Review of “Almost Famous Women” by Megan Mayhew Bergman

Almost Famous Women
Megan Mayhew Bergman

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Scribner, Jan 2015
Historical Fiction
“The fascinating lives of the characters in Almost Famous Women have mostly been forgotten, but their stories are burning to be told. Now Megan Mayhew Bergman, author of Birds of a Lesser Paradise, resurrects these women, lets them live in the reader’s imagination, so we can explore their difficult choices. Nearly every story in this dazzling collection is based on a woman who attained some celebrity—she raced speed boats or was a conjoined twin in show business; a reclusive painter of renown; a member of the first all-female, integrated swing band. We see Lord Byron’s illegitimate daughter, Allegra; Oscar Wilde’s troubled niece, Dolly; West With the Night author Beryl Markham; Edna St. Vincent Millay’s sister, Norma. These extraordinary stories travel the world, explore the past (and delve into the future), and portray fiercely independent women defined by their acts of bravery, creative impulses, and sometimes reckless decisions.

The world hasn’t always been kind to unusual women, but through Megan Mayhew Bergman’s alluring depictions they finally receive the attention they deserve. Almost Famous Women is a gorgeous collection from an “accomplished writer of short fiction” (Booklist).”
-Summary Goodreads/NetGalley

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. This book is a collection of stories based on women who didn’t quite make it, but almost did. They were all troubled and lived on the fringes of society. A lot of the stories focus on the struggle and unkindly death of these “almost famous women”. The stories themselves are fictional.

Something refreshing about this book was that a lot of the women weren’t straight. I think this is a nice change from the stock characters we normally see. Mainstream fiction doesn’t often center on homosexual relationships.

The book was extremely well written and flowed nicely for the most part. There was what the author called a “cover story” of the classic, The Lottery and it was sorely out of place. I read some other reviews and reviewers seemed to be complaining about the same thing. Why include an unoriginal assignment into your book?
There was some beautiful and haunting imagery, for example in “The Internees” story, the picture of gaunt, skeletal-like women liberated from a concentration camp putting on lipstick the British soldiers had given them.

I became easily engaged in most of the stories but for many of them, I wanted them to be longer. I felt that there was so much more to be explored, more depth to be uncovered. I would have preferred some longer pieces and to cut some of the less interesting stories. It is admirable how she makes you feel for the characters in such a small amount of space.

Overall I wasn’t crazy for this book. It was a fast read and I think if you like historical fiction/short story collections then go for it. To me it seemed a little bit disjointed and I felt jolted out of the story when they ended so quickly. But, I gave this book 4 stars for the writing style and the ability to tackle a short story, which is harder than it looks.
(Also, how beautiful is that cover?!)

Any thoughts?

First Review!

Rating 4/5

I wanted to have one of my favorite books on here first, which would either be Paint it Black or White Oleander by Janet Fitch, but it’s been years since I’ve read them so I won’t review until I’ve reread them! This is my gorgeous copy of The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde which I purchased for an excellent price at Barnes and Noble. B+N are still doing these collectible editions, they have this regal spine and come with a  bookmarker ribbon, as you can tell the calligraphy is amazing. Here is the link to them (although I recommend going into the store because you can see them all in person and sometimes they go on sale…and who doesn’t love going into a bookstore) http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/collectible-editions-sale/379003976/

So, onto the book itself. For those of you that haven’t read it, The Picture of Dorian Gray takes place in 19th century England amid the Victorian Era (think petticoats, dinner parties, and carriages). Oscar Wilde paints a beautiful juxtaposition of the gorgeous high society against the dark foggy streets of London and the horrors inside Dorian Gray’s mind. This book definitely has elements of the Gothic in it. In a Faustian parallel Dorian Gray makes a deal that he would trade his soul for a painting of him, created by his friend Basil Hallward, to age while he retains his beauty and youth. To his horror, this comes true. This novel deals with hedonism (devotion to pleasure as a way of life), the power of influence, homosexuality (not blatant, but underlying), and the power of youth and beauty.

My main issue with this novel is something that happens in many classics: there are continuous pages without dialogue which leads to slow pacing that is hard to get through. It is description heavy. But, there is a reason as to why it’s a classic: Oscar Wilde is able to make astute observations on humanity in single sentences. Here is a passage that sticks out to me: “There is a luxury in self-reproach. When we blame ourselves, we feel that no one else has a right to blame us. It is the confession, not the priest, that gives us absolution”. The novel is chock full of these little insights that make you stop and think.

Overall, I think you should read it. As much as I love contemporary fiction there is something to be said about the craft of classics. I wouldn’t read too many in a row, because it gets heavy. But, this is one of those books everyone has to read at some point in their lives.

Any thoughts?