Great Dames: What I Learned from Older Women

Rating:
Summary: Fun, If Taken As Such
Review: As a person who enjoys theater, film, and books, I'm always interested in character study.

Benner's book delves into the lives of a number of different American, female, 20th century public figures (including her mother with whom she had a loving, but troubled relationship). Rather than present these women in a one-dimensional way, Benner explored their lives in all aspects and shared the good, the bad, and the nasty.

What I took away from this book is that even the greatest, most admired women have their flaws. Although many of the women were privliged with beauty, wealth, and/or influence, they had to struggle to make their lives a success often in the face of tragedy and adversity.

All of Benner's "Great Dames" posessed unparalled tenacity, candor, and spark. This book was both food for the mind and the spirit.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting...not great
Review: Great Dames profiles the lives of ten prominant women who emerged during a time when women were not thought to have much influence. With the exception of Constance Baker Motley ,Kitty Carlisle Hart and her own mother, these women seem to excelled in marrying well, sleeping with the right person and being born into socially or politically connected families. While their stories are facinating and present insight into a time since gone, they are bittersweet and unsatisfying.

Rating:
Summary: At Last, Wonderful Rich Desserts without the Calories
Review: Great vacation for the brain. Smiled a great deal reading the portraits. Good fun. The portraits are written to show different styles these wonderful ladies had to face life bravely and with fun and their own styles. Great stuff...would love to read more!

Rating:
Summary: A disappointment
Review: I am still struggling with this book because I whole-heartedly agree with 'A Reader' in US about how they 'distinguished themselves by their dishonesty,willingness to sleep their way to the top, ability to take other women's husbands and extraordinary self-centeredness.' While I enjoyed Kitty Carlisle Hart and Constance Baker Motley, I shake my head as I read about the others. Please don't excuse their behavior because 'it was a different time'. Integrity is integrity and while some of these women accomplished some wonderful things, their journeys are not to be celebrated. Rather, here is how NOT to be a great dame.

Rating:
Summary: Marie Brenner: Great Dame of Journalism!
Review: In her latest book,"Great Dames: What I Learned From Older Women," Marie Brenner captures the spirit of the ten women she interviews in a succinct articulate style. Ms. Brenner is an astute interviewer and analyst, in the style of Doris Kearns Goodwin, the presidential biographer. Her "stories" read as easily and intimately as works of fiction. She extracts the essence of each Great Dame--her phrasing is efficient yet rich--leaving the reader almost satisfied, maybe wanting just a little bit more story, a little bit more of the secrets behind the dames. Some further analysis of the relationships which drove the Dames to "Dameness" would have enriched the reading for me. On balance, Great Dames is great reading.

Rating:
Summary: History Lesson falls short
Review: This book sounded great but I am sad to say I found it to read like a history book. I did not feel that Marie Brenner felt any passion for the incredible women focused in this book. The stories lacked a whimsical flair that was needed to make up for the sometimes boring and small details.

Rating:
Summary: Fun, If Taken As Such
Review: Well, the jury seems to be split on this book. The cover and sales pitch for the book do make it seem more "serious" than it actually is. But once you decide to have fun with this book, it's quite enjoyable. I enjoyed the character sketches very much.