The Two Mrs. Grenvilles

Rating:
Summary: Gossipy and fun
Review: A quasi-fictional book, this is a delicious story about the higher echelons of New York society in the 1940's and 50's. It was inspired by the real life of Ann and William Woodward, and William's murder in 1955 by his wife. She was acquitted of any wrongdoing. But the murder's way besides the point here. The fun of this book is the insider view of those high society circles. Dunne, a writer for Vanity Fair, dishes about these folks with a giggle and takes great pleasure at exposing them and their snobbish ways. The main focus is Ann Grenville (Woodward), social climber extraordinaire, who sets her sights on Billy and his money and his lifestyle. She's a showgirl and his family wants nothing to do with her. Once they marry, she schemes constantly as to how to get accepted in those tightknit circles that usually don't take kindly to outsiders. And she does get eventually get included, even if she's talked about behind her back. The parties and the hobnobbing and the backstabbing all escalate and get out of hand, of course, and lead to one fateful night. A fun, gossipy, mindless read -- I thoroughly enjoyed it for what it was.

Rating:
Summary: The Two Mrs. Grenvilles
Review: Actually, to say that THE TWO MRS. GRENVILLES is "Dunne at his best" almost is not fair, since Dunne always is at his best. This novel is a classic work by author Dunne, employing many of his trademark techniques.

He took the basic plot from a real-life story of great notoriety, the shooting of New York socialite William Woodward. Did William's wife kill him? And, if she did, was that shooting accidental? Why would she want him dead? These are questions which have been asked in New York for almost fifty years and, here, Dunne posits some fictionalized answers to them.

The title is a reference to William's mother, one of society's "grande dames," and to his wife, who had been a member of the lower classes. Their marriage had shocked society.

Dunne explores their saga in his usual lively fashion, providing the kind of detail about the lives of the rich and famous that only an insider could know. As with all of his novels, THE TWO MRS. GRENVILLES makes for marvelous reading.

Rating:
Summary: glad to discover this "oldie" but goodie!
Review: Dominick Dunne's stunning exploitation of the super-rich of America and old money, THE TWO MRS GRENVILLES is the superb story of Ann Arden, who finds herself attracted to Billy Grenville, and marries into a nightmare.

Billy's mother is set against Ann, a mere actress, and feels that she will bring nothing but trouble. Little does she know that the union will lead to Billy's destruction........

Made into the stylish mini series THE TWO MRS GRENVILLES, starring Ann-Margret as Ann Arden, with Claudette Colbert as Mrs Grenville and Stephen Collins as Billy. It features a dramatic, classy score by Marvin Hamlisch.

All-in-all, an engrossing tale by name-dropper Dunne, notorious for his bare-all tabloid books.

Rating:
Summary: Fast paced and mesmerizing
Review: In this story-behind-the-story, inconspicuous narrator Basil Plant tells his tale while directing the limelight onto Ann Grenville, the "murderess" accused of killing her exceedingly wealthy spouse in a fit of rage. Ann is a character the reader grows to love and hate, respect and pity. Her quest for acceptance on the topmost rung of the social ladder is both noble and pathetic, and is the core of a mesmerizing novel that aptly portrays the trials and manipulations of upper crust city life. I enjoyed this book immensely and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading about gossip, manipulation, murder and lavish debauchery.

Rating:
Summary: A good book, but don't think it's the whole story
Review: My appreciation of this novel came in several stages. Being a fan of Dunne's writing, I bought it and read it, not knowing any of the backstory. The story brings together various topics I always enjoy in a story: high society, scandalous crimes, and dramatic love stories. It's another juicy, gossipy novel of the kind most readers expect from Dunne.

Then I learned that the story was based on a real-life incident, the shooting of Billy Woodward by his wife, Ann, in 1955. Well, I thought, Dunne has a well-documented "in" with society people, so he must have heard the whole true story over the years, and cleverly, but thinly, disguised it as fiction, in the same way that Truman Capote ("Basil Plant") did. Dunne is also known for his advocacy of crime victims and condemnation of the rich who escape justice, so I assumed that his novel was intended as the punishment Ann Grenville/Woodward never received in life.

Alas, next came some disillusionment. So absorbing is this book, I'd allowed myself to forget that it is indeed fiction, and accepted Dunne's version of events as completely true. Further reading (namely "This Crazy Thing Called Love" by Susan Braudy) brought to my attention many facets of this story ignored by the fiction writers: Billy Woodward wasn't nearly as saintly as Billy Grenville; he beat his wife and cheated on her often. There really was a prowler in the Woodward's neighborhood the night of the shooting. I could go on, but I won't. Suffice it to say that there are really two sides to this story.

Well, you may say, this is a fictional account of the incident, and as such artistic license allows for any and all fabrications. A more balanced portrait of the two principal characters would not have made nearly as juicy and interesting a story. Both good points; as fiction, the novel is quite enjoyable. Just don't make the same mistake I did, and assume that "The Two Mrs. Grenvilles" tells the whole story of the Woodward shooting.

Rating:
Summary: Great Read, But Full of False Rumors
Review: This book is an excellent read. Its style is hypnotic, compelling, and lush. The story is fascinating. However, the thinly veiled account of the life of Ann & Billy Woodward, and the accidental shooting of Billy Woodward by his wife, is a work of fiction. The true story is documented in "This Crazy Thing Called Love" by Susan Braudy. Ann Woodward (called Ann Grenville in this book) actually shot her husband when she heard vagrant Paul Wirths running across her roof. He had been prowling the area for weeks and admitting he had been watching her and was thinking of raping her. I advise reading both books, they are both very, very good.

Rating:
Summary: Great Read, But Full of False Rumors
Review: This book is an excellent read. Its style is hypnotic, compelling, and lush. The story is fascinating. However, the thinly veiled account of the life of Ann & Billy Woodward, and the accidental shooting of Billy Woodward by his wife, is a work of fiction. The true story is documented in "This Crazy Thing Called Love" by Susan Braudy. Ann Woodward (called Ann Grenville in this book) actually shot her husband when she heard vagrant Paul Wirths running across her roof. He had been prowling the area for weeks and admitting he had been watching her and was thinking of raping her. I advise reading both books, they are both very, very good.

Rating:
Summary: A Must for Anyone Who Goes to Black Tie Balls in New York
Review: This book, like the author's book "People Like Us" is a fascinating fictionalized account of the Billy Woodward murder in 1955 by his social climbing wife. The book includes a magnificent account of how Ann Woodward lived with her guilt and ostracism for twenty more years until she and, separately, her offspring finally committed suicide. For New York City residents who are even mildly interested in the New York social scene and its various "levels", this book is a must. It is better than "Bonfire of the Vanities" and crosses the span of four decades, making it a sort of epic novel. Note that William Woodward the 3rd just committed suicide on May 2, 1999 bringing the real-life story to a close, except for the fact that his wife is contesting his will which said that she should get nothing of the vast unlucky fortune.

Rating:
Summary: Behind closed doors
Review: This peek into the world of New York Society confirms for the reader that the idle rich are tremendously dull. Based upon the true story of Ann and Bobby Woodward, the novel is involving but the characters never breathe; instead they have been recruited from central casting. We have the WASPy, old money family, the showgirl, the ineffectual, weak son plus a chorus of devoted Irish maids and homosexual designers and novelists. Dunne has done the remarkable: taken a true story and whittled it down to cliches. The florid prose doesn't help either, but I am willing to give Dunne the doubt as we are reminded at times that the story is being told (or concocted) by a Capote-esque novelist with a grudge.

Time hasn't been kind to the novel. Definitely a beach read, but not much more.



Rating:
Summary: Hastily written with superficial character development
Review: Who could be bored by this potboiler? I was. I enjoyed the first hundred pages, but the thin, predictable plot dragged on and on, until on page 290 I quit reading. Ugh. The characters were idiots. The author repeated details about them halfway through the book that the reader had been told at the beginning. The descriptions of clothes, jewelry and homes were repetitious, too. Yuck.

I can't believe people enjoy these kinds of books. This one was not only mindless, but a giant cliche. John O'Hara does this kind of society thing much better. Read "Ten North Frederick" instead.