Since November 2009Book News: Heaven, Hell & Mademoiselle by Harold Carlton
April 14th, 2010 by Leah
The lovely Gaby at Orion has just pointed us in the direction of a new novel due out on 13th May 2010. Heaven, Hell and Mademoiselle by Harold Carlton is billed as a mix between Sex and the City and The Devil Wears Prada and I for one rather like the sound of it. I also really like the cover, isn’t it pretty? Here’s the synopsis:
Four young fashion hopefuls arrive in Paris, 1968, determined to claw their way to the top of the ruthless world of the haute couture. Monique, a seamstress destined to become so much more, watches Chanel’s staff spray No 5 perfume in the street outside the famous maison de couture. Can her dreams of success and love come true in this magical place? Christopher, London born and bred, a handsome new designer, determined to make it in a world where sex-appeal and success go hand in hand - and heterosexual men are rare and prized. Samantha, an ultra-spoiled Daddy’s girl who always gets her way, has the gift of selling French perfume and fashion with sex, sex and yet more sex. But can a loud, brash American ever conquer the sophisticated ladies of Paris? And hauntingly beautiful Sophie, the top model who becomes Chanel’s ‘Face’ on a million billboards and magazine covers, yet has a terrible secret in her past that refuses to stay buried. Four young lives collide and entangle in the secretive world of French fashion as Harold Carlton weaves a spellbinding tale of passionate love, ambitious rivalry and exquisite clothes.
Posted in 2010 releases, Book News | 2 Comments »
This doesn’t sound my kind of book, i would normally like this type of book but the century its in books me off. The cover also seems old fashioned.
The story is set in the late sixties going in to the seventies. It is a beautiful portrayal of what life in retro, post-war, pre-seventies hippie must be like, and the writing is very classy and elegant. The visual depictions, especially for the women are not only very descriptive, but puts forth the personality the author wants the character to emit. It seems also to me, a tribute to the legendary Madamoiselle Chanel, although some facts, obviously are changed. The basic idea of how Chanel must be like, and how a fashion house operates, though, is undoubtedly and convincingly real.