Marlene, C. W. Gortner
Marlene, C. W. Gortner
1 Rating(s)
List: $27.99 | Sale: $19.59
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Marlene
A Novel

Author: C. W. Gortner

Narrator: Bernadette Dunne

Unabridged: 14 hr 31 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperAudio

Published: 05/24/2016


Synopsis

A lush, dramatic biographical novel of one of the most glamorous and alluring legends of Hollywood’s golden age, Marlene Dietrich—from the gender-bending cabarets of Weimar Berlin to the lush film studios of Hollywood, a sweeping story of passion, glamour, ambition, art, and war from the author of Mademoiselle Chanel.Raised in genteel poverty after the First World War, Maria Magdalena Dietrich dreams of a life on the stage. When a budding career as a violinist is cut short, the willful teenager vows to become a singer, trading her family’s proper, middle-class society for the free-spirited, louche world of Weimar Berlin’s cabarets and drag balls. With her sultry beauty, smoky voice, seductive silk cocktail dresses, and androgynous tailored suits, Marlene performs to packed houses and becomes entangled in a series of stormy love affairs that push the boundaries of social convention.For the beautiful, desirous Marlene, neither fame nor marriage and motherhood can cure her wanderlust. As Hitler and the Nazis rise to power, she sets sail for America. Rivaling the success of another European import, Greta Garbo, Marlene quickly becomes one of Hollywood’s leading ladies, starring with legends such as Gary Cooper, John Wayne, and Cary Grant. Desperate for her return, Hitler tries to lure her with dazzling promises. Marlene instead chooses to become an American citizen, and after her new nation is forced into World War II, she tours with the USO, performing for thousands of Allied troops in Europe and Africa.But one day she returns to Germany. Escorted by General George Patton himself, Marlene is heartbroken by the war’s devastation and the evil legacy of the Third Reich that has transformed her homeland and the family she loved.An enthralling and insightful account of this extraordinary legend, Marlene reveals the inner life of a woman of grit, glamour, and ambition who defied convention, seduced the world, and forged her own path on her own terms.

About C. W. Gortner

C. W. Gortner is the author of many bestselling historical novels—including Mademoiselle Chanel—which have been published in more than twenty countries. He lives in San Francisco.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Angela M on July 06, 2016

3.5 stars if I could , but rounded up to 4 . I can't say that I've ever seen any of her movies , but that didn't diminish at all my interest in reading this biographical novel of Marlene Dietrich. I do remember seeing clips, seeing how beautiful she was and hearing that sultry voice . The first perso......more

Goodreads review by Kate on June 07, 2016

I've been a fan of C.W. Gortner's books long before I met and befriended him at a conference, and Marlene Dietrich is perhaps my favorite of his heroines. She comes to life on the page: a swearing smoking bisexual goddess of sin. From her early days as schoolgirl violinist to her sashay through the......more

Goodreads review by Patricija || book.duo on October 10, 2022

3/5 Apie Marleną žinojau absurdiškai mažai, bet kaip ir visos kitos stiprios istorinės asmenybės, šioji mane domino. Gortner įprastai pateikia lengvai papasakotą, bet istorinių faktų nestokojančią istoriją, tik kad šį kartą jam teko reikalas apibūdinti ne kokią karalienę laikais, kai vidutinis amžius......more

Goodreads review by Shomeret on July 21, 2016

Marlene Dietrich wasn't an icon for me until I saw her in Destry Rides Again, and then I wanted to see all her movies. I knew that she first had success in Weimar Germany. My concept of Weimar Germany is based on The Berlin Stories: The Last of Mr Norris/Goodbye to Berlin, a short story collection b......more

Goodreads review by Intelektualios on February 13, 2025

Nuostabi! Ir Marlena ir knyga. Man atėmė žadą ši nepaprasta moteris ir labai lengvai, įdomiai ir įtraukiančiai parašytas autobiografinis romanas apie ją ❤️❤️❤️......more