consuelo vanderbilt the glitter and the gold

I think the Downton Abbey craze helps sales of books like these but then also condemns them to undue criticism when the 'story' doesn't move along like a romance novel.

However, this is someone for whom publishing the more painful and salacious details would have been untoward. I also think it would've been interesting to hear more about her feelings during some of the well-known and public events in her life. Where I do find some of these passages to be a little tedious, 'knowing your Vanderbilt history' comes in handy. In her world of such extreme comfort, she found true meaning in helping others.Īnother frequent complaint about The Glitter and the Gold is that too much of it reads like a list of famous people the former Duchess met and entertained. I also found that she manages to talk about tireless work and great accomplishments in philanthropy without a hint of self-aggrandizement. I very much enjoyed Consuelo's writing style, managing to impart her struggles and passions without buying into the 'poor little rich girl' narrative with which the world sought to burden her. However, referring to her as 'snobbish' simply because of her use of formal English and rather common French idioms says more about the would-be 'critic' rather than any hubris of the writer's. Granted, I have a particular interest in the history of the Vanderbilts and this is the fourth or fifth book I've read involving their legacy, so I was already familiar with some of what Mrs. I've seen this book and its author take some rather harsh, and I believe unwarranted, criticism.

Consuelo vanderbilt the glitter and the gold