2.5 stars, rounded up.  

Prior to picking up <i>The Barbizon</i>, I had never heard of The Barbizon Hotel.  I enjoy non-fiction stories of women, glamour, and history, so deciding to read <i>The Barbizon</i> was easy. It started off at a good pace, explaining the many histories that The Barbizon Hotel was host to: the Katharine Gibbs secretarial school, the <i>Mademoiselle</i> magazine guest editor competitions, and the famed writers, artists, and socialites that graced its rooms.  It was delightful to learn about Sylvia Plath, Grace Kelly, Betsy Talbott Blackwell and others.  I could imagine being a 20-something, vibrant young woman from small-town America, walking into The Barbizon and being overwhelmed by femininity, New York City, and the vastness of my own potential.  

About 50-60% in, the book fell flat for me.  It started to feel repetitive and that it was going nowhere.  I can't tell you how many times Bren mentions that Sylvia Plath, Joan Didion, Betsey Johnson, et al stayed at The Barbizon.  I wanted the book to be more linear, more heavily edited, and more fluid.  The topic is interesting, but the book dragged too long.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC!

Favorite quote:
<i>"The hushed talk of her nervous breakdown, of disappearing under her mother's porch with a bottle of pills, the manhunt that followed, merely added to her mystique in an era, Peggy later realized, 'when neuroticism among women authors was almost a necessary badge of membership in the women's creative community.'"

I received this copy through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This was a fantastic read. The story follows the Barbizon hotel in New York from the building of it to what it now is today. I loved seeing the Barbizon through the years. The various women that shaped the hotel. The author took the time to work through the years of the Barbizon through the experiences of some famous women and some who were not. I really liked the in depth look at the running of the hotel. The changes that it went through at times broke my heart. I had not previously heard of the Barbizon and this was a great history of the hotel.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.
There have been many books lately about women who passed through the Barbizon. Here we have a history of the hotel itself. A great deal of time is devoted to Mademoiselle magazine and its Guest Editor program which funneled ambitious, young GE's through through the hotel. Many of its famous residents are discussed at length - Grace Kelly, Sylvia Plath, Joan Didion. Impeccably researched and well written, it fills in the history of the Barbizon. Occasionally, it drags a little and is a bit repetitive but definitely worth reading.

I thoroughly enjoyed this title. I found the history of this hotel for women fascinating from it's conception and the tenement laws that lead to it's design through it's end as condominiums. This title focuses as much on the hotel's impact on the women who walked through it's halls as a chronical of the change in the outside world for women's rights and societal expectations. Famous guests who passed through the doors are a prime focus with names such as Titanic survivor Molly Brown, Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco, author Sylvia Plath, movie star Rita Hayworth, author Meg Wolitzer, designer Betsey Johnson, and so many more! My favorite thing while reading this title was the look at society's expectations on these women in New York alone and how that changed over the years which starts with the flappers and goes through the women's movement of the 60's and 70's. 

I have already started to recommend this title to my colleagues and friends who have an interest in nonfiction titles, the guests who graced the halls of the Barbizon, and those who are hoping for something to go back to again and again. I will be recommending this addition to our library's nonfiction collection.

I really enjoyed the first 50% or so (note: references etc started at 80% on my Kindle) but once I hit the 1950s/Sylvia Plath section, I lost interest. I put it down for a fiction novel and had trouble picking it back up. Please note these are Interesting Times and I've dropped a lot of books this year. Overall recommended.

I received a free ecopy of the book from NetGalley.  I never heard of the Barbizon Hotel before reading the book.  I was fascinated by the concept.  I definitely wanted to learn more.  I, also, really enjoy non fiction.

The book is the stories of various woman who stayed or lived at the Barbizon.  It focuses mainly on the celebrities, models, and women who worked for Mademoiselle.  I was most fascinated about the stories of Sylvia Plath.

The book focuses mainly on the history of the hotel fron the 1930's - 1950's.  A time when women's roles were so different.  The book talks about women's roles, being single, getting married, depression, suicide, assault, racism, ageism, sex, eating disorders, and so much more.  

The book is so interesting at times.  There was so much information that I did not know about.  It is very raw in talking about such sensitive subjects.  It was so surprising, how many celebrities, that I remember, stayed at the hotel.

The book was sort of difficult to read.  The chapters are very long.  The grammar is not the best.  It has some run off sentences.  Yet, the content is fascinating.

It is a book that I will need to reread.  There is so much to learn from the book.  I am appreciative to the author for the opportunity to read the book.

A stunning history of American women seen through the scrim of The Barbizon in NYC. The residential hotel housed single women only, propelled to pursue their career dreams via post-WWI freedoms and the right to vote. The residents are enthralling ... from actresses Grace Kelly to Ali McGraw, writers Sylvia Plath to Joan Didion, along with fashion models and secretaries all clambering for success in the big city. A 20th Century historical gem! 

Pub Date 02 Mar 2021

Thanks to the author, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

#TheBarbizon #NetGalley

The Barbizon Hotel for Women has a storied history.  People from Molly Tobin Brown (Unsinkable), to Grace Kelly, Sylvia Plath, and Ali McGraw all found refuge is the rooms that were forbidden to men. and reasonably priced so that young women had a save haven while trying to establish careers or looking for Mr Marriagable in NYC.

However, this alleged biography of a  building strays from it's intention and veers into the stories of some of the women but more so, the story of Mademoiselle Magazine, a fashion bible for girls growing up in the 1950s to 1970s.  How do I know this?  Because it was my bible and the back-to-school issue that came out each August, double the size of the monthly magazine, packed with ads for dresses, wedding rings, and even bridal dresses.

The issue was made more special by the GEs who supposedly wrote it.  It actually is impressive how many women who got their start as GE at Mademoiselle had successful writing career.  However it always circles back to Sylvia Plath and the Bell Jar.

Honestly, I can see a really great RomCom movie made from this book.  Lots of famous names and the fortunes of a roller coaster of the New York economy that supported then dumped the Barbizon as a landmark destination..  Anyone of the young women staying there would be a great central figure, likely dressed in an Ann Marie dress with matching coat striding along the upper East Side.

If you have seen Stagedoor, the 1930s movie starring Katharine Hepburn, GInger Rogers, and Lucille Ball, you have already seen the movie but as a period piece.  It could be brought forward a few decades and would be a great representation of the dreams of young New Yorkers back in the day.

One interesting side note, and really not given a deep enough reading, is "the Women", ladies who took up residence in the hotel and managed to hold on to their rent controlled apartments through many reconstructions, many attempts to oust them, time passing when they become an eyesore in the lobby and a warning of what happens when you don't snatch opportunity.

This was a subject with lots of potential staying within the walls of the building.  The parallel story of the Mademoiselle GEs perhaps deserves it's own books with chapters of each starry eyed college coed who had one great adventure as a editorial assistant while staying in a nunnery of the Upper East Side.

I have always found The Barbizon utterly fascinating as well as its female residents. Given the great detail in history and origin I live vicariously through Bren’s efforts. 

Lots of name dropping, the ties between Gibbs, Mademoiselle, allowing you to truly experience The Barbizon. I was immersed and could not stop turning the pages. If you are already educated on The Barbizon, you will certainly enjoy learning more of the illustrious residence. I wish I was of the era of this fascinating dwelling but thankfully in my minds eye I have a wonderful idea of what life would have been like among such amazing women. 

Bren does illustrates how society and history changed for women as a whole during the this century. 

Wonderful read, thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.

I was looking forward to this book, and for the most part enjoyed it. It was well researched and showed what life was like for women after WWI as they sought the right to vote and employment. The Barbizon was the first all women residential hotel in NYC and this book should find its place in women studies classes. The last half, however  bogged down in repetition, and too much about Mademoiselle magazine. Still an informative and interesting history.

I was excited to find a book about the Barbizon Hotel.  I remember my mother talking about taking the train from Cincinnati to NYC to shop, attend the theater and visit museums and stay at the Barbizon Hotel.  I always held a somewhat mystique for me.  It would have been in the 1950's that my mother and her friend would stay there.

It was interesting to learn the history of how a woman's only hotel came about and learn a bit about the residents.  They tended to be those of the upper class.

The progression of the book was interesting for me.  The first third or so held my interest as it talked about the women looking for work, such as models.  As it progressed, it felt as though the book was more about Mademoiselle magazine whose guest college editors stayed at the Barbizon.  The last third was very easy for me to put down as it became very repetitious.  The editors need to tighten up the book.  I am giving the book 3 stars though it is really 2.5.  What could have been a great read was just a book about those who "have" and not as well written as it could have been.

Thank you Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest feedback.

Paulina Bren has brought to life in a few hundred pages the results of thousands of hours, pages, interviews, photos, and documents covering nearly a century of life in New York for women who made history there. Even more women may have slipped unnoticed through the Barbizon hotel, but they found a place in the world, a haven for women outside of the usual career path of wife and mother. 

My Kindle is packed full of highlights, and I'm only a few chapters in. The contrast between The Unsinkable Molly Brown and The Flappers is intriguing. The GIbbs girls, the Powers models, the history of working women in America, the opportunities that arose, and the way these women came together in a giant residence hall, so to speak, in the biggest, brightest U.S. city, are subjects high school girls should be addressing in their term papers. And PhD candidates. This book is a doctoral thesis in and of itself, but far more readable than most academic fare. If I were a history teacher, or women's studies, I would include this rich, lively book. Dense with names and dates, places and events, yet readable and full of delights as well as tales of pathos, "The Barbizon" is a must-read. (I would assign it to our youngest daughter, but even at almost-age-25, she won't read anything I send her way.)

If anyone would bother to read a longer review with names, excerpts from the book, and other tidbits, I might take time to post them. For now, it seems to me shorter reviews are more popular than long ones.

This book is so exhaustively researched, so full of information and detail, I cannot even imagine the time and effort Paulina Bren invested in The Barbizon. For readers who think "too much information," it's easy to skim. For those who want the whole story, this is like an entire one-semester class in one area of women's history.
#HIghlyRecommended!

The Glam!

The Barbizon, by Paulina Bren, is a very accessible book that lets the reader into a very glamorous world!  

Oh, I would have loved living there!  But the author is very frank in her history and in the early days of The Barbizon’s glory, it was exclusively white – with no place for me lol.  The author does tell us a little bit about the very first African American woman who was allowed to stay there – and what a strange experience it must have been for her!

The book focuses more on some of the most famous (and iconic) residents, all while giving us a glimpse into the history and culture of America and how The Barbizon played a role.  It’s definitely a story of glamour, but it’s also a story of feminism and independence and of a place that gave women a footing to fight for what they wanted.

I also loved the photos interspersed in the book, though I’d love to have seen even more!

This was a wonderful escape of a read – a bit of time travel into days gone by.

*ARC Provided via Net Galley

I love this book.  It has so many historical facts about the Barbizon Hotel as well as the women who stayed there.  So many women that you will recognize – famous and not so renowned stayed at the Barbizon Hotel. The historical facts of NYC are also fascinating.  The author, Pauline Bren, does a fantastic job taking you along through the years and the customs.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves history and Nw York City.

The Barbizon is a Hotel that was made for only women. At the time there were places where men could go that only allowed men. Now the Barbizon only allowed women. Most of the women were young looking for careers. Models, secretaries, movie, journalists, authors and more with these dreams passed through the Barbizon doors. Some accomplished their dreams some did not.
This book tells the history of this Hotel, and the people that stayed there.

It’s always fun to be able to peek into the lives of other people both famous and not so famous.  This work lets us see into the daily goings on of women during a time of wonder and happenings.  Lots of research went into this!  You will be amazed by the familiar names that pop up.  Enjoy the NY history and the early struggles.

Thank you so much to Net Galley, Simon & Schuster, and author Paulina Bren for this advanced copy

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.  After reading The Doll House by @fionadavis, I have been fascinated by this all-women hotel.  Small town girls from all over the country moved to NYC to make it big and the Barbizon is where they stayed.  With a low rent, big rules, chaperoned atmosphere, this is the only way women could convince their daddies of this new life.  This book is a non-fiction account of this iconic building.  Opened in 1927, women were able to come to NYC and live in a safe environment while trying to make their dreams come true.  Mademoiselle magazine would hire junior writers right from college, paid for them to live in 5 floors of the this hotel while writing for the mag.  Several Broadway stars lived here, one being Grace Kelly.  Nancy Davis (Regan) lived here about the same time she met her future husband.  Sylvia Plath wrote a book about her time in this hotel (The Bell Jar).  However, it wasn't all fun and games.  There were also 55 suicides swept under the rug.  In the early 2000's, in financial trouble, this hotel was turned into luxury condos.  However, there is a handful of women who still live here from the glory days.  Under law, they have a rent controlled apartment and paying the same rent they paid in the 1950's.  I enjoyed the history about this hotel, however, each chapter was written about a particular time and/or personal accounts that over lapped so several times, the story was repeated.  #thebarbizon #paulinabren #mar2021

This book is a history of New York City’s most famous residential hotel for women. It opened in 1927 for the hordes of single women who were setting out on a life of their own as independent women. They were actresses, models, dancers, singers, secretaries, nurses, you name it. This hotel was THE place to be, with a performance stage, library, lecture rooms, gym, and a full-size swimming pool. There were even shops that had entrances inside the hotel so that residents could shop without ever having to go out on the street.

The hotel was well known for Gibbs girls, which were secretaries that attended the Katherine Gibbs school, Powers girls which were models employed by the Powers Modeling agency, and the rotating line of guest editors for Mademoiselle magazine. There was also a revolving door of famous residents, like Molly Brown, Rita Hayworth, Joan Crawford, Grace Kelly, Liza Minnelli, and Ali McGraw.

I had never heard of the Barbizon hotel before, and I’m really glad that I found this book. It was really interesting reading about all these different women and the struggles they had less than 100 years ago for acceptance in this world. This was very well researched and written, and a worthwhile read.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and the author for this advanced reader copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The Barbizon was a hotel for women located in New York City.  Residents have included well known actresses, writers, and students at the Kathryn Gibbs School.  This volume gives a history of the Barbizon and New York City in general. For those interested in history and New York.

This is a brilliant social history of women during the transitional years of the mid-Twentieth century. The author used the nexus of the Barbizon Hotel to tell the story. There is emphasis on the emergence of working and independent women, with the focus shifting to specific women and events. 

Some residents became iconic, Grace Kelly and Sylvia Plath, others became leading lights in other professions. This book totally combines careful research with fascinating readable stories. 

As a historian and voracious reader, I found this satisfying and engaging. I intend to recommend it to my women’s studies classes and reading groups. 

FYI, for many years, my mother-in-law had a business in the building so this book brought back so many memories. Bravo, Paulina Bren!

Thank you Netgalley for this opportunity to read and review this book.