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Coco Chanel: The Legend and the Life
In Coco Chanel, Justine Picardie peels away the layers of romance and myth surrounding the legend of Coco Chanel, revealing the true history of the incredible woman who shaped modern fashion and created an empire of haute couture. Picardie's unprecedented research illuminates Chanel’s path from little-known seamstress to the aristocracy of style in this stunning look at the fashion icon, illustrated with more than sixty color and black-and-white images.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2009
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About the author
Justine Picardie
26 books113 followersJustine Picardie is a British novelist, fashion writer and biographer. She is the editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar UK and Town & Country UK. Her 2010 biography of Coco Chanel (“Coco Chanel: The Legend & the Life”) was shortlisted for the Galaxy National Book Awards.
Her eldest son is Jamie MacColl, the guitarist for Bombay Bicycle Club.
Ruth Picardie was her sister.
Her eldest son is Jamie MacColl, the guitarist for Bombay Bicycle Club.
Ruth Picardie was her sister.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 290 reviews
August 28, 2011
The author's sycophantic tone nearly turned me off the book in the first chapter. Yet, as fascinated as I am with women's studies and the cultural changes of the early 20th century, AND French history, AND art history, AND Russian revolutionary history, I've grown enthralled with the story of this fascinating life. Millions of girls were born in poor houses and raised in convents in the late 19th century, and most of them lived and died in the squalor and obscurity of their origins. Somehow Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel was able almost single-handedly to reinvent not only herself, but also to recreate entirely the way women dressed, inventing modern women's clothing that both recognized and enabled the new role of women in society. Bankrolling the Ballets Russe? Hiring an exiled Russian Archduchess to embroider for the House of Chanel? I'm not even halfway through the book and I can't put it down. I see in Chanel the same spirit as strong, entrepreneurial women such as Oprah, Madonna, and Martha Stewart -- women who largely invented a market for their talents and abilities that didn't exist before them, and whose success resulted chiefly from their ability to seize the cultural current of their time and create a persona that millions of other women could either identify with or aspire to.
November 14, 2011
I wanted to like this book but it just didn't make sense. A biographer should know better than to throw all her research at the reader, bit by unimportant bit, and then leave the reader to sort it out. The author is content to tell Coco Chanel's story by listing the things she says about herself, what others say about her, then never clears up the incongruence by telling us what her research turned up on the matter. As a result, I know less about Chanel than when I began! The photos are small, poorly captioned, and dull. How this book was an "international bestseller" as the cover claims is beyond me.
May 11, 2024
Визуално изпипана и уклончиво едностранчива биография на вечната Шанел.
Най-красивото в това издание е чудесното му оформление на качествена бяла хартия с красиво вместени илюстрации от епохата или фотографии на самата Коко. Никоя биография не може да бъде схваната напълно без визуализация, по простата причина, че нито една известна личност не може да бъде отделена от своето време. В това отношение книгата е просто прекрасна.
Пикарди демонстрира онзи лежерно-поетично-игрив стил, който читателките на “Вог”, “Харпърс Базар” и “Венити Феър” са свикнали да откриват, умело допълващ ултимативните послания какво трябва да демонстрира една изискана светска жена, като то далеч не се изчерпва с последната материална придобивка haute couture. Изискват се и умения. Такъв тип писане в рамките на една по-дълга статия е много релаксиращо изживяване, доста светско. В рамките на цяла книга обаче ужасно натежава и досажда.
Досадата идва от факта, че авторките с такъв моден профил рядко се задълбочават истински върху фактите, а предпочитат да играят с думите на повърхността. Затова Шанел в тази си версия рядко напуска повърхността, и то бляскавата част. Невротична и нарцистична, с вероятно дълбоки травми от разбито семейство и манастирски приют за сираци. Вероятно съчетавала шапкарството с проституцията за известен период, а после прехвърлила се на истинската мода в съчетание с положението на изискана куртизанка, докато финансово си стъпи на краката. Безмилостна демократизаторка на женското ежедневие, пратила убийствените корсети в забрава и освободила походката на съвременната жена, оставяйки в миналото тоновете драперии, имали за цел да превърнат всяка жена в неподвижен предмет - на изкуството, вярно, но предмет. Светска лъвица. Колабораторка с представители на нацизма, опитала се да вземе дела на съдружниците си посредством антисемитските закони. И завърнала се на (почти) бял кон след войната.
Шанел е много неща, но никога скучна - за разлика от втората половина на книгата. Пикарди твърде много се старае да представи Шанел като излъскан музеен експонат. И напълно забравя да и даде думата, а Шанел има толкова интересни изказвания! Изобщо не е показана Шанел бизнесдамата - в половин изречение има намек за аторитарност без подробности, намек, че служителите и са се били вдигнали на стачка - и толкова, фактите са оскъдни. Куп увъртания за доста прагматичните и връзки с германците през 40-те, хаотично и неподредено - и никаква ясна линия за ролята на Мадмоазел, защото ще вземе да хвърли сянка върху вече драпираната музейна витрина. Тук Пикарди сякаш вкарва допълнителна доза неяснота, за да не хвърли сянка върху иконата. Изобщо - Пикарди не е смела и ясна авторка, и в поетичните си увлечения забравя за фактите или не съумява да ги структурира в теза, а се отдава на светски клюки и съзерцание.
Като цяло книга е приятна, просто е предимно поетично-мъгляво и определено спонсорирано от бранда “Шанел” есе на тема Коко, отколкото истинска биография.
Българското издание с двама редактори и коректор си има своите пропуски - “италианското” име Антъни, поетът Рембо е станал Римбо, великата руска “дукеса”, е всъщност е княгиня (duchess на английски, но не и на български за руската титла). Но хайде, бели кахъри, преводът е много добър, просто финалната редакция на текста не е на нивото на визуалните материали.
2,5 ⭐️ - заради картинките все пак ще закръгля нагоре
Най-красивото в това издание е чудесното му оформление на качествена бяла хартия с красиво вместени илюстрации от епохата или фотографии на самата Коко. Никоя биография не може да бъде схваната напълно без визуализация, по простата причина, че нито една известна личност не може да бъде отделена от своето време. В това отношение книгата е просто прекрасна.
Пикарди демонстрира онзи лежерно-поетично-игрив стил, който читателките на “Вог”, “Харпърс Базар” и “Венити Феър” са свикнали да откриват, умело допълващ ултимативните послания какво трябва да демонстрира една изискана светска жена, като то далеч не се изчерпва с последната материална придобивка haute couture. Изискват се и умения. Такъв тип писане в рамките на една по-дълга статия е много релаксиращо изживяване, доста светско. В рамките на цяла книга обаче ужасно натежава и досажда.
Досадата идва от факта, че авторките с такъв моден профил рядко се задълбочават истински върху фактите, а предпочитат да играят с думите на повърхността. Затова Шанел в тази си версия рядко напуска повърхността, и то бляскавата част. Невротична и нарцистична, с вероятно дълбоки травми от разбито семейство и манастирски приют за сираци. Вероятно съчетавала шапкарството с проституцията за известен период, а после прехвърлила се на истинската мода в съчетание с положението на изискана куртизанка, докато финансово си стъпи на краката. Безмилостна демократизаторка на женското ежедневие, пратила убийствените корсети в забрава и освободила походката на съвременната жена, оставяйки в миналото тоновете драперии, имали за цел да превърнат всяка жена в неподвижен предмет - на изкуството, вярно, но предмет. Светска лъвица. Колабораторка с представители на нацизма, опитала се да вземе дела на съдружниците си посредством антисемитските закони. И завърнала се на (почти) бял кон след войната.
Шанел е много неща, но никога скучна - за разлика от втората половина на книгата. Пикарди твърде много се старае да представи Шанел като излъскан музеен експонат. И напълно забравя да и даде думата, а Шанел има толкова интересни изказвания! Изобщо не е показана Шанел бизнесдамата - в половин изречение има намек за аторитарност без подробности, намек, че служителите и са се били вдигнали на стачка - и толкова, фактите са оскъдни. Куп увъртания за доста прагматичните и връзки с германците през 40-те, хаотично и неподредено - и никаква ясна линия за ролята на Мадмоазел, защото ще вземе да хвърли сянка върху вече драпираната музейна витрина. Тук Пикарди сякаш вкарва допълнителна доза неяснота, за да не хвърли сянка върху иконата. Изобщо - Пикарди не е смела и ясна авторка, и в поетичните си увлечения забравя за фактите или не съумява да ги структурира в теза, а се отдава на светски клюки и съзерцание.
Като цяло книга е приятна, просто е предимно поетично-мъгляво и определено спонсорирано от бранда “Шанел” есе на тема Коко, отколкото истинска биография.
Българското издание с двама редактори и коректор си има своите пропуски - “италианското” име Антъни, поетът Рембо е станал Римбо, великата руска “дукеса”, е всъщност е княгиня (duchess на английски, но не и на български за руската титла). Но хайде, бели кахъри, преводът е много добър, просто финалната редакция на текста не е на нивото на визуалните материали.
2,5 ⭐️ - заради картинките все пак ще закръгля нагоре
March 8, 2019
It took me a while to decide on the rating I should give this book. It is an interesting well-written book.. So why two stars? When I was looking for a book about Chanel I was looking to find information and inspiration, as a young professional woman, a designer in a male-dominated industry I wanted to hear her voice, to understand her creative vision, to learn more about her business decisions and how a woman from a plane background managed to create an empire in an era when women had to fight for the right to do business. I found very little of this in the book. It is a book about a woman who had a string of romantic affairs with interesting men.. And it does not do her justice.
She is not famous today for having an affair with Duke of Westminster or a Russian Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich. She is famous today for building a Fashion Empire. But after reading this book you might mistakenly think that fashion was secondary, tiny part of her life while her main occupation was looking for the next high profile lover jumping from one scandal to another.
My feeling after reading this book is one of a miss.
If you have a recommendation of a book about her that speaks more about her business acumen and creative vision please leave a note in the comments.
She is not famous today for having an affair with Duke of Westminster or a Russian Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich. She is famous today for building a Fashion Empire. But after reading this book you might mistakenly think that fashion was secondary, tiny part of her life while her main occupation was looking for the next high profile lover jumping from one scandal to another.
My feeling after reading this book is one of a miss.
If you have a recommendation of a book about her that speaks more about her business acumen and creative vision please leave a note in the comments.
September 27, 2019
The book I’m going to review is “Coco Chanel：The Legend and the Life，”And I think from what I read in this amazing book，Chanel should not be called a "happy child", because her father Albert, is a businessman, which seems a bit grand, but he is actually a street vendor. Her mother came from a peasant family and worked as a maid in a rich family. And she lose her family when she was 6 years old. But fortunate, god give her adroit hands, And she is skillful in spinning. Which open the door for this poor girl. When she only 20, she already became a mature, kind and pretty girl. Who singing in the bar everyday. And which also the origin of her nickname “Coco Chanel,” Chanel won more than just a name at the concert hall. She also captured the heart of a man -- Etienne Balasson, a young officer in the French 10th light cavalry regiment。In 1910, Chanel's hat shop opened on Rue Cambon 21 in Paris. Chanel's hats sell well because she sees the fashion trend. In this process, Chanel met the second man, played a crucial role. The second man is Author Capel.But they didn't work out. And he is the most important man in Chanel life ever, most importantly, he trusted her. Yes, Capel was the first man who truly believed in Chanel in her ability to succeed. Capel introduced Chanel to an English tailor, and they began to design some cloth that Chanel think fashion. Chanel lost Capel completely in 1919, when he was died in a car accident. Chanel was very sad. And everything are gone.She created her famous little black dress, in memory of Capel. she did not fall into Capel's death. It wasn't long before she found new male companions , British duke of Westminster.Although her business was good, it didn't last long. When world war II came, she closed her shop. After world war ii, she returned on her work, and design a lot unique product. On January 10, 1971, Chanel said goodbye to the life she created and died peacefully. 88 years old, never married. That the colorful life she create.
To tell the truth, with the progress of human civilization and the improvement of the level of science and technology, the status of women in the society has gradually improved. Chanel herself is a good example，she also is a role model for all the woman in that time，Chanel is once again a fashion legend, not just for the brand, but for herself. People slowly found something good of this brand and Chanel： beauty, stubborn, passionate, cold…In fact, after world war II, many people regard Chanel as a role model because of her financial independence, she is different from other women, the everything she have is her accumulation for whole life.
The author in this book, in fact, used a lot of text to describe Chanel’s every work. Just like the classic black dress she created, the author not only added his own predict of why she make this artwork, but also added small details on each part of dress, and Chanel's first perfume, No5, 5 is her lucky number, which is also the origin of the name of this perfume. Those stories, also fully explained care and time pay for her each work, this is also the reason why she became the representative of fashion.
And my book is a biography, from a lot part author use second person as a version, to write Chanel’s life, and all the experience she have, I actually find a little boring when I first read my book, because at the beginning it tell a lot background information, and kinda like history. But I find more things that really fun at the middle of the book，and when I hear her story, I was touch be her story. And the reason why I like this book is because, Chanel is different from others woman, she is independent and didn’t rely on any one. And this book is really meaningful, because it record a true principle in that time in Europe, she also stand up for all the woman. And the another reason is this is the first time I read a biography in English, so this book seem interesting to me, and before I read this kind of book, I always think this kind of book will be really boring.
Picardie, Justine. Coco Chanel: The Legend and the Life. London: Harper Collins, 2010. eBook.
To tell the truth, with the progress of human civilization and the improvement of the level of science and technology, the status of women in the society has gradually improved. Chanel herself is a good example，she also is a role model for all the woman in that time，Chanel is once again a fashion legend, not just for the brand, but for herself. People slowly found something good of this brand and Chanel： beauty, stubborn, passionate, cold…In fact, after world war II, many people regard Chanel as a role model because of her financial independence, she is different from other women, the everything she have is her accumulation for whole life.
The author in this book, in fact, used a lot of text to describe Chanel’s every work. Just like the classic black dress she created, the author not only added his own predict of why she make this artwork, but also added small details on each part of dress, and Chanel's first perfume, No5, 5 is her lucky number, which is also the origin of the name of this perfume. Those stories, also fully explained care and time pay for her each work, this is also the reason why she became the representative of fashion.
And my book is a biography, from a lot part author use second person as a version, to write Chanel’s life, and all the experience she have, I actually find a little boring when I first read my book, because at the beginning it tell a lot background information, and kinda like history. But I find more things that really fun at the middle of the book，and when I hear her story, I was touch be her story. And the reason why I like this book is because, Chanel is different from others woman, she is independent and didn’t rely on any one. And this book is really meaningful, because it record a true principle in that time in Europe, she also stand up for all the woman. And the another reason is this is the first time I read a biography in English, so this book seem interesting to me, and before I read this kind of book, I always think this kind of book will be really boring.
Picardie, Justine. Coco Chanel: The Legend and the Life. London: Harper Collins, 2010. eBook.
August 24, 2021
بدأت قصة شانيل كطفلة شريدة وفتاة ضائعة بين خبايا حكاية مظلمة. تكتشف جاستين بيكاردي ما يكمن تحت لمعان أيقونة الأزياء الأسطورية، كاشفة النقاب عن تفاصيل جديدة ملحوظة عن سنوات غابرييل شانيل المبكرة في دار الأيتام في الدير، ومسيرتها نحو مرحلة البلوغ التي لم تحاكي المراحل التقليدية.
ومع تسليط ضوء فريد من نوعه على علاقاتها العاطفية والمضطربة، بينت هذه الصورة بشكل جميل زاوية جديدة وثاقبة عن كيفية تنصيب كوكو شانيل نفسها كأقوى الإختراعات. هو حساب موثوق يستند إلى الملاحظات الشخصية والمقابلات مع آخر أصدقاء شانيل وموظفيها وأقاربها الذين بقوا على قيد الحياة، يكشف أيضًا عن لغتها ورموزها المشفرة، ويتتبع تأثير سنواتها التكوينية على أسلوبها الأسطوري.
توفيت كوكو شانيل في عام 1971 ، عن عمر يناهز 87 عاماً، بعد ان هابها عالم الأزياء وبجلها. لكن إرثها بقي على قيد الحياة. ومن خلال بحثها الذي لم يسبق له مثيل، كشفت جاستين بيكاردي الغطاء عن غابرييل شانيل وبينت عواقب ما قامت بتغطيته، مزيلة الإبهام بين الحقيقة والأسطورة، في قصة تكشف عن قلب الأزياء الحقيقي.
ومع تسليط ضوء فريد من نوعه على علاقاتها العاطفية والمضطربة، بينت هذه الصورة بشكل جميل زاوية جديدة وثاقبة عن كيفية تنصيب كوكو شانيل نفسها كأقوى الإختراعات. هو حساب موثوق يستند إلى الملاحظات الشخصية والمقابلات مع آخر أصدقاء شانيل وموظفيها وأقاربها الذين بقوا على قيد الحياة، يكشف أيضًا عن لغتها ورموزها المشفرة، ويتتبع تأثير سنواتها التكوينية على أسلوبها الأسطوري.
توفيت كوكو شانيل في عام 1971 ، عن عمر يناهز 87 عاماً، بعد ان هابها عالم الأزياء وبجلها. لكن إرثها بقي على قيد الحياة. ومن خلال بحثها الذي لم يسبق له مثيل، كشفت جاستين بيكاردي الغطاء عن غابرييل شانيل وبينت عواقب ما قامت بتغطيته، مزيلة الإبهام بين الحقيقة والأسطورة، في قصة تكشف عن قلب الأزياء الحقيقي.
March 17, 2015
This book tried to strike a dreamy tone and just ended up being a boring disappointment. This book commits various transgressions. It begins with a long-winded description of Chanel's rooms instead of with the topic of the biography, Chanel herself--involved descriptions of inanimate objects can never replace the human character or historical figure. Such a chapter is then followed by tall tales woven by Chanel herself, hearsay, and supposition. Those who read biography typically want facts, and they want the character to come to life. They want hard research to reveal truths about the subject. However, this book leaves Chanel a ghost. It is self-indulgent and poorly conceived.
May 3, 2013
I had to read this for book club and what a chore - it is a white washed piece of crap - poor indexing and it mostly seems to be quotes for two others who attempted to write Chanel's bio. This author does EVERYTHING she can to soften, blur, and confuse Chanel's antisemitism, homophobia, drug use, all round bitchy-ness, and especially the facts about her Perfume and spying.
February 15, 2019
I liked the incursion into the actual biography of Gabrielle Chanel, including the way the author tries to trace her steps through the web of fake data the woman liked to provide about herself. A true drama queen, the fashion legend always changed the facts whenever talking about her past, so her actual origins and details about her childhood (or her actual age) have always been pretty elusive.
The book was criticized for being too descriptive (bordering on boring). While it's indeed not in my style of writing, I don't think it's a flaw. It's meant to be immersive and to help the readers understand more about this controversial figure, who, for me, turned out to be equally fascinating and unsympathetic. I will rate the book to 3 stars just because the character of Coco Chanel is not really my cup of tea, but she is accurately researched and painstakingly portrayed, so the work that was put into the book is tremendous and impressive.
The book was criticized for being too descriptive (bordering on boring). While it's indeed not in my style of writing, I don't think it's a flaw. It's meant to be immersive and to help the readers understand more about this controversial figure, who, for me, turned out to be equally fascinating and unsympathetic. I will rate the book to 3 stars just because the character of Coco Chanel is not really my cup of tea, but she is accurately researched and painstakingly portrayed, so the work that was put into the book is tremendous and impressive.
February 25, 2012
Like many other reviewers who gave this a poor rating, I wanted to like it. However, the book was rambling, lacking in facts and I got no insight into the creative side of Chanel's life (apart from her creativity with her life story). Only at the close of the book was there a glimpse of her at work with her scissors. Hagiography at its worst and disappointing.
October 31, 2016
Although the book as a whole has a lot of details about Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel's life, I found the journalism very, very poor. The book seems to have been written based on emotions, not facts. Many sentences are finished with "Of course, the truth is blurred...", "It's a gray area" etc. Shouldn't the biographer have come to conclusions about these various facts and not leave the reader wondering?
Also, the writer is immensely biased towards Chanel. This might have stemmed from the help Picardie got from House of Chanel when writing the book and the probable agreements she made with them in order to preserve the brand image, but it is poorly hidden because you can feel the writer immediately going on defense mode when she's about to touch on the topics of Chanel's activity as a Nazi agent or her extensive drug use throughout her life, and play down Chanel's anti-semitism as mere allegations. To get a more objective look on these subjects, it's enough to go on Chanel's Wikipedia page.
While I feel that I know a lot more about Chanel now that I've read the book, it was a very cumbersome effort to try to finish it. Also, the translation was horrible in the edition I own, with numerous typos throughout. Overall it was a terrible experience, I recommend reading the Wikipedia page instead.
Also, the writer is immensely biased towards Chanel. This might have stemmed from the help Picardie got from House of Chanel when writing the book and the probable agreements she made with them in order to preserve the brand image, but it is poorly hidden because you can feel the writer immediately going on defense mode when she's about to touch on the topics of Chanel's activity as a Nazi agent or her extensive drug use throughout her life, and play down Chanel's anti-semitism as mere allegations. To get a more objective look on these subjects, it's enough to go on Chanel's Wikipedia page.
While I feel that I know a lot more about Chanel now that I've read the book, it was a very cumbersome effort to try to finish it. Also, the translation was horrible in the edition I own, with numerous typos throughout. Overall it was a terrible experience, I recommend reading the Wikipedia page instead.
October 9, 2014
Sleek. Chic. Notoriously guarded. Welcome to the secret world of Gabrielle Chanel.
I LOVE fashion and Chanel is the woman who started it all for me. Chanel is the symbol for class and I wanted to know all about the woman who changed the fashion world. This book was well written and very interesting. I learned so much about Coco I feel like I personally knew her. She is truly amazing.
I LOVE fashion and Chanel is the woman who started it all for me. Chanel is the symbol for class and I wanted to know all about the woman who changed the fashion world. This book was well written and very interesting. I learned so much about Coco I feel like I personally knew her. She is truly amazing.
September 13, 2018
Chanel as always been - and will remain - an enigma, no matter how many attempts are made, book or movie form, no one will ever get a real understanding of the woman behind the myth.
And frankly that is how it should be...even in an age of massive oversharing of information, some things are best left a secret, a mistery..as Mademoiselle would have preferred no doubt.
What did i know of Coco before this book? Number 5, her pearl necklaces, her love of fashion, her commitment to elegance and style, her devotion to her Maison, a love story with an Englishman and rumours of nazi simpathies.
Now what do i know? all of the above and a little bit more...yes i admit all the info on her love life was very fun to read...the rumored nazi preference, not so much...but still, as in all bios one must read things with a grain of salt...no matter how much we may agree or not with a choice in a person´s life, we werent really there and neither was the author to know exactly what happened that day in that place.
This isnt an easy book to read, mostly because at times the author seems lost on which direction to take, so quotes from everyone who knew her pop up all over the place, slowing down the pace and making one a tiny bit bored..however Coco´s life is fascinating and draws you in so much that u can forget the style of writting.
Frankly i was wondering if JPicardie didnt get bored/tired/fed up of her subject halfway through the book...a certain partiality in the way she treats some events of Coco´s life, and her decisions, can be felt in some parts of the book.
Still, if for no other reason that the pics she shows us and the info she presents on Chanel´s childhood, it is a must read!
....even if you dont like Chanel nº5 ;) ....which I don't btw.
Happy Readings!
And frankly that is how it should be...even in an age of massive oversharing of information, some things are best left a secret, a mistery..as Mademoiselle would have preferred no doubt.
What did i know of Coco before this book? Number 5, her pearl necklaces, her love of fashion, her commitment to elegance and style, her devotion to her Maison, a love story with an Englishman and rumours of nazi simpathies.
Now what do i know? all of the above and a little bit more...yes i admit all the info on her love life was very fun to read...the rumored nazi preference, not so much...but still, as in all bios one must read things with a grain of salt...no matter how much we may agree or not with a choice in a person´s life, we werent really there and neither was the author to know exactly what happened that day in that place.
This isnt an easy book to read, mostly because at times the author seems lost on which direction to take, so quotes from everyone who knew her pop up all over the place, slowing down the pace and making one a tiny bit bored..however Coco´s life is fascinating and draws you in so much that u can forget the style of writting.
Frankly i was wondering if JPicardie didnt get bored/tired/fed up of her subject halfway through the book...a certain partiality in the way she treats some events of Coco´s life, and her decisions, can be felt in some parts of the book.
Still, if for no other reason that the pics she shows us and the info she presents on Chanel´s childhood, it is a must read!
....even if you dont like Chanel nº5 ;) ....which I don't btw.
Happy Readings!
February 15, 2017
I wish that I hadn't persisted with this book. For a relatively short book (with pictures!) it was a very slow read. It was frustrating, leaden and inconsequential. Chanel blurred her past so successfully that large swathes of the book were essentially saying 'but of course, nobody really knows...' OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
February 1, 2021
Very insightful and a great escapist read. It tackled uncomfortable topics and didn't gloss over them (such as what happened with her collaborationism in WW2), and it was well balanced with business info too not just personal life tidbits
October 31, 2022
The biography is so beautifully written about my favorite style icone
August 10, 2016
Why did I read it? I've always had a fascination with this self-made woman, and I remember reading a review of the paperback version of this book on a blog a few years back, and thinking I must read it. When I saw it was available in audio form, I took the opportunity to select it for my commute.
What's it about? It's a factual biography of Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, better known as Coco Chanel, the orphaned girl who rose to be one of the most famous names in fashion, if not the most famous; credited for the creation of simple, elegant, comfortable designs, most notably the "little back dress" now considered an essential item in any wardrobe.
What did I like? It was a book focussed on revealing truth and facts, and I learned some things about Chanel I had not known before. It's always a good thing when an author attempts to avoid speculation, even if not always successful. The audio version of the book, which was downloaded from Audible, was clear and without fault.
What didn't I like about this book? Where to start? This audio book annoyed me immensely, and I think it may have started with the narrator Cassandra Harwood, whose voice droned through each sentence making it hard to concentrate on the information being presented. I don't speak French, but I can only hope the times she employed that language she did better than with the English, when words were mis-pronounced (e.g. subsidising, instead of subsiding) and there was no attempt at emphasis, or any kind of tonal variance in her speech. Had the text been more interesting, perhaps her voice might not have grated as much, alas ...
The book was full of facts, but much of the book seemed to stray into the lives of those around Chanel. At one point, it seemed as though quite a few pages had been dedicated to the wife of a lover and, try as I might, I failed to grasp as to why this information was necessary to the book, as it apparently had no bearing on Chanel's life itself.
I think that was the focus of my dislike of the book: very little on the woman herself, with far too much about friends, family, business associates, and acquaintances. I felt the book really could have been considerably shorter, with the cutting of extraneous information.
The way the information was presented was also rather tedious; with no nuance to the writing. It might as well have been a text book.
Would I recommend it? I wanted to enjoy this book; I really thought I would; but I didn't, and I feel any reader would think their time better spent on other books.
What's it about? It's a factual biography of Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, better known as Coco Chanel, the orphaned girl who rose to be one of the most famous names in fashion, if not the most famous; credited for the creation of simple, elegant, comfortable designs, most notably the "little back dress" now considered an essential item in any wardrobe.
What did I like? It was a book focussed on revealing truth and facts, and I learned some things about Chanel I had not known before. It's always a good thing when an author attempts to avoid speculation, even if not always successful. The audio version of the book, which was downloaded from Audible, was clear and without fault.
What didn't I like about this book? Where to start? This audio book annoyed me immensely, and I think it may have started with the narrator Cassandra Harwood, whose voice droned through each sentence making it hard to concentrate on the information being presented. I don't speak French, but I can only hope the times she employed that language she did better than with the English, when words were mis-pronounced (e.g. subsidising, instead of subsiding) and there was no attempt at emphasis, or any kind of tonal variance in her speech. Had the text been more interesting, perhaps her voice might not have grated as much, alas ...
The book was full of facts, but much of the book seemed to stray into the lives of those around Chanel. At one point, it seemed as though quite a few pages had been dedicated to the wife of a lover and, try as I might, I failed to grasp as to why this information was necessary to the book, as it apparently had no bearing on Chanel's life itself.
I think that was the focus of my dislike of the book: very little on the woman herself, with far too much about friends, family, business associates, and acquaintances. I felt the book really could have been considerably shorter, with the cutting of extraneous information.
The way the information was presented was also rather tedious; with no nuance to the writing. It might as well have been a text book.
Would I recommend it? I wanted to enjoy this book; I really thought I would; but I didn't, and I feel any reader would think their time better spent on other books.
July 18, 2011
‘Legend is the consecration of fame.’
The name Coco Chanel is synonymous with style. But what of the woman behind the name: what do we know about the woman who designed simple yet sophisticated clothes, practical but elegant bags and shoes, and presented Chanel No 5 perfume to the world?
There is little simple about Coco Chanel. She was born Gabrielle Chanel on 19 August 1883 – a date that she later changed by hand in her passport. Gabrielle Chanel was born in a poorhouse; her parents were unmarried and, according to Chanel, her mother Jeanne died of tuberculosis when Chanel was aged six. Justine Picardie suggests that Jeanne died of ‘poverty, pregnancy and pneumonia’ when Chanel was aged 11. According to Chanel, her father left her in the care of two unmarried aunts when he actually placed her in a convent orphanage in the village of Aubazine, where she was raised by nuns.
When World War One began in 1914, Chanel moved from Paris to Deauville, and built up a business. Chanel’s personal life was also interesting and unconventional. She had a succession of glamorous lovers but it seems likely that the real love of her life was Arthur ‘Boy’ Capel who died in a car accident in 1919.
I picked up this book knowing very little about Coco Chanel and wanting to read a little more about the woman who had such an influence on style during the 20th century. It’s an interesting read, beautifully illustrated and informative without being exhaustive. It intrigued me to read that Coco Chanel’s favourite novel was ‘Wuthering Heights’, and that the austerity of the convent was a major influence on her design. By all accounts, Coco Chanel (19 August 1883 – 10 January 1971) lived a remarkable life.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
The name Coco Chanel is synonymous with style. But what of the woman behind the name: what do we know about the woman who designed simple yet sophisticated clothes, practical but elegant bags and shoes, and presented Chanel No 5 perfume to the world?
There is little simple about Coco Chanel. She was born Gabrielle Chanel on 19 August 1883 – a date that she later changed by hand in her passport. Gabrielle Chanel was born in a poorhouse; her parents were unmarried and, according to Chanel, her mother Jeanne died of tuberculosis when Chanel was aged six. Justine Picardie suggests that Jeanne died of ‘poverty, pregnancy and pneumonia’ when Chanel was aged 11. According to Chanel, her father left her in the care of two unmarried aunts when he actually placed her in a convent orphanage in the village of Aubazine, where she was raised by nuns.
When World War One began in 1914, Chanel moved from Paris to Deauville, and built up a business. Chanel’s personal life was also interesting and unconventional. She had a succession of glamorous lovers but it seems likely that the real love of her life was Arthur ‘Boy’ Capel who died in a car accident in 1919.
I picked up this book knowing very little about Coco Chanel and wanting to read a little more about the woman who had such an influence on style during the 20th century. It’s an interesting read, beautifully illustrated and informative without being exhaustive. It intrigued me to read that Coco Chanel’s favourite novel was ‘Wuthering Heights’, and that the austerity of the convent was a major influence on her design. By all accounts, Coco Chanel (19 August 1883 – 10 January 1971) lived a remarkable life.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
November 21, 2020
This is no biography. This is a HUGE disappointment. I wonder how this book made it to "Official Biography". Merely a pile of unfinished research paper draft, or trash, if you ask me. If you were to write a biography of someone like Chanel, at least dig up some truth. Keep quoting other people who interviewed Chanel and merely putting down the various versions of stories told by her is NOT QUALIFIED as a biography!
The only thing I learned about Chanel in this book is that she told nothing but lies. Now because of this book, not only did I fail to fall in love with this supposedly great female figure in history, I also began to despise her. Yes, she was successful and she completely changed the definition of fashion, but she really is not a very admirable person in terms of virtue. She's a really vain person, seeking to conceal her past of poverty and scandal with layers of shallow lies beyond count. Why fear your past so much after you've already become the one? Only vanity can explain that.
The only thing I learned about Chanel in this book is that she told nothing but lies. Now because of this book, not only did I fail to fall in love with this supposedly great female figure in history, I also began to despise her. Yes, she was successful and she completely changed the definition of fashion, but she really is not a very admirable person in terms of virtue. She's a really vain person, seeking to conceal her past of poverty and scandal with layers of shallow lies beyond count. Why fear your past so much after you've already become the one? Only vanity can explain that.
July 8, 2011
It's probably pretty interesting if you're a huge Chanel fan and/or really into fashion, but I'm neither of these. I guess I'm not the book's target audience! =P That said, it's just a little bit dry. I got tired of hearing how pretty much everything reported about Chanel is up for debate because she lied so much about her life. I realize things were different back then, but the fact that Chanel lied about her life really turned me off to her. (Not that the brand Chanel really cares because it's not like I can afford her stuff anyways! haha) Great selection of pictures. This is sort of a coffee table book, but not really because it's very much a narrative of her life. Hard to say.
July 9, 2013
This book made me an even greater fan of Chanel, but I did not like the author's style at all. I found it quite convoluted and it was often difficult to keep track of characters as Picardie went on tangents about their personal histories, irrelevant to their relationship with Chanel. The narration kind of jerks and jolts the reader along, consequently the book lacks fluidity. The collection of photographs is impressive, but they're placed all over the place and more often than not, completely unrelated to the passage you are reading. While I appreciate the detail and research that went into this book, the presentation is lacking, which is a disservice to the subject.
April 12, 2018
I loved learning about coco Chanel but I felt like as much as I learned about her I also did not, if that makes sense. I wish I could’ve learned more about the way she thought, her inner life.
I liked the book for its content, not necessarily writing style.
I enjoyed the quotes from coco Chanel and the fact that the narrative covered her whole life.
O yes, now that I have skimmed some other reviews, I realized what it was that was bothering me-- there was so much focus on all of her affairs, and barely any on her actual contributions to the fashion world. Or of HER as a PerSOn. Maybe it's been too long since I've read it, but that's what it felt like to me. Lack of real meat/substance.
I liked the book for its content, not necessarily writing style.
I enjoyed the quotes from coco Chanel and the fact that the narrative covered her whole life.
O yes, now that I have skimmed some other reviews, I realized what it was that was bothering me-- there was so much focus on all of her affairs, and barely any on her actual contributions to the fashion world. Or of HER as a PerSOn. Maybe it's been too long since I've read it, but that's what it felt like to me. Lack of real meat/substance.
April 1, 2012
Fascinating to me because I knew so little about the life of Coco Chanel. But I have to wonder what, if anything, this book adds to the literature on Chanel. The author did not actually get to interview her subject, as did several of the biographers who came before her. She spends a great deal of time telling us what biographer X or biographer Y had to say about this or that murky period in the life of Chanel. But she doesn't make anything any less murky. Also, her strategy of presenting Coco's life by event instead of strictly chronologically, tends to make things even more murky.
October 30, 2019
Very interesting as I had not read a book about Coco Chanel before. There have been many books written about her so I may have to check some of them out. She was a fascinating, independent (to some extent) woman with great fashion sense and she knew what women wanted. She was a shrewd business especially when it came to her clothing and fashion designs. Men did dominate her financially to some extent especially when it came to her famous perfume Chanel No. 5. She became rich from the sale of her brand but in the long run I think she lost out.
I would recommend the book but it does jump around a bit and some things that Coco said and stories she told about herself are hard to trace so we don't actually know if they are all true.
She had many married lovers but never a husband and it seems that as she grew older marriage became less important to her. Good for Coco Chanel! She defied her time and remained independent until the end!
I would recommend the book but it does jump around a bit and some things that Coco said and stories she told about herself are hard to trace so we don't actually know if they are all true.
She had many married lovers but never a husband and it seems that as she grew older marriage became less important to her. Good for Coco Chanel! She defied her time and remained independent until the end!
August 18, 2024
Is not very difficult to like this biography out of such an amazing life, surrounded by so much historic characters and being so unique herself.
In a time of cancelling people I think is good to go back to the roots of why people made the decisions they made, in their own time, instead of judging them with the eyes of now. I think this book comes from the admiration but also opens the door to analyse and not judge. (specially talking about the nazi polemic) Although, I think the darker side of her personality could be a bit more explored. The fact that Karl Lagerfeld illustrated the book make me doubtful how much this book could be critical.
As the only negative point in, in my opinion, the first part of the book gets unfortunately a bit boring, as there's a lot of "rich people doing things rich people do" and not so much gossip or legends, I guess because of the lack of information, but later on I couldn't stop reading.
In a time of cancelling people I think is good to go back to the roots of why people made the decisions they made, in their own time, instead of judging them with the eyes of now. I think this book comes from the admiration but also opens the door to analyse and not judge. (specially talking about the nazi polemic) Although, I think the darker side of her personality could be a bit more explored. The fact that Karl Lagerfeld illustrated the book make me doubtful how much this book could be critical.
As the only negative point in, in my opinion, the first part of the book gets unfortunately a bit boring, as there's a lot of "rich people doing things rich people do" and not so much gossip or legends, I guess because of the lack of information, but later on I couldn't stop reading.
September 18, 2022
Very interesting biography, though I thought the writer went off on unnecessarily long “rabbit trails” on periphery characters in Chanel’s life.
After reading this, I can’t say that I admire Chanel as a person—by all accounts she was a chronic liar and some of her actions in the late 30s suggest she was a Nazi sympathizer. However, that didn’t diminish the fact that she lived a fascinating life and had a monumental impact on the modern Western world. I had no idea she interacted with big names like Picasso, Stravinsky, and Churchill, to name a few. A worthwhile biography, even if the writing was superfluous in some sections.
After reading this, I can’t say that I admire Chanel as a person—by all accounts she was a chronic liar and some of her actions in the late 30s suggest she was a Nazi sympathizer. However, that didn’t diminish the fact that she lived a fascinating life and had a monumental impact on the modern Western world. I had no idea she interacted with big names like Picasso, Stravinsky, and Churchill, to name a few. A worthwhile biography, even if the writing was superfluous in some sections.
April 21, 2025
Absolut fenomenala personalitatea acestei femei. Un talent uriaș în ciuda implicărilor de ordin politic, nu tocmai în regulă. Cartea este una foarte stufoasă și dreptul de dificil de parcurs. Partea de început e destul întortocheată, te face sa reiei fraze pt că te încurcă atâtea personaje și intamplari dintr-odată. Ușor ușor, volumul își capătă un curs firesc, narativ, dar și cu valoarea lui documentară. Cred că viața lui Coco Chanel putea fi nuanțată și într-o carte mai puțin voluminoasa. Autoarea dezvolta detalii care te scot din firescul narativ. Partea cu implicarea ei politica, ca spion de partea naziștilor, e interesantă, dar cartea nu îți oferă niste explicații foarte clare. În rest, un volum ce merită citit, o personalitate inspiratională această Coco Chanel. cum spuneam, un mare talent.
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March 7, 2020
Long, exhausting, mysterious. Such was the life of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel.
Chanel was a master of editing - her clothes, her friendships, and her origin story. No one knows quite where she grew up and if her nephew was really her son.
The author does a good job with the material she had but it left me wanting more. I wanted fire and story, instead, I had a long buffet of tepid love affairs focusing on the “who” but not the why. And anecdotes!
Intriguing read but I want to learn more. It feels like it’s just scratched the surface of a deep and complex woman.
Chanel was a master of editing - her clothes, her friendships, and her origin story. No one knows quite where she grew up and if her nephew was really her son.
The author does a good job with the material she had but it left me wanting more. I wanted fire and story, instead, I had a long buffet of tepid love affairs focusing on the “who” but not the why. And anecdotes!
Intriguing read but I want to learn more. It feels like it’s just scratched the surface of a deep and complex woman.
June 13, 2021
For me it is always interesting to read biographies of people who reached their point of success in art. It is something that gives me real power. Something who you really are. Being unique is finding your mission in life. I wonder how strong you can be and how sensitive ! I am talking about Coco Chanel. She took all the disappointments deeply in her life. How they influenced on her creations? And she never stopped creating ...her dresses is she. You are what you create. She left for us a good example how "weak" woman can change the fashion.
And never enough reading !
And never enough reading !
April 28, 2020
Çok ilginç bir hayat hikayesi. Kitap çok iyi yazılmamış olmasına rağmen Coco Chanel’in hayatı insanda çok ilgi uyandırıyor.
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