Rating: 5 dramatic stars

I am a bit of a Historical Fiction junkie, and this author, C. W. Gortner, is one of my top go-to authors in this genre. Once again, he has written a book that was compelling and full of historical tidbits that I had no idea about before reading this book. This book is about the French stage actress, Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923). She scrapped her way to the premier actress slot in multiple acting companies by modernizing the way actors presented material to their audiences.

This book encompasses most of Mademoiselle Bernhardt’s life. She certainly led an unconventional life. She followed her own path and fought to change how the moribund classical theater operated in France. She was the daughter of or a Parisian courtesan. She even was a courtesan herself for a time when she was young. Her son Maurice was a product of that time, and in defiance of her mother, she retained custody of Maurice and raised him as a single mother.

One of the things that I learned about in the book was the Siege of Paris (1870-1871). The siege was part of the Franco-Prussian War. The siege by the Prussians decimated Paris and its population. Sarah was instrumental in converting the Odeon Theater (the theater she was starring at before the siege) into a hospital for soldiers wounded in the battles outside the city. This was a very grim time where food and heating shortages were very real. It sounded quite a bit like sieges of other cities, Leningrad for instance, during WWII.

After the siege ended, Sarah continued to forge her own path in the world. She eventually started touring the world, and formed her own theater company. As the book’s Afterword explained, she was always on the cutting edge of technology and was involved in making sound recording, and films as both these forms of communication were emerging. She was a pioneer in so many ways.

It is sometimes hard for me to give works of Historical Fiction a five-star rating. Great writing in this genre does not employ any whiz-bang plot twists, or fantastical visions. I think that those elements can drive up the ratings in other book genres. Good Historical Fiction has to work within the confines of history. It attempts to bring the subject to life within historical strictures. How well the author accomplishes that is the basis for my review ratings for Historical Fiction.

Mr. Gortner nailed it! This was an engaging book in which I learned true historical facts about Sarah Bernhardt, and the era in which she lived. I would heartily recommend this for readers who enjoy Historical Fiction, and for readers who would like to learn more about Paris, and theaters in the mid to late 1800’s.

‘Thank-You’ to NetGalley; the publisher, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books; and the author, C. W. Gortner, for providing a free e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Mr Gortner has done it again! He excels at showing the reader a fabulous picture of the life and times of his characters. I knew little about Sarah Bernhardt or about Paris at the time she was living and acting there. She was quite a fascinating person, a woman ahead of her time who rose above difficult family circumstances and looked out for herself and her career.

In The First Actress, C. W Gortner gives us a well-researched, vivid fictionalized account of Sara Bernhardt, whose troubled childhood leads her to the stage as the only available means of avoiding becoming a courtesan like her mother or being forced into an arranged marriage with a stranger.. With the constant threat of poverty as she struggles to establish an acting career, she does what she must to survive. When her strong will and innovative ideas repeatedly hurt her career, they also help her find new opportunities. Gortner paints a portrait of ambition and revenge, adoration and jealousy, friends and enemies, performers, managers, and critics, mothers and children.

Readers not only come to understand Sarah Bernhardt but also encounter an assortment of historical figures who play roles in her life, including Alexandre Dumas (father and son), Oscar Wilde, artist Louise Abbéma, and “Bertie,” Prince of Wales. While getting to know Sarah, readers experience the Franco-Prussian War and the war of wills within famous Parisian theaters.

In keeping with theatrical subject matter and periods of Bernhardt’s life, Gortner divides the novel into Acts. The last section, “Curtain Call,” summarizes the actress’s final years and her contributions to acting history.

My thanks to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and C. W. Gortner for providing an Advance Reader Copy of this recommended historical novel.

Every once in a blue moon 🌚 you come along a book that’s just beautiful.And you want to share it with everyone.#The First Actress is one of those books.This novel about French actress Sarah Bernhardt as a young woman in Paris is a must.Its told in her own voice and keeps you awake all night.Enjoy
Thank you #Random House #Netgalley and #C..W. Gortner!🐾🐾

I had heard C. W. Gortner’s name long before I read his previous novel, The Romanov Empress. And really, as a historian of Russia (albeit specializing in a much earlier period), how could I resist a topic like that one?

I really enjoyed the novel, which examined the life of Maria Feodorovna, the Danish princess who became the wife of Emperor Alexander III after his older brother died, leaving Sasha (his family nickname), as heir to the throne—not least because Alexander III has a rather poor reputation as a reactionary ruler in stark contrast to his supposedly enlightened father and inoffensive but ultimately indecisive son. So when Gortner’s publicist offered me a digital copy of The First Actress, his latest book on the life of Sarah Bernhardt, I leaped at the chance.

Indeed, I enjoyed the new book even more than The Romanov Empress. It’s fast-moving, well researched, and fascinating. I certainly knew of Sarah Bernhardt, that she was considered a great actress and lived in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. But I realized by the beginning of chapter 2 how much more I had to learn, and I have seldom had a more pleasurable time filling in the gaps. So read the novel. I bet you too will find out a few things you didn’t know!

The First Actress tells the story of the life of Sarah Bernhardt, a famous actress in the late 1800s. Like every book I’ve read by CW Gortner, The First Actress was simultaneously entertaining, heartbreaking, and full of information. From her humble beginnings as the unwanted daughter of a courtesan, to the birth of her illegitimate son, to her fame and reputation as an actress, Sarah’s life was never dull.
I loved Sarah as a character: she was irreverent at times, strong-willed, and determined. She was much different than many historical women I’ve read about, and I really liked reading about the history of France during this time period through the eyes of a commoner.

First off, thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.

Sarah Bernhardt is considered the world's first modern actress. This is the story of her tumultuous rise to fame.

I had never heard of Sarah Bernhardt before coming across this book on NetGalley. However, I have read other books by Gortner and enjoyed both the story and the historical knowledge. This book was no different.

Gortner writes in such a way that I really got a feel for who Sarah was and her complexities. She endured a lot, both in her childhood and her career aspirations. There were several characters/people I really didn't like at all as a result of his story telling. And I imagine they were that way in real life as well.

Anyone who likes historical fiction, even if they aren't necessarily theater fans, would probably like this book.

Heads-Up: There are some open door scenes.

3.5 stars

The entire time I read this I couldn't stop thinking of the Michael Jordan documentary, "The Last Dance". It is apparent to me that to be at the very top of your profession you have to be so focused that nothing else matters- family, friends, other people. You expect everybody to be as disciplined as you are and are disappointed when they are not. You may be the very best at what you do but you pay a stiff price.

Sarah Bernhardt was not a nice person. I would not have liked to be around her. She had an extremely rough upbringing but didn't seem to learn a thing from it. She wasn't nice to anyone around her although the author tries to paint a picture of a few people she was nice to. I don't buy it. Her sister she was supposedly devoted to was quite ill and she sent for the doctor twice. When the doctor said she needed a spa for breathing, Sarah never managed to arrange it. Her care was left to a devoted friend. Sarah had no time for it. She was too busy being the best actress alive.

The book dragged in spots for me. The discussion of roles was especially tiresome for me as I have not seen them so the very detailed discussion wasn't that interesting to me but overall this was a very thorough look at her life and I learned a great deal. It was so fascinating to see the price of fame and what the "stars" sacrifice to get to the top.

Thanks to Net Galley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair review.

Gortner has a way of writing that draws you into the historical character as though you were there. I liked every fictional autobiography I've read from this author. Unlike some of the earlier ones I read that was more action and suspense, this one is more artistic and poignant. Still, even if you are not into Sarah Bernhart, you will find this a page turner.

3.5 stars

I received a complimentary e-book copy of this book from Ballentine Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to C.W. Gortner, Ballentine Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This book interested me from the minute that I saw what the subject was! My family used to call me "Sarah Bernhardt" when I was little - all I knew of her was that she was DRAMATIC just like me!! What I didn't know was that she was French, illegitimate (it made things WAY harder for her), and Jewish (this REALLY made things horrible due to prejudice). She also was a pseudo-courtesan and was an actress when this was expected from your patrons. She WAS The First PROFESSIONAL Actress.

The book was paced slowly especially at the beginning which I found a little long about her childhood. But once she started her acting the book was fascinating. I would have preferred to have much more about this part of her life as she was QUITE the outlandish character. I would have loved to have had some champagne with her!!

This book is very interesting, but I wanted just a little more. I knew little about Sarah Bernhardt and France during this time period so I loved learning about it!! Recommend!

<b>DNF</b>
Stopped at 20%
Zero stars

I tried. I read until 20% [my typical cut off point] and just had to be done. I had read this author's previous book about the Romanov Tsarina and loves it and had high hopes for this one. It was not to be.
This one was slightly [or more] boring, telling the same story over and over [and not getting anywhere with it], and not very creatively at that. It just seemed we were hashing out the same story over and over, just at different times in Sarah's life - same story, different times, different people. It was also trite and exhausting and well, just...meh. I was highly disappointed. I know very little about Sarah Bernhardt and after just 20% of this book, I am still in the same place I was when I started.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Epic! If you are only vaguely familiar with Sarah Bernhardt or with life in France during 1844-1923, then you will learn a great deal while enjoying this novel. There's detail about the plays she was in and her lovers but, oddly, some things (like when her house burned down-one sentence) are handled in short hand. No matter, I found I kept forgetting that most of these events took place before she was 30! Daughter of a courtesan whose mother put her out on the market, Bernhardt really wanted to act. When she found herself pregnant, she went ahead and had her son even after his father disavowed him (he turns up as a good guy later). She cared for her sisters, her elderly neighbor, a vast number of pets (it isn't clear to me how she fed the dogs during the siege), wounded soldiers, and her friends. The back and forth between the various theater companies was a little confusing to me but I loved the insight into some of the playwrights of the era (I found myself googling). This takes a bit of concentration but it's a worthy read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For fans of historical fiction.

Good at first then was drawn out. I think the story started too early in her life. I would read and read and think I was almost done and only be 30% done. I did find Sarah’s life quite interesting. Her relationship with her mother was something else. It is also very dismal that women had only one choice for their futures: to be a whore one way or another. Sarah’s mom sure gave her that reality. It was also sad that women are so awful to each other over petty jealousies. I have to say Sarah was a very interesting woman and I hope she found happiness at sometime in her life she just seemed to get it and then it was taken away. Women with drive and ambition always seem lonely in the end, because they know no other way but forward.

Received an ARC from the publisher for an honest review.

I have read several of CW Gortner's books. I love how he brings to life strong and controversial women of their time. The First Actress is no exception. While I had heard of Sarah Bernhardt, I did not know anything about her besides being an actress. France of an era, a person of an era. The relationship between Sarah and her mother was painful as was her professional relationship with the "prestigious" theater troupe in Paris. Sarah was her own woman who was looking for approval.

For those who enjoy historical fiction, I would definitely recommend The First Actress. It would also be a good book club selection.

Thank you NetGalley, CW Gortner, and Ballantine Books for an advance copy.

Absolutely fantastic!

Love her, or hate her, Sarah Bernhardt was definitely a woman before her time. Spoiled, defiant, and utterly unapologetic in her quest for fame she was her own worst enemy and not an easy character to like. However, something about her tenaciousness made it very difficult not to root for her. Gortner has done an amazing job of bringing her to brilliant 3-dimensional life. Highly recommend.

Entertaining read of the story of Sarah Bernhardt the actress. Daughter of a courtesan, she got the acting bug at an early age, and with the help of one of her mother's suitors, she attends acting school and is hired by one of the theater groups. But, Sarah knows how she wants to act, and often conflicts with other actors and managers...

This book did not capture my imagination as much as I was hoping. I knew very little about Sarah Bernhardt's life other than her worldwide fame as an actress. It cannot be said that this was not a well researched book. C.W. Gortner stuffs every page full of details; however, a compelling plot never comes together. I was honestly quite bored through the bulk of the novel, and Ms. Bernhardt most certainly did not live a boring life. Much of the book centers on her life before she achieved international fame with a short afterword on her later years. Perhaps I would have enjoyed it more had the book featured less of her time as a child in Brittany and her school years and more on her exploits as a famous actress traveling the globe.

This ended up being completely different from the book I thought it would be. First of all, it's not much about Sarah being an actress at all. In fact, there is very little mention (some, but not enough for me) of her becoming a successful actress for the first half of the book, which leads me into my second issue. The book starts way too early. I really despise books where the main character is a child for a large percent of the book and this was no exception. I don't think there was anything that happened in the first 20 years of Sarah's life that we needed to see. The book easily could have started when she was already an adult and the few little nuggets of important information in her early life could have been given to us in another way. There was so much focus on Sarah hating her mother for her profession but then Sarah turns right around and does that exact same thing for the rest of her life. I don't see why we needed to read all about that early hatred. It didn't add anything to the novel.

Really if this book just had a different title, I think I would have liked it better. It's so little about Sarah acting. It's much more about all the other (often fairly interesting) things she did with her life. I was most interested in her crazy fashion choices and how she shaped the fashion world, etc, but I would have never known that was in this book by the cover, title, or description I read. There is much more to Sarah than just being an actress, which makes for an interesting novel at times, but it's not at all what I thought this book would be. Both a good and a bad thing. I wished for more info about her acting career, especially in the first 70% of the book, but I also think if this were marketed more as a tale of an exceptional, modern woman living in the mid/late nineteenth century that it would find more readers and leave more readers happy. Instead, I really missed out on the acting stuff for much of the book because that's what I expected. I would have given this book four stars if it started with Sarah as a teen or young adult and went further into her life. It seemed to end right when things were starting to get interesting and included a lot of uninteresting stuff at the beginning.

If you're reading this book currently and are finding yourself bored by the first 35% or so, feel free to skim for a little while. It really does get better once Sarah starts succeeding at acting.

TL;DR: This is really a story about a unique woman living in Paris during the Second and Third Republics. She lived a crazy, interesting life which involved acting but didn't always revolve around acting. If you're interested in late nineteenth century Paris, this book is for you. If you are super interested in the history of acting, it's probably not what you're looking for.

I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
It is the 3rd book by this author I've read and when NetGalley offered it, I jumped on it.
Historical fiction is my favorite genre to read and C.W. Gortner is fast becoming a favorite of mine.
I didn't know much about Sarah Bernhardt, but have heard of her and this was a beautifully written book that explores her early life and how she became a star in her own right.
Not many women were doing what she was in the late 1800's but she was one of those women breaking the barriers at that time.
Highly recommended!

3 1/2 stars

As an actor myself, I am fascinated with Sarah Bernhardt and knew a fair amount about her before reading this book. The historical details are incredibly well researched and really helped to illustrate the plight of females choosing to pave their own path in that era. You could tell that a lot of work had gone into creating this novel and I appreciated Gortner's dedication to making sure Sarah's story was told properly.

That being said, the book does get bogged down with analyzing every instance of Sarah's life in the periods covered. I know that she accomplished a lot in her life and I applaud Gortner for going as in-depth as he does, but I found myself not connecting with Sarah as a result. Because so much of the story is focused on telling us what happened to her, we don't get as many opportunities to truly get into her psyche and explore the deep passion that she had for life.

It is definitely a worthwhile book to read because her story is so incredible, but I wish that I could have seen more who Sarah was as a person instead of the historical details of her life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!