Customer Reviews

Grandes Horizontales : The Lives and Legends of Four Nineteenth-Century Courtesans

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Grand Horizontales is a very readable but careless non-fiction account of the lives of four famous courtesans of 19-th century Paris. Author Virginia Rounding has relied almost exclusively on secondary sources (in other words, she has read books by other people but has not read the letters, newspapers, financial records, etc. that these books are based on). What's more, these secondary sources, she admits, are not reliable. So the reader doesn't know what, if anything, to believe.

There is a lot of bizarre speculation on the author's part: the courtesan La Paiva, born to a Jewish family in Russia, may or may not have been baptized at age seven. Rounding doubts the baptism because the book she read it in is not a very accurate one. Nevertheless, she continues on, speculating about the REASON for this possible event, but offers no hard evidence for her speculation. Apollonie Sabatier may or may not have slept with Baudelaire; Rounding speculates on why the "possible" affair ended. At this I threw up my hands: the book is full of such idle speculations about the reasons behind events that only possibly occured.

To me, the real fascination behind these women was "why these women and not others;" what was the magnetic attraction that held men spellbound? Rounding has made a very readable book, but we are still waiting for a more energetic scholar to write one that really answers this question.

'Grandes Horizontales' traces the lives and legends of four French 'courtesans': Marie Duplessis, La Paiva, Appolonie Sabatier, and Cora Pearl. The account of their childhood and teenage years shows that each of them overcame impoverished and often cruel childhoods to attain independence and financial gain as adults. They applied single-minded determination, high intelligence, combined with 'magical' allure to ensnare wealthy and politically important male protectors. They, of course, completed the package with naughty and steamy love in the bedroom, or in the carriage, for that matter. Appolonie, for example, was scandalously depicted in the throes of orgasm in the sculpture that can now be seen in Musee d'Orsay, 'La femme piquee para un serpent'. Cora Pearl was once served as 'dessert' at a private dinner party at Paris's finest restaurant, Cafe Anglais.

The courtesans targets were the wealthy princely and aristocratic men of high society that valued a beautiful mistress on the arm as adding a new Old Master painting to the collection or finishing an elegant dinner with a cognac and cigar. These constituted the requisite luxuries for an aristocratic gentlemen when money was no object in glittery and superficial 19th Century Paris. For the courtesan, the circle of clients was amused and nurtured but only so long as the money flowed unabated. Once the money failed so would the relationship. The courtesan had no interest in assuming a wifely role to raise children in the heavily male dominated family arrangement. The courtesan 'broke' from her old life by adopting 'new' names to demarcate once existence from the other. The sole exception to these arrangements was for the 'true love'. These were usually younger and less well-off admirers that loved these women for who they were and not as fashion accessories. The relationship with the true love continued but so long as the young man understood his place, long term expectations, and tolerated to be 'squeezed' into a busy schedule.

The downfall for the courtesan was a complete lack of control over spending. Once exquisite taste was acquired in furnishings, dresses, carriages, horses, food and living conditions, the money was spent as fast as it came in. Marie Duplessis had her goods sold at auction to pay off the debtors after she died very young from tuberculosis at 23. Her true love, Alexandre Dumas 'fils', preserved her legend with his play entitled, 'La Dame aux Camelias'. At the other extreme, Cora Pearl lived a long life and wrote her memoirs to raise her own legend for posterity.

In the end, each of the courtesans shared an audacious appetite for life and a strong thirst for independence that led them to build lives unshackled by the traditional male dominated family. Virgina Rounding has written a highly entertaining, digestible, and informative book on some of the most colorful personalities of glittery 19th Century France during the decadance of Napoleon III.

This is the first book written by Virginia Rounding, and it is a very impressive debut. She tells the story of four 19th century Parisian courtesans, but also manages to work in a fair bit of French history, covering roughly 1830-1871. She manages to weave together a seamless blend of the cultural and political, and also the comic and the serious. (As an example of the comic, Ms. Rounding mentions that 19th century prostitutes were fond of wearing very large hats in public. Doctors came up with a special reclining chair, to replace the traditional table, so that when the ladies of easy virtue came in for their regular examinations they would be able to keep their hats on throughout the process.) The author selected the four courtesans that she did so that she could demonstrate all the possibilities of living that life. Some of the women were abused when young, some weren't. Some were native born, some were foreigners. Some, when they lost their looks, lost their money. Others remained well-off even after their "prime earning years" were over. The book provides a fascinating look at a world that is certainly strange to the modern (and non-European) reader. The courtesan and her "protector" had a symbiotic relationship. The wealthy man provided money so that the courtesan could live an ostentatious lifestyle- with a beautiful home, expensive clothes and jewelry, servants, etc. Indeed, she was expected to "live it up" to show everyone what a generous lover she had. In return, the man could show the world how "special" he was- after all, he had not only vast amounts of money but he must also be pretty special to win the favors of such a desirable and selective woman. The courtesan was certainly predatory. A man could become totally infatuated and could lose all of his money supporting such a woman. Once the money ran dry, she would move on to greener pastures. On the other hand, the courtesan was totally dependent on the protector. If the man tired of the relationship and found someone new, the courtesan would very quickly have to find a new "sugar daddy" to maintain her extravagant lifestyle. Besides learning about the four courtesans selected for the book, we also learn about some of the men- such as Alexandre Dumas (fils) and Charles Baudelaire, as well as the Goncourt brothers (all of these men, by the way, were sources-through their fiction, poetry, and journals- for myths and legitimate information regarding the world of the courtesan). The author did a tremendous amount of research on the period in question, and she put it all together to create a fascinating look at a world that existed only for a brief time. If, like me, you are interested in 19th century France, I am sure you will get much pleasure from reading this book.

The writing is dry like reading an academic text, and yet it isn't as through and detailed and footnoted as most academic texts. As an academic text it's not trying to answer a very complicated question; it doesn't really do a compare and contrast between the courtesans or between the courtesans' lives and the legends surrounding them, instead its sole point is to give a brief overview of the lives of the 4 women it covers. (Perhaps if you are already familiar with the legends surrounding these women, you might perceive more dialogue between the true life and legend, but I had never heard of any of them before picking up the book so that aspect (if any) was lost on me.) As a popularization of history it also falls short -- I didn't feel like I got a real understanding of the character or personality of any of the 4 women portrayed.

A facinating history of women from unremarkable origins that found a path to the top in an age thatsuited their talents (it wasn't all sex),

Not only did I pre-order this book, but I get to be the first to review it! Virginia, whom-ever you are, thank you for writing this book. I am fascinated by the lives of courtesans and other beautiful early European women who made their living off their bodies. Without knowing French, only so much information was available to me, and now I am thoroughly gobbling up this book, and all its specilized information on the "demi-mondaines," "grisettes," "lorettes," and other classes of women who shared a career, but in very different ways --and all of whom I knew nothing about before.
Anyone interested in reading about modern call-girls will be stunned to see the parallels the old routines make with the new. With elaborate chapters on several famous courtesans, including the most enchanting --Marie Du Plessis, this book is a plethra of otherwise unavailable information for me. I can't think of a better summer treat!

Four beautifully told biographies! Truly amazing details of life during a fascinating time period in France. The gathering in Paris of all the well known, as well as obscure, intellectual and artistic European mind set during these years is almost overwhelming. This book is extremely well written and provides a wealth of information to the reader. Easy to follow and beautifully written - at the end I felt enriched by the lives of these four women.

This is a very good book to know the world of 19th century and the courtesans, it is very interesting.

This is a grand tale of four fascinating women who managed to rise from common prostitution to become the most sought after and elegant ladies of their period. Although never accepted by respectable society, these women achieved ranks of sophistication and luxury, experiencing opulence that could only be imagined now.



The book does a good job at sorting out the truth amidst many different accounts. Where many people recorded their memories with their own bias and exaggerations, the author does a good job of digging down to the truth of what really happened. Also, the author does a good job of getting into the heads of the subjects, diving into their core personalities and what made them tick. He can read between the lines of their letters and journals to know when they've been hurt and what they're hiding. Also, the author does a good job touching upon the other interesting personalities of the time. As these women entertained some of the great men, writers, and artist of their time, the author also provides a window into their lives and motivations. Finally, it's fascinating how these women spent their money and burned through their wealth. They certainly lived life large and lavishly, yet died in poor circumstance.



Why I take off one star: First, the book goes into the historical aspects of France a bit too deep. While painting a picture of the period is necessary to place the reader into the context, sometimes the author takes the history lesson too far. The book at times reads more like a primer on 19th century Paris and France rather than the biography of four fascinating ladies. When a chapter spends the majority of its time as a history lesson instead of the tale of four fascinating women, it's time to move on. Second, overall, the book isn't fully engaging. While well written, the prose is dry, sometimes telling the story in flat terms. It requires a little discipline to stick to it, instead of being a joy to read and naturally compelling the reader to flip to the next page. Third, I wish the author had developed some of the physical health concerns and remedies of these courtesans. With many and multiple lovers, certainly sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancies must have been an overreaching concern, especially considering the state of 1850's medical technology. Yet, this particular angle is left absent. It's a wonder these women didn't die at age 45 of some venereal disease leaving behind a dozen kids.



So, all-in-all, it's a fine book that I'd recommend, but it probably wouldn't be the best book you'll read this year.

Christopher Hirst in The Independent: `Impeccably researched, this is a flirt of a book, enjoyable and sexy. Rounding explores four "poules de luxe" in the unbuttoned era of Napoleon III. Marie Duplessis plucked Alexandre Dumas fils as one of her daisy chain and was beatified in "La Dame aux camélias". Apollonie Sabatier cut a swathe through haut Bohème, inspiring an orgasmic statue and adolescent verse by Gautier. The Russian La Païva accumulated palaces like other courtesans gathered jewellery. The English femme fatale Cora Pearl was a force of nature, despite "common manners and the tone of a stable boy". Great gals.

Frances Wilson in The Guardian: `Rounding is strong on the role and etiquette of the courtesan's salon and on the details of her appearance and toilette, but she is as interested in the legends generated by the grandes horizontales as she is in their lives, and she deftly analyses the ways in which fact and fiction bleed into one another in the making of a reputation. While none of her four women knew the others, they knew of each other, and Rounding shapes her narrative so that each life weaves into the next, as lovers are shared and others' legends are consumed. This is a rich, timely, engrossing book that puts its forerunners to shame.'

The Library Journal: `This highly readable collective biography should be welcomed by general readers interested in French culture and history... The book recaptures the glory of Second Empire Paris at its height, as the author skillfully reconstructs the lives of these women against the backdrop of the era's cultural, literary, and architectural history.'

Jennifer Davis McDaid in the Richmond Times Despatch: `Ms Rounding skillfully describes the rise and fall of second-empire Paris, combining historical accuracy with a thoughtful analysis of the dangers of the demi-mondaine, where money was exchanged for sex and a woman's reputation. She artfully brings these women to life, exploring their lives and the legends that grew up around them - some true, some not, and some of their own making. Courtesans paid for their independence with isolation, and faced the dangers of disease, pregnancy, and fading beauty alone. Evocative, lively and ultimately heart-breaking, "Grandes Horizontales" makes for good reading.'

Daphne Merkin in The New York Times: `..."Grandes Horizontales" is fascinating on several counts, not least because of Rounding's description of the French and British efforts throughout the 19th century to make a systematic study of prostitution, beginning with the basic question as to whether prostitutes were born or made... The book also reveals that the secrets of the harem, predicated on massaging egos as well as flesh, have changed little over the centuries... In eschewing the ordained ending of the marriage plot and living outside the ordinary bourgeois confines, these four women suggest that the conventions that govern relations between the sexes are less binding and more arbitrary than we of more stringent - or conformist - morals have been taught to believe.'