Read Mistress of the Ritz A Novel Audible Audio Edition Melanie Benjamin Barbara Rosenblat Random House Audio Books

Product details Audible Audiobook Listening Length 11 hours and 48 minutes Program Type Audiobook Version Unabridged Publisher Random House Audio Scheduled Audible.com Release Date May 21, 2019 Language English, English ASIN B07PRKV3PX

Mistress of the Ritz A Novel Audible Audio Edition Melanie Benjamin Barbara Rosenblat Random House Audio Books Reviews

• I took French as my second language. I never got to use it in France, but I still have a soft spot for all things French. That liking for Paris, the setting for this book, was the initial reason I chose to read this book. However once I started reading I was instantly caught up in the characters and story. This story, based on a true one, is interesting enough as it is about German occupied France in WWII from the perspective the goings on at a hotel, but I think only this author could flesh it out in such a grand way. I have read hundtreds of books over the years. This author has the best character introduction I have ever read, and yes I’ve read “the classics.” This is a few pages into the book
  
  For she is Blanche Ross Auzello. American. Parisian. Among other things, many other things, past, present, future that she will have to conceal from now on. But then again, hadn’t she been concealing most of them these past twenty years any way? So she is very good at this, deception. As, she must acknowledge, is her husband.
  
  Color me intrigued. Is she a spy? What did she lie about in her past? Did she start poor and then reach the pinnacle of French sophistication? So many questions for which I wanted answers. To compare Blanche from this book to two characters many people might of read in high school - the character and feel of this book reminds me of Hester Prynne from the Scarlet Letter (the mystery and strength) and Blanche DuBois from A Streetcar names desire - New Orleans is as distinctive a place as New Orleans. Those books happen to be my favorite classics, especially as I lived in New Orleans as I read Streetcar.
  
  So those comparisons are a lot to live up to and I hope don’t set your expectations too high, but I really think this book is a great find.
• Inspired by true events, Melanie Benjamin has given readers another historical fiction novel that focuses on women. Just as she did in "The Aviator's Wife" and "The Girls in the Picture", she highlights the life of a less well-known woman, who is intimately involved with more famous individuals and with historical events. Focusing on the life and marriage of Blanche and Claude Auzello and spanning years from 1923 – 1945, the novel details the courage and resourcefulness of those who opposed the Nazi occupation of Paris.
  
  Shifting between chapters focusing on Blanche and those on her husband, “The Mistress of the Ritz” is a personal, intimate look at two individuals’ relationship, its development, eventual deterioration and then its reinvigoration. Blanche’s insecurities were a large part of the attraction to Claude, the manager of the Ritz Hotel in Paris. Nevertheless, she managed to rise above them when a sense of duty and defiance thrust her into the role of a Resistance supporter. In the end, both acknowledge their dependence on one another and the part each played in the other's triumphs and tragedies.
  
  Throughout "The Mistress of the Ritz," Melanie Benjamin alternates scenes between Blanche and her husband Claude. This allows the reader to understand the psychological bonds that held them together and that the Nazi occupation of Claude’s beloved Ritz placed on the marriage. It also highlights the ways in which she came into her own once she made the decision to commit to a cause and live her own life.
  
  Melanie Benjamin is extraordinary as she develops the characters and depicts the times in which the story occurs. Each of the Auzellos’ strengths are depicted, yet neither is made to seem infallible. Dialog is realistic and, at times, heartbreaking. The portion of the novel dealing with Blanche’s imprisonment by the Nazis and the disclosure of her secret will bring tears to your eyes. The final chapter, narrated by Blanche’s friend Lily, takes place in 1969 and brings this tale to its tragic conclusion.
  
  "The Mistress of the Ritz" is not a difficult read; it is engaging and the characters, interesting. The narrative will keep you reading straight through to the book’s final chapter. Language and scenes are appropriate for most readers, regardless of age. If you have not done so previously, Melanie Benjamin is an author whose books you will want to read.
• The main characters are Claude and his American bride and wife Blanchette. Blanchette comes to Paris at the behest of a wealthy Egyptian man who promises her a career as an actress and then wishes to take her back to Egypt with him as his mistress. Claude is the manager of a fine hotel in Paris and comes to her rescue because he is immediately taken by her beauty. He marries her quickly and the two go on to the Ritz where Claude is the ever-meticulous manager. Claude informs his American bride that in the French "tradition" he will take a lover whom he will have sex with periodically. Blanchette leaves Claude frequently after one of their knockdown fights about his penchant for extramarital sex. Blanchette is upset and becomes an extroverted flirtatious fixture at the Ritz's Bar enchanting many well-known authors, ex-pats and celebrities. All of these glamorous activities come to a screeching halt when Paris is taken over by the Nazi's who move into the Ritz and other desirable homes. Blanche has a secret that she carries with her. Claude and Blanche interact with the Nazi officers who are also enchanted by Blanche's beauty and charm. The story unfolds by going back and forth in time. Blanch befriends Lily on one of her escapes from Claude. The story is mesmerizing, filled with insights into the Nazi occupation of France and the dysfunction of Claude and Blanche's marriage. I couldn't put this book down.
• For lovers of historical fiction, “Mistress of the Ritz” is an easy read that catches the mood of wartime Paris with interesting characters and a reasonable adherence to historical fact. It is a tale of romance and intrigue, and offers a chill reminder of what life under occupation might be like for ordinary people. The characters are nicely developed and the story flows. For beach reading, this is a great book!