleganten Londoner Hotel du Barry trauen ihren Augen kaum, als sie sehen, was da in den Tiefen des Kellerlabyrinths unter dem Hotelgebäude an der Wäscheleine hängt: ein waschechtes Baby, fein säuberlich in einer riesigen Unterhose verstaut!
Die Kleine wächst der bunten Schar von Bediensteten schnell ans Herz und sie fürchten, man könne sie ihnen wegnehmen, wenn ihre Existenz ans Tageslicht kommt, doch schließlich ist es der Hotelbesitzer Daniel du Barry höchstpersönlich, der das entzückende Dingelchen adoptiert und ihm den hochtrabenden Namen Caterina Anastasia Lucinda verpasst. Cat, wie sie bald von allen genannt wird, wird in den turbulenten 20er und 30er Jahren im Hotel groß und bleibt dabei stets der Liebling des Personals und ihres Adoptivvaters. Nur dessen kaltherziger und berechnender Gattin ist dieser Emporkömmling von Mädchen ein großer Dorn im Auge, ist sie doch ihre Konkurrentin um das Erbe der du Barrys, und sie macht Cat das Leben schwer, wo sie nur kann.
Irgendwann beginnen sich dann auch merkwürdige Dinge im Hotel zuzutragen, und Cat weiß nicht, wem sie wirklich trauen kann ...
Ein herrlich altmodisches Grandhotel mit seinen grandiosen Sälen, geschäftigen Küchen, versierten Hausdamen, in allen Lebenslagen findigen Concierges und koketten Zimmermädchen ist eine phantastische Kulisse für einen Roman - erst recht in den bewegten Roaring Twenties und der darauffolgenden Zeit. Der Beginn mit dem ausgesetzten Baby an der Wäscheleine mutet zwar vielleicht ein bisschen arg märchenhaft an, ist aber durchaus ein hübscher Aufhänger (no pun intended ).
Schade nur, dass auch der Rest des Buches konstruiert wirkt. Es zeigt zwar charmante Ansätze und hat ein paar sympathische Charaktere, doch die Umsetzung kommt platt und klischeebeladen daher. Die Guten sind unglaublich gut, mildtätig und selbstverständlich wunderschön, während die Bösen eindimensional böse sind, ohne dass richtig klar wird, warum, und in den meisten Fällen auch noch unattraktiv oder gar abgrundtief hässlich sind. Cat selbst wächst natürlich zu einer großen Schönheit mit viel Köpfchen heran. Dafür, dass sie so clever sein soll, legt sie aber ab und an eine erstaunlich miserable Menschenkenntnis an den Tag.
Die Handlung ist mit unrealistischen Entwicklungen nur so gespickt, und der Plot wird immer seltsamer und verliert sich unlogisch in seinen eigenen Wirrungen. Sehr schade auch, dass sich das anfangs noch spürbare Zeitkolorit der wilden Zwanziger immer mehr verliert und man irgendwann überhaupt nicht mehr merkt, dass das Buch nicht in der Gegenwart, sondern vor 90 Jahren spielt.
Noch ein großer Nervfaktor: Fast die komplette Hotelbelegschaft hat es permanent darauf abgesehen, an allen möglichen und unmöglichen Orten jemanden flachzulegen bzw. selber flachgelegt zu werden, und die Personenbeschreibungen sind oft unerträglich schwülstig formuliert, während die Wortwahl an anderen Stellen wohl witzig sein soll, auf mich aber nur plump oder gar unflätig wirkt. (Ich habe wirklich keine Probleme mit deftiger Ausdrucksweise, aber sie muss echt wirken, was sie hier absolut nicht tut.)
Die Übersetzung trägt dazu noch ihr Übriges bei durch häufig viel zu moderne Formulierungen oder die unschöne Angewohnheit, Begriffe unübersetzt zu lassen. "Tattoo" und "Shopping" sind heutzutage gängige Wörter auch im Deutschen, aber 1920 hätte man ganz sicher noch von "Tätowierung" und "Einkaufsbummel" gesprochen, um nur zwei Beispiele zu nennen.
Ich habe mich bis zum Ende durchgequält, weil ich auf die Auflösung gespannt war und hoffte, dass das Buch noch die Kurve zum Besseren kriegt, aber das war leider verschwendete Lesezeit.
Die Kleine wächst der bunten Schar von Bediensteten schnell ans Herz und sie fürchten, man könne sie ihnen wegnehmen, wenn ihre Existenz ans Tageslicht kommt, doch schließlich ist es der Hotelbesitzer Daniel du Barry höchstpersönlich, der das entzückende Dingelchen adoptiert und ihm den hochtrabenden Namen Caterina Anastasia Lucinda verpasst. Cat, wie sie bald von allen genannt wird, wird in den turbulenten 20er und 30er Jahren im Hotel groß und bleibt dabei stets der Liebling des Personals und ihres Adoptivvaters. Nur dessen kaltherziger und berechnender Gattin ist dieser Emporkömmling von Mädchen ein großer Dorn im Auge, ist sie doch ihre Konkurrentin um das Erbe der du Barrys, und sie macht Cat das Leben schwer, wo sie nur kann.
Irgendwann beginnen sich dann auch merkwürdige Dinge im Hotel zuzutragen, und Cat weiß nicht, wem sie wirklich trauen kann ...
Ein herrlich altmodisches Grandhotel mit seinen grandiosen Sälen, geschäftigen Küchen, versierten Hausdamen, in allen Lebenslagen findigen Concierges und koketten Zimmermädchen ist eine phantastische Kulisse für einen Roman - erst recht in den bewegten Roaring Twenties und der darauffolgenden Zeit. Der Beginn mit dem ausgesetzten Baby an der Wäscheleine mutet zwar vielleicht ein bisschen arg märchenhaft an, ist aber durchaus ein hübscher Aufhänger (no pun intended ).
Schade nur, dass auch der Rest des Buches konstruiert wirkt. Es zeigt zwar charmante Ansätze und hat ein paar sympathische Charaktere, doch die Umsetzung kommt platt und klischeebeladen daher. Die Guten sind unglaublich gut, mildtätig und selbstverständlich wunderschön, während die Bösen eindimensional böse sind, ohne dass richtig klar wird, warum, und in den meisten Fällen auch noch unattraktiv oder gar abgrundtief hässlich sind. Cat selbst wächst natürlich zu einer großen Schönheit mit viel Köpfchen heran. Dafür, dass sie so clever sein soll, legt sie aber ab und an eine erstaunlich miserable Menschenkenntnis an den Tag.
Die Handlung ist mit unrealistischen Entwicklungen nur so gespickt, und der Plot wird immer seltsamer und verliert sich unlogisch in seinen eigenen Wirrungen. Sehr schade auch, dass sich das anfangs noch spürbare Zeitkolorit der wilden Zwanziger immer mehr verliert und man irgendwann überhaupt nicht mehr merkt, dass das Buch nicht in der Gegenwart, sondern vor 90 Jahren spielt.
Noch ein großer Nervfaktor: Fast die komplette Hotelbelegschaft hat es permanent darauf abgesehen, an allen möglichen und unmöglichen Orten jemanden flachzulegen bzw. selber flachgelegt zu werden, und die Personenbeschreibungen sind oft unerträglich schwülstig formuliert, während die Wortwahl an anderen Stellen wohl witzig sein soll, auf mich aber nur plump oder gar unflätig wirkt. (Ich habe wirklich keine Probleme mit deftiger Ausdrucksweise, aber sie muss echt wirken, was sie hier absolut nicht tut.)
Die Übersetzung trägt dazu noch ihr Übriges bei durch häufig viel zu moderne Formulierungen oder die unschöne Angewohnheit, Begriffe unübersetzt zu lassen. "Tattoo" und "Shopping" sind heutzutage gängige Wörter auch im Deutschen, aber 1920 hätte man ganz sicher noch von "Tätowierung" und "Einkaufsbummel" gesprochen, um nur zwei Beispiele zu nennen.
Ich habe mich bis zum Ende durchgequält, weil ich auf die Auflösung gespannt war und hoffte, dass das Buch noch die Kurve zum Besseren kriegt, aber das war leider verschwendete Lesezeit.
November 6, 2017
El gran Hotel Du Barry es una novela extravagante, divertida y casi, casi se puede decir que alocada.
Me han cautivado cada uno de sus personajes, cada cual más extraño y con esa parte oscura que los hace más humanos. Además, hay situaciones que no solo te arrancan sonrisas, sino que también carcajadas.
Secretos, misterio, asesinatos y risas aseguradas.
Muy buena lectura.
Me han cautivado cada uno de sus personajes, cada cual más extraño y con esa parte oscura que los hace más humanos. Además, hay situaciones que no solo te arrancan sonrisas, sino que también carcajadas.
Secretos, misterio, asesinatos y risas aseguradas.
Muy buena lectura.
January 29, 2023
Lo encontré escondido en una libreria con las paginas amarillas y a un precio desactualizado. El ambiente de un hotel londinense que mezcla un poco del Gran Hotel Budapest con el Gran Gatsby. La trama me llamó la atención, pero no estuvo bien desarrollada. De todas maneras me gustó, en ningún momento me aburrí. Buenos personajes y bastante dinámico.
Con vino en mano podrían ser ser 4 estrellas.
Con vino en mano podrían ser ser 4 estrellas.
May 10, 2017
Sarebbero state quattro stelle piene, se non fosse stato per la traduzione barbina, a tratti insopportabile.
@editori italiani: vi scongiuro, assumete traduttori capaci di fare il proprio lavoro, perché così ogni volta è un'agonia assurda.
@editori italiani: vi scongiuro, assumete traduttori capaci di fare il proprio lavoro, perché così ogni volta è un'agonia assurda.
September 23, 2017
There are some days where you just want something funny and a little bit silly. This book hit the spot.
It is not a great piece of literature but it was very enjoyable.
It is not a great piece of literature but it was very enjoyable.
March 19, 2018
This was a book group read and it has taken me over a year to pick it up to read. In the end I chose to listen to the audio book. Now I enjoyed the women reading it, good job but I'm not so certain of the actual story.
Confusing, over the top and for me it felt off. The language did not fit the time period. Frankly I couldn't wait for it to end, it just went on and on. I have always thought that the best way to know if a book is good or not is to read it out loud. So for me, even though the person reading was entertaining the book was not. The conversations and situations were stilted, ridiculous at times. So ok but would not recommend.
Confusing, over the top and for me it felt off. The language did not fit the time period. Frankly I couldn't wait for it to end, it just went on and on. I have always thought that the best way to know if a book is good or not is to read it out loud. So for me, even though the person reading was entertaining the book was not. The conversations and situations were stilted, ridiculous at times. So ok but would not recommend.
August 5, 2016
Oh look this is a pleasant read that features some passages that feel like a psychotic break.
June 12, 2020
I’m afraid that it was impossible for me to write a short review, given the breadth of material covered in this meandering novel.
On the positives, I think that Truffle has created interesting and deep characters, and the scene-setting is also well done.
On the negatives… I was excited about the premise and felt let down by the execution. It’s overly long, until we finally reach points of resolution, at which point we’re rushed on, leaving the mysteries’ conclusions insultingly underwhelming. Also, the book often relies upon telling rather than showing, with important plot points often running their course in conversations. Sometimes this is written in a way that I found natural and unobtrusive, but particularly regarding the characterisation of Cat’s birth mother, there seems to be no overlap at all between the character that appears in scenes, and the person that Cat is told about by various other people.
Although I’m marking my review as containing spoilers, I think that prospective readers deserve a warning that in chapter 19, Women Who Drink Alone, our villain Edwina is seriously sexually assaulted by a former lover who breaks into her apartment. I found this scene shockingly lacking in self-awareness. Not only is the perpetrator supposed to be the character that we’re siding with in the conflict, there’s a disturbing message of rape apologia, as although Edwina clearly and repeatedly says no, she is so aroused by this attack that she calls for a gigolo to come and sleep with her as soon as she makes the perpetrator leave. Other reviewers have already addressed that the book contains many sex scenes, and I agree with John Stanton’s assessment that it just feels like the author is trying to prove something about how mature she is, as the excess adds nothing to the story. Also, I’m not going to go back and reread the whole thing to confirm this point - it’s possible that I forgot it, as there was a lot to forget in this novel - but I believe that every main character had at least one sex scene, except for the gay man who is absolutely central to the novel.
The character Lilith is a Deus ex machina device and her addition felt lazy to me. We’re assured that she’s not a psychic, she’s a real witch, and this is supported by the plot because all of her visions come true. Once our lead characters know this, I don’t understand why they wouldn’t come back to visit her every day and share information until all mysteries are solved. She’s not introduced until chapter 21, about three quarters of the way into the book; personally I dislike when the apparent rules of a work of fiction change. If the supernatural is present and relevant to the story, I think it should be included before the final quarter.
Lastly, I’d like to address chapter 31, Queen of Hearts, in which we see Edwina du Barry arrive in hell and instantly seduce Lucifer. I think that this departure from the rest of the book’s plot and tone is meant to be funny, but I found it cringeworthy. Moreover, I’d like to refute Lucifer’s descriptions of Edwina as “rotten to the core” and “evil incarnate”; while she is a murderer and certainly not a good person, the book makes it clear that she is capable of feeling guilt, and is suffering extensively from this emotion before her death. True evil involves wrongdoing with no guilt; evil people lack empathy. As such, I don’t believe that Edwina is fit to become the queen of hell.
As far as I can tell, the publisher went to some effort marketing this book, based on the display which drew me in. I can’t understand why they’d be willing to pay so much for marketing, but evidently not a cent on editing. If they had, this book could have been redeemed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2021
When I first started reading this book, I was thinking, WHY IS NO ONE TALKING ABOUT THIS?! Then I got around to 60% of the book and I realized why.
A baby was found in the clothesline of Hotel du Barry and changed the lives of all the staff.
TW: Suicide, Self Harm
There is something captivating with the way this book was written. I completely fell in love with it in the first few chapters and wanted nothing else but to read further so I dropped the other book that I was reading to focus on this one.
The beginning of the book was great. I loved every bit of it. It was fast-paced and the characters were great. The narrative read like a fairytale and I'm a complete sucker for those! I had no problems about this book and even thought that this is going to be my next 5-star read. However...
We really did have to reach past half of the book. It was there when things started to go slow and things took a turn for the undesirable. It was not as fun and interesting as the first half. The magic was simply no longer there.
Still, I do think the baby--will soon be named Cat du Barry--is very lucky to have been surrounded by wonderful people in her life. I would love to be her. Lol.
A baby was found in the clothesline of Hotel du Barry and changed the lives of all the staff.
TW: Suicide, Self Harm
There is something captivating with the way this book was written. I completely fell in love with it in the first few chapters and wanted nothing else but to read further so I dropped the other book that I was reading to focus on this one.
The beginning of the book was great. I loved every bit of it. It was fast-paced and the characters were great. The narrative read like a fairytale and I'm a complete sucker for those! I had no problems about this book and even thought that this is going to be my next 5-star read. However...
We really did have to reach past half of the book. It was there when things started to go slow and things took a turn for the undesirable. It was not as fun and interesting as the first half. The magic was simply no longer there.
Still, I do think the baby--will soon be named Cat du Barry--is very lucky to have been surrounded by wonderful people in her life. I would love to be her. Lol.
December 20, 2020
THE STORY HAD A GREAT START AND WAS ENJOYABLE UP TO A LIMIT. THE USE OF A CERTAIN FOUR LETTER WORD WAS USED MUCH MORE THAN NECESSARY AND COMPLETELY UNBELIEVABLE THAT IT WAS USED IN THIS TIME PERIOD BY MEN AND WOMEN ALIKE. I GREW UP IN LONDON IN THE 60S AND DIDN’T HEAR IT SPOKEN AS MUCH THEN AS IT IS IN THIS BOOK. THE WORD DOESN’T BOTHER ME, I JUST THINK IT WAS BASICALLY UNNECESSARY PARTICULARLY USED BY THE WOMEN AND IN FRONT OF CHILDREN. THE BOOK LOST IT FOR ME WHEN WE CAME TO LUCIFER, AND I DIDN’T FIND ANY OF THIS BOOK FUNNY. I WOULD SAY I AFTER SUCH A GOOD START, THE END WAS A DISAPPOINTMENT.
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November 19, 2022Intriguing description, lured me in. Chose audio book as pressed for time. Oh my - the author who can not express herself without the word f%%## in every sentence shall not be classed as a writer. This is supposed to show atmosphere and suaveness? Get a grip Ms Truffle...
Tedious. Pretentious. Everyone f$$ with everyone and using the word f$$ in every sentence takes away from the story. I wanted to know that Edwina killed everyone because she was psychotic and see how Cat goes. The labyrinth characters are very profound - kind of like friends. The audio book reader is amazing. I would not recommend though. Extra 4 chapters bored me and it was the longest 1.23 minutes of my life. Avoid.
Tedious. Pretentious. Everyone f$$ with everyone and using the word f$$ in every sentence takes away from the story. I wanted to know that Edwina killed everyone because she was psychotic and see how Cat goes. The labyrinth characters are very profound - kind of like friends. The audio book reader is amazing. I would not recommend though. Extra 4 chapters bored me and it was the longest 1.23 minutes of my life. Avoid.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 14, 2020
I enjoyed the concept of this book: the extravagant characters and 20s mystery plot have a lot of appeal, and the narration is full of flair. But it was let down by the execution: commas in all the wrong places, awkward dialogue where characters continually state the obvious instead of letting the reader come to any conclusions, little actual effort to solve the mysteries (they just seem to stumble across all the answers), and a weird introduction of Lucifer as a character towards the end. These things made it hard to become absorbed in the story.
July 26, 2020
I was predisposed to like this book and it started off as a 5 star read, but it quickly went downhill when characters start dying. The book is a strange mix between the feel and gentleness of an Agatha Christie type novel, with grotty sex scenes and vile characters thrown in. I like the former, not the latter. Overall the book is sad and sordid, without the gentle good humour I expected going into it.
June 26, 2024
Growing up at her father’s hotel, Cat du Barry has acquired a taste for the finer things of life as well as a fairly thorough sex education. The characters are vividly portrayed and fun to spend time with. Some of them, especially, Cat’s adopted mother, the villainous Edwina, showed a surprising complexity. It seems the author could not decide whether to write a comedy or a tragedy and a few times made some unfortunate choices.
September 30, 2017
This was a book that I chose purely because it seemed very different. I liked it - it was very "Gatsby-ish" in terms of the glamorous characters and their wealth, and then there are the staff of the Hotel - with very different circumstances in life - almost a bit like upstairs downstairs... a good read.
February 13, 2021
Qué es el amor?... Es una especie de locura que la filosofía no puede controlar; una enfermedad a la que el hombre es propenso en todas las etapas de su vida y resulta incurable si ataca en la vejez... Una amargura que no puede ser más dulce, una dulzura que no puede ser más amarga. Un monstruo divino que solo puede definirse con paradojas.
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