Customer Reviews

The Last Madam: A Life in the New Orleans Underworld

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

New Orleans is one of the most visited cities in the USA. Even the casual visitor has been told the stories of prostitution and corruption in the majestic French Quarter. The story of Norma Wallace based in part on her audio taped autobiogaphy gives the present day reader the best look at what this life was really like. The writer is convincing, by naming names and places, that the world's oldest profession was almost respectible, even in the last half of the 20th century. The research done to write this book is amazing. The opinion you form of Norma, by the end of the book,is surprising. A good book and a must if you are familiar with New Orleans

I was a young investigative reporter living in the French Quarter in the era Christine Wiltz writes about, and I saw it all -- the political payoffs, the crooked cops, the upscale whores and the spavined sluts, the overstuffed and pompous city fathers, the pimps and touts and junkies. What a rich mix it was! Wiltz, a native Orleanian, put the odor of pralines and boiled crawfish and "buster" crabs back in my nostrils for the first time in 50 years. She's caught the era perfectly, and with considerable writing skill. "The Last Madame" is as authentic as an open grave in the St. Louis Cemetery.

When the subject of this book shrugs off being shot in the ankle because she got a 7-carat diamond ring out of the affair, you know this is no ordinary person. Norma Wallace was one of the last Madams' of New Orleans. For more than 4 decades she ran her various houses that were the locations where young men were brought for their introduction to the carnal pleasures of adulthood, where actresses and actors frequently paid visits, and where a good percentage of politicians and law enforcement officers also passed some time. The book is not a glorification of what was at times a brutal existence. The book and the behavior of many is entertaining, but when reality becomes a bit too easy, incidents that were absolutely horrible brought reality back with great intensity.

This is a story of a woman who knew what she wanted at a very young age, and who by the 1920's was making 100,000 per year. To survive and thrive during changes in political landscapes she was not only an exceedingly shrewd businesswoman, she was also a grand manipulator of politicians, and law enforcement. She managed to fit in 5 marriages, a relationship with a nationally known gangster, and the creation of a wildly successful restaurant business in with all her other interests. This woman was one of the original practitioners of multitasking.

All of this came with a price, the same man who was a gangster might try to kill her one night, her jewelry that was valued at 70,000 decades ago and which she wore daily would make her a target. And for 40 years there was always some new rookie cop or politician that wanted to make his mark by closing her down.

The story is wild, amazing and true; the read is almost as fast paced as her life.

A fabulous book with wonderful descriptions of New Orleans. Norma is, of course, legendary, so it was a privilege to finally learn the details of her fascinating life. It kept me on my toes the entire time I was reading it. How amazing that you can know how everything turns out at the end and still not be able to put it down until you're finished.

The colorful life of "landlady" Norma Wallace is laid out here in great detail -- her thoughts, shortcomings and enviable business sense, and the obsession with the beauty of youth that eventually becomes her downfall. Novelist Christine Wiltz has meticulously researched her subject, so readers not only come away with a full understanding about New Orleans' last real madam, they also get a real feel of the N'awlins of the early to mid 20th century. A great read before or during a trip to the Big Easy -- and an equally great read even if you've never set foot in the Crescent City.

This book had all the makings of a true page turner - a madam, her girls, political corruption, a hot steamy setting and more, it just didn't read like a page turner. Yes, there were parts that held me captive on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happened, but then there were vast sections that were about as interesting to read as the telephone book.

Gleaned from her own taped memoirs and other previously written articles as well as interviews with friends and accquaintences the professional life of Norma Wallace, New Orlean's last madam, seemed rather lack luster. With so much raw material, what went wrong? Oddly the later parts of the book, after Ms. Wallace's retirement from the business seemed to hold much more interest for me than those dealing with her working days.

From a historical perspective I think this was a good read as Ms. Wallace's life in the French Quarter spanned quite a long period of time. This is not the stuff you learn about in Louisiana history. I learned alot more about our past mayors from this book than I ever did in a history class. I particularly liked that addresses of the houses where she was a "landlady" were given. I will definately spend some afternoon in the near future scouring the French Quarter for these addresses.

All in all it was a fairly decent book. I think it will hold particular interest for New Orleaneans like myself, but would not be as appealing to the rest of the general popluation.

This intriguing book is a wonderful study of a woman, who, treated harshly as a youth in New Orleans, grew to be a powerful madam in the underworld of the Big Easy. She outsmarted cops and judges, eluding arrest for most of her career. Wiltz does a great job capturing the mystique of New Orleans with its cast of fascinating crooks, creeps, entertainers, and public figures who sought pleasure as well as anonymity in her famous brothel.

I did love this book. As a French Quarter resident, any historic books are fascinating to me...this was no exception. The authors' description of architectural styles, addresses, and rooms were enriching. This book describes the political corroption that is historically prevelent to this day. The current mayor wants a third term (thus re-writting the city charter, so he want's to clean up the Quarter) the historic precedent is shown in this book. The stories are fascinating, the subject intriguing. The author is normally a novelist but handeled her subject for this work of non-fiction with deliberate respect and reportage. I applaud her and this book.

Norma was absolutely intriguing as a women's libber. She not only was excellent at her business but she was an excellent business woman. She knew the business, the politics, the marketing, the hiring, the accounting and she loved and enjoyed it. It gave insight to a naughty business. There is not explict details, but enough to make it interesting and not dirty. Well written with a lot of research. It is also fun to revist the past in a city we are so well aquainted with in modern times
as a tourist center.

This is a fascinating life story involving the rags to riches tale of Norma Wallace. The story contains countless episodes of intrigue and salacious details of the Brothel business that make for a very entertaining read. There are other passages that get quite bogged down in detail regarding ancillary characters that don't add much to the narrative flow. Overall Norma Wallace is portrayed very sympathetically and sounds like someone who would be fabulous to have a few drinks with and listen to. However she ends very badly as a victim of her own vanity and insecurity.
The descriptions of the French Quarter during the 1st half of the 20th century are great reading for lovers of New Orleans. I'll be sure to walk down Conti St. on my next visit and see if I can find some of the places described in this book.