Blonde Venus by Paula Byrne

Blonde Venus by Paula Byrne

Hollywood, were reminded, is after all a through-the-looking glass world, and Byrne writes authoritatively about its illusions and obscene, glittering excess Compelling Daily Mail Both eye-poppingly fun and thought-provoking The Times Madou is the most beautiful woman in the world.

‘Byrne’s fictional life of a screen siren is thought-provoking as well as hugely entertaining …Byrne’s Dietrich is called Madou. And she is every bit as glamorous, witty and highly sexed as her reputation suggests…. both eye-poppingly fun and thought-provoking.’ The Times

‘Paula Byrne has also drawn on real events for this, a kind of fictionalised memoir of Maria Riva, the daughter of Marlene Dietrich. In Byrne’s book the pair become ‘Kater’ and ‘Madou’ respectively, and while the latter is the most beautiful woman in the world, her child is self-loathing and fat. Daringly, Byrne also grants the mirror that is Madou’s confidante and companion a voice, and not just any voice, but that of Dietrich’s friend, Noel Coward. It shouldn’t work, but it does: Hollywood, we’re reminded, is after all a through-the-looking glass world, and Byrne writes authoritatively about its illusions and obscene, glittering excess…. Compelling.’ Daily Mail

Paula Byrne is the author the bestselling biographies Perdita, Mad World, The Real Jane Austen, Belle, Kick and The Genius of Jane Austen. She is founder and chief executive of ReLit, the Bibliotherapy Foundation, a charity devoted to the mental health benefits of reading. She is married to Sir Jonathan Bate and lives in Oxford.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780008270551
ISBN 10	0008270554
Title	Blonde Venus
Author	Paula Byrne
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	HarperCollins Publishers
Year published	2021-01-21
Number of pages	416
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.