Memoirs of a French Courtesan: Volume 1: Rebellion – 4 stars
Before she was the famed courtesan Mogador, Céleste was a young girl with a troubled childhood running with her mother from an abusive stepfather.
Sex workers were an integral part of Paris’s bohemian society in the 19th century, but one of the first of them to put her own story down for herself was Céleste Mogador. Having heard plenty on the subject in operas and Les Mis, I was interested in hearing one of these much-romantized number speak for themselves.
Mogador’s story is lucidly told and moves along at a quick clip. She is an unflinching narrator who as she claims does seem to try and be honest about both the good and bad sides of her experiences. It was fascinating to learn about life as a working-class young girl in this period in France. While Mogador draws a discreetly Victorian veil across the more sordid details of her experiences, she is surprisingly frank about the place of sex workers and other female criminals in Parisian society.
This series is a new translation from the original French by Kristen Hall-Geisler. I thought she did an excellent job of preserving Mogador’s charming voice while updating the language for modern readers.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
~
Memoirs of a French Courtesan: Volume 2: Spectacle – 3.5 stars
After parting ways with her first brothel and deciding to become a great courtesan, Céleste Mogador starts cutting a dash through Parisian society. However, greater prospects don’t necessarily bring with them greater security, especially in matters of love.
This is the second volume of famed courtesan Céleste Mogador’s memoirs, and just as fascinating as the first. Mogador’s fierce will and trick of snatching at the right opportunity really come through here, as she becomes ascends the social ladder through such seemingly paltry means as excellent dancing skills, witty conversation, and an unexpected career as a trick rider.
I did feel the lack of footnotes more keenly in this volumes though, as Mogador encounters more well-known figures and frequents more well-known places, most of which she partially obscures so that they were probably understood by a contemporary audience but sadly fly past my head a century and a half later. I think I would have enjoyed the book even better if I was always in on the layer of the secret.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.