New Books Review

Book Review: Mrs. Astor Regrets: The Hidden Betrayals of a Family Beyond Reproach (Playaway Adult Nonfiction): Meryl Gordon, Lorna Raver: BooksFabulosity just in time for the holidays,

By MJS “Constant Reader” (New York, United States) -
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)
  

This review is from: Mrs. Astor Regrets: The Hidden Betrayals of a Family Beyond Reproach (Hardcover)

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What’s this?)

This is a fabulous book. Not in the dictionary sense of “hard to believe” or exceptionally good. It is fabulous in the “must be read with a bonbon and preferably a cocktail nearby.” What hundreds of chick-lit books try to achieve every year this one does in the first few pages.

The Astor scandal was perfect tabloid fodder. Brooke Astor was a NYC institution well-known for her philanthropy, impeccable name and a hat collection that rivaled Queen Elizabeth. Even in the 90s, Brooke Astor always dressed to impress; she considered it her job to impress the common folk. When news hit that Mrs Astor’s grandson was accusing her son of denying her the very luxuries her name conjures the tabloids worked themselves into a ritual frenzy of indignation. As author Meryl Gordon notes, every New York summer needs a scandal and Brooke Astor provided in 2006 like a last bequest to the city she loved.

Meryl Gordon’s book reads like an extended, very well-research magazine article, which is suitable to the task. If you want erudition, see Frances Kiernan’s fine biography “The Last Mrs Astor.” If you want fabulousness, this is the book for you.

How fabulous, you ask. Custom de la Renta gowns, wives (who may be lesbians) who pick out a suitable successor so they can get a divorce, dogs named Boysie and Girlsie, loyal butlers and minister’s wives who leave their husbands for rich older men - we’re talking 10 out of 10 on the fabulous scale. That last ingredient on the fabulous list is Charlene, the third wife of Mrs Astor’s son Tony Marshall, and she appears to come from central casting. She’s from a proverbial good family of limited means complete with Southern Gothic levels of dysfunction, she follows her Episcopal minister husband to tony Northeast Harbor in Maine where she meets Tony Marshall at a church function. Before you can say gold-digger (not that I’m implying anything) Charlene and Tony are meeting at sunrise for walks that last all day. Throughout the book Charlene is peeved whenever anyone implies that she was interested in Tony primarily for this proximity to the Astor millions. Hilariously, she’s usually expressing this outrage at the same time she’s expressing outrage at the avarice of others.

Gordon tries hard to present both sides of the story. She makes it clear that Brooke’s maternal instincts were limited to her dogs. Tony Marshall comes across as a sad character, without a real father most of his life, he then becomes the stepson of the incredibly wealthy Vincent Astor. So close to untold millions and yet so far. Everyone knows his mother for her gleeful sharing of her bounty, yet Tony must rely on Brooke to get him “suitable” employment. But even $450K a year is a pittance if you set your sights high enough and Tony and Charlene’s minds are in the stratosphere.

Try as you might, you’ll find it hard not to infer that Tony and Charlene saw Brooke linger on (and on and on) past 100, and suffering from Alzheimer’s, soaking up the millions that they see as practically their’s anyway. She won’t notice the difference between Creme de la Mer and Sauve, they must have told themselves. Whether she noticed or not, her servants were outraged. Mrs Astor never skimped. That said, it’s equally hard to feel sorry for Tony Marshall, especially when he hooks up with a lawyer famous for his shady billing practices to “help” Brooke make adjustments to her will. Rarely will you find so many people fighting over so much money that they have so little claim to.

I could go on about how the Astor case is a tale of adults who never learned to bond emotionally as children but, really, why bother? That’s not the point of this book. The point is diverting enjoyment and this is the perfect diversion from the hassles of the holiday season. It’s like a bonbon in holiday wrapping. Think of it as Mrs Astor’s last bequest to the common folk.

A Juicy Dish,

By notaprofessional “notaprofessional” (san francisco, CA USA) -

  

This review is from: Mrs. Astor Regrets: The Hidden Betrayals of a Family Beyond Reproach (Hardcover)

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What’s this?)

I had only seen headlines about the Astor case, and not really paid attention. I don’t usually concern myself with the affairs of the stupendously wealthy, but this book sounded interesting. Boy, am I glad I gave it a shot.

First, the story is a real page-turner. As I began to learn about the history of the Astor family and how Brooke became The Last Mrs. Astor, I was intensely interested in how all of this was going to end up being tabloid fodder. Though meticulous in her research and sourcing for this book, Meryl Gordon has a prose style that skillfully weaves a narrative of the various facts.

The complexities of the story are fiction-worthy. While she doesn’t pass judgment, Gordon gives all of the characters room to be. By the end, I had grown fond of almost all of them, and had sincere feelings of empathy even for those I felt were villains.

One thing I like about a book like this is the opportunity to see how the upper crust live. When I find myself taking sides between Brooke Astor, her son and his wives, her grandson, Annette De La Renta, Mrs. Astor’s butler, her nurses and other staff, and even a Rockefeller or two, I get a delicious sense of how everyone’s problems are real, no matter their station in life.

While a biographical treatment of someone who’s famous for being rich is not generally my cup of tea, this book was a fascinating read. That someone with so much money and power could have been a potential victim of elder abuse was a startling concept to confront. My feeling initially was that it would be hard to give a hoot about people who have homes with names, who wear millions of dollars in jewelry and furs and receive flowers from Prince Charles on their birthdays. However, I grew quite fond of that tough old bird as her character was fleshed out by recollections of such luminaries as Barbara Walters and Nancy Reagan. By the time the private family matter leaked to front page headlines pitting a son against his father over the mistreatment of his grandmother, I was seriously scandalized myself, worried even that Mrs. Astor might learn of her family secrets being common knowledge.

Part of the power of this book is the lure of Brooke Astor. The rest is solid reporting and good storytelling.

No one wins,

By Mary G. Longorio “Texasbookgirl” (Eagle Mountain, UT) -
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)
  

  

  

This review is from: Mrs. Astor Regrets: The Hidden Betrayals of a Family Beyond Reproach (Hardcover)

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What’s this?)

Several months ago a Vanity Fair article focused on the battle between Tony and Charlene Marshall and Tony’s son Phillip, over the care of Tony’s elderly mother. Not a matter of public curiosity, except Tony Marshall was the son of Brooke Astor, the grand dame of New York and the care of Mrs. Astor included access to her homes and possessions as well as her monies. Their battle captivated New York headlines and resulted in eventual indictments.

Meryl Gordon has gone behind the headlines and crafted a thoughtful, incisive look at the life of Brooke Astor and the forces that eventually brought a father and son to loggerheads. Brooke Astor was born into a time when families readily gave their daughters to marriage to gain wealth, influence and noble title. After an unhappy first marriage, Brooke married Buddie Marshall, who she referred to as the “love of my life” and bore her only child Anthony. Six months after Buddie’s unexpected death Brooke accepted Vincent Astor’s marriage proposal and life changed for her and Tony. She began her ascent to the top of society and Tony was often at boarding schools. Though there was never again a financial worry, mother and son were never able to be close. The birth of twins to Tony and his first wife brought some temporary family closeness that later fflounders after Tony marries his third wife.

Meryl Gordon has crafted a well balanced, even handed account of the events leading to the court fight and Mrs. Astor’s final days. Using Brook’s autobiographies, letters, articles, public court documents and the recollections of countless friends and staff, she has provided insight into the tawdry headlines. Despite becoming New York’s beloved philanthropist and social leader; Brooke Astor was unable to prevent the disintrigation of her own family. While it would be easy to vilify several of the participants, Gordon has managed to stay objective and allows the reader to see the sadness in a situation where family turns on itself and the object of their attentions is almost lost in the fray.
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