Books That Should Be Made Into Movies
The Luxe (Luxe #1)
A big, sumptuous tale of catty girls, dark secrets and windswept romance unfurls in this compulsively readable novel of late-19th-century New York City socialites. Godbersen weaves a tenuous web of deceit, backstabbing and pretense that follows four teens: Elizabeth Holland, a prim and proper lady of old-money society, is betrothed to one man, though furtively loves anothe ...more
Hardcover, 433 pages
Published
November 20th 2007
by HarperCollins
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The Holland sisters, Elizabeth and Diana, are at the top of the social ladder. When their father dies, the girls move away to get educated about being a proper lady and when they come back, they find out that things don’t look too good for the Holland family. They’re broke. But if Mrs. Holland has anything to say about it, they won’t be, not for long. If Elizabeth can marry Henry Schoonmaker—a man who’s so handsome he has the hearts of all eligible females—their family name won’t b ...more
It's September 1899 and the Manhattan season is starting off with a bang. Elizabeth Holland, the darling of the high society set, has returned from her year in Paris in time for the first ball of the season, held at her best friend Penelope Hayes' newly finished and incredibly vulgar mansion. Penelope is all about showing herself to the best advantage, and has her sights set on young rake Henry Schoonmaker - but his father has other ideas. Intending to run for mayor the following year, he wants ...more
Hmmm. This is an interesting book. It is, as the name implies, very luxe. The gown descriptions are sumptuous, and all the characters are gorgeous, with thick curling hair and full pouty lips. However, I had a hard time figuring out who to root for, as it were. You don't really get deep insights into Elizabeth, ostensibly the heroine, and her handsome lover's thoughts are never known at all. The villainess bitchy girl, the little sister, the rich cad, all get more detailed character develo ...more
I would maybe go as high as a 2.5 for this, but really no higher (sorry Ashley and Jenn).
The Luxe is about turn of the century New York socialites falling in love and misbehaving. New York's darling debutant, Elizabeth Holland is poised to marry one of the most eligible (and debaucherous) bachelors in the city, but her perfect life is not what it seems.
The Luxe reads like Gossip Girl meets Edith Wharton. Sadly, it has all of the shallowness and poor writing of the former, with l ...more
The Luxe is about turn of the century New York socialites falling in love and misbehaving. New York's darling debutant, Elizabeth Holland is poised to marry one of the most eligible (and debaucherous) bachelors in the city, but her perfect life is not what it seems.
The Luxe reads like Gossip Girl meets Edith Wharton. Sadly, it has all of the shallowness and poor writing of the former, with l ...more
If you didn't think the nineteenth century was full of drama then think again. Life in New York in 1899 was very eventful. At least it was for the very wealthy. Elizabeth Holland has been a perfect daughter her entire nineteen years of life. She has been groomed for years to be perfect - to talk when she was supposed to, to receive visitors on Sundays, and always appear happy no matter when she was feeling on the inside. People in New York expect her to marry well and continue the tradition ...more
Another Christmas gift, and one I wanted to read very much when it first came out, but shied away from somewhat after reading several reviews comparing it to the Gossip Girl series and stating that the writing left rather a lot to be desired. Oh, I thought sadly. That's too bad. It looked better than that. So I just admired the cover from afar, and that of the sequel Rumors. I probably would have just gone on ignoring the series if my mom hadn't given me a copy of The Luxe. I'm glad she did.
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Reviewed by Julie M. Prince for TeensReadToo.com
One of the elite, one of the daughters of New York society, is dead.
In life, the lovely and fair Elizabeth Holland is everything a young, turn-of-the-century girl of her position ought to be. But, it's not easy to be proper and mannerly all the time, and a handsome servant who lives in the stable gets to see more of her than anyone else -- much, much more.
No one knows of their secret affair, except Miss Holland ...more
One of the elite, one of the daughters of New York society, is dead.
In life, the lovely and fair Elizabeth Holland is everything a young, turn-of-the-century girl of her position ought to be. But, it's not easy to be proper and mannerly all the time, and a handsome servant who lives in the stable gets to see more of her than anyone else -- much, much more.
No one knows of their secret affair, except Miss Holland ...more
Two sisters, a servant girl, a best friend, and a hot mess of a boy. Throw in two-ish love triangles and you've got The Luxe. I kept reading and reading about this book, just like I had done with Twilight and then decided I just better read the darn book. I'm sure glad I did. What a fun book. It's set in 1899 New York City and alternates the five main characters points of view. I think the alternating viewpoints really made this book for me. I just can't get enough of that. The book ends not unl ...more
Nov 10, 2008
Kathryn
marked it as to-read
Recommends it for:
NOBODY
Recommended to Kathryn by:
The Cover
I hate, hate, HATE books that are suppose to be set in one time period but they have the behavor of someone in a different time period. If I didn't know better, I would have thought that this books was set in the present time. I won't ruin it for anyone who wants to read it... but I was disappointed. I thought "How could such a pretty book not be good?" I always thought that not judging a book by its cover was about ugly books being good, but now I know better.
However, if ...more
However, if ...more
Dec 10, 2009
Tatiana
rated it
Recommends it for:
fans of "Gossip Girls" and such
Recommended to Tatiana by:
self-inflicted out of morbid curiosity
Sorry, but I can't go on reading this drivel. Maybe I am too spoiled by Edith Wharton and know too much about Gilded Age mores to enjoy this book. I know that young men and women of that time simply do not behave, talk, or live the way Godbersen portrays in her books. If you take the historical setting out of the story, what's left is a who-will-hook-up-with-who kind of trash. If I ever want to read that, I'll pick up Gossip Girls.
Beautiful cover though...
Beautiful cover though...
The Luxe is a story of high society girls who aren't as nice as they seem. Back when NYC still had horse drawn carriages as the main mode of transportation and Van Wyk was the mayor not a highway in Queens. Love triangles add to secrets that may bring to the demise of the social lives of some of the characters. I thought this book was immensly entertaining. At first it went slow for me but after the first three chapters I was into it. I was caught up in the lavish descriptions of their dresses ...more
Oct 08, 2009
Heather
rated it
Recommends it for:
Lovers of Bad Boys and Gossip Girl
Well, Godbersen is no Edith Wharton, but who is? I went into this book expecting it to read like historical fiction with a bit of scandalous intrigue, but got Gossip Girl in a Victorian setting instead.
Godbersen mentions clothing and internal decoration about a thousand times too many for my taste. I really don't care to know every detail about every outfit the characters are wearing, but I allowed it as these women are just sad little cutouts, and it would seem natural for their t ...more
Godbersen mentions clothing and internal decoration about a thousand times too many for my taste. I really don't care to know every detail about every outfit the characters are wearing, but I allowed it as these women are just sad little cutouts, and it would seem natural for their t ...more
One big love triangle between Henry Schonnmocker, Diana Holland, Will Kellar, Elizabeth Holland, Penelope Hazes, Lina Broad, and Teddy. Elizabeth is having an affair with her coachmen, Will. Naturally their forbiden love is kept a secret. The Holland family begins losing money, forcing Elizabeth into an engagment with the charming casanova, Henry Schonnmocker. There's a few problems with that however:Penelope has a delusional infatuation with Henry but Henry is having a love struck affair with E ...more
Nineteenth century Manhattan has never been portrayed so catty or dissolute as it is in this young adult novel. Like Gossip Girl, but with bigger frocks, Anna Godberson’s The Luxe tells the story of the beautiful Holland sisters, their Queen Bee friend Penelope Hayes, and the man they all seem to revolve around, the eligible Henry Schoonmaker. The Hollands are bankrupt, and the only way to save their fortunes before their situation is known, is for the eldest daughter Elizabeth to marry money. ...more
Beautiful Elizabeth Holland, lovely, prim, proper and of course a lady. Too bad she is dead. The story opens to a dreary day in late 19th century New York at the funeral of Miss Elizabeth Holland, the exact day in which she was to be wed.
Then time flashes back and we are taken through the events that ultimately lead to the death of Elizabeth.
Sisters Elizabeth and Diana couldn’t be more different. Elizabeth, the oldest, has always had the most pre ...more
Then time flashes back and we are taken through the events that ultimately lead to the death of Elizabeth.
Sisters Elizabeth and Diana couldn’t be more different. Elizabeth, the oldest, has always had the most pre ...more
I've seen this book compared to Gossip Girl, and I don't think that's an entirely fair analogy. I can see where it came from; the main characters are well-to-do New Yorkers, and there is an emphasis on beauty and backstabbing. However, it was much better written than GG.
I admit I've only read one GG, inspired to do so because I like the show. I've marveled, in fact, at how the writers of the show managed to get such a well done show out of the source material, because the one that I ...more
I admit I've only read one GG, inspired to do so because I like the show. I've marveled, in fact, at how the writers of the show managed to get such a well done show out of the source material, because the one that I ...more
unfortunately, I left this at home over the weekend, so progress is stalled.
here are my thoughts half-way through, and I don't expect them to change:
1. every review I caught of this made it out to be "gossip girl, 1899"--it's not. the comparison is obvious enough (rich kids, new york...1899...there are even some amazingly parallel characters that would make me mad if I were Cecily von Ziegesar), but it's inaccurate. Gossip Girl, while trashy, and fraught with gross m ...more
here are my thoughts half-way through, and I don't expect them to change:
1. every review I caught of this made it out to be "gossip girl, 1899"--it's not. the comparison is obvious enough (rich kids, new york...1899...there are even some amazingly parallel characters that would make me mad if I were Cecily von Ziegesar), but it's inaccurate. Gossip Girl, while trashy, and fraught with gross m ...more
First, I can't believe that this is considered Youth Fiction! It definitely read like it was written for a teenage audience, but there was way too much sex, even if it was only ever implied. It was incredibly predictable and the characters were extremely unlikable. Beware, moms of teenage girls, this book was recommended to me as the "next big thing".
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I have been trying to resist this book for awhile now, but I just can't. The cover looks like a big piece of deliciousness. I want to both eat that huge cupcake-lookin' dress and be wearing it. Look at it, seriously! How do you not want to fall asleep. I love rich historical details, but I'm not really a gossip girl fan, so we'll see how this goes. But right now I think I'm completely up for some sweet-frosted-angel-food-cake-dress wearin' society ladies up to no good.
Modern day Manhattan materialism meets a clunky and inconsistent interpretation of the late 1800's. Cool cover though.
It took a while to really get into this book, but about halfway through, it happened. For the most part, Godbersen was clearly influenced by my favorite American author, Edith Wharton. And Godbersen uses Wharton's world, almost, in her novel. It's turn of the 19th century New York, and it's high society complete with love and betrayal and lies and ... everything. In fact, Godbersen even pays homage to Wharton by including a very close likeness of Wharton herself in the book. Looking forward to t ...more
Looking for a page-turning mystery/romance/turn-of-the-century-social-commentary? You have found it. While it is definitely a teen novel, and Godbersen makes no pretense of subtlety in her mimicking of Edith Wharton's 1899 New York, I really enjoyed the story and the writing.
Her sentence structure and word choice are carefully crafted. (Her writing occasionally feels as corseted as the girls she writes about; and while the historically accurate details prove she has done a lot of r ...more
Her sentence structure and word choice are carefully crafted. (Her writing occasionally feels as corseted as the girls she writes about; and while the historically accurate details prove she has done a lot of r ...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Think Gossip Girl meets turn of the century. All of the fabulous balls, gorgeous gowns, gossip, scandal and secrets that you love in early 1900s New York City.
The story starts out with Elizabeth Holland's funeral. She was the "it" girl and all of the who's who has come out in fabulous style to see and be seen. (and to grieve of course) There is Penelope Hayes. Penelope is the exotic, nouveau riche best friend of Elizabeth. We are also introduced to the very rich playboy H ...more
The story starts out with Elizabeth Holland's funeral. She was the "it" girl and all of the who's who has come out in fabulous style to see and be seen. (and to grieve of course) There is Penelope Hayes. Penelope is the exotic, nouveau riche best friend of Elizabeth. We are also introduced to the very rich playboy H ...more
Jul 16, 2007
Angie Ungaro
rated it
Recommends it for:
Romance, Historical Fic, & Gossip Girl readers
Shelves:
book_club_books-ya-industry,
ya_books
Indeed. Godbersen brings sexy back to 19th century New York. It's like Paris (and Perez!) Hilton but with corsets and quadrilles. High society has never been so scandalous or scandalized. Added bonus, the "love-making" in this book is way more gratifying than any Jane Austen novel. Yum! Can't wait for the follow-up.
Also, it must be said that the packaging is absolutely brilliant. Everything from the cover art/design to the typeface inside is impeccable. Elizabeth ...more
Also, it must be said that the packaging is absolutely brilliant. Everything from the cover art/design to the typeface inside is impeccable. Elizabeth ...more
A fun, exciting piece of historical fluff about turn-of-the-century New York high society where most people wear a double face or two and are less innocent and virtuous than they look. It's kind of historical chick lit with lots of intrigue and fun characters who aren't too perfect and feel refreshingly real (though not particularly original; most of them draw on very familiar types). My only complaint is that I couldn't really like Elizabeth; I don't know why, I just found her a bit too hypocri ...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
From the cover of this book I knew I was about to travel back in time. I knew that the book would be about the high society and I was looking forward to the mention of the balls that the characters would attend. I guess you can say that I have a liking for the Victorian, high society, romantic stories. I don't know why but the cover also made me think of the movie Marie Antoinette, which had a way of intermixing old fashion stories with a modern twist.
I for some reason was not pr ...more
I for some reason was not pr ...more
Okay, before I review I usually do a little blurb about how I came across this book, this is a complicated one so bear with me... I was recommended this from amazon.com like 9 million times a really long time ago and i finally bought it before my first trip up to chicago with J, how long ago was that? Oh like a year and a half ago. I read like the first 100 pages and for some reason wasn't interested and put it away and "temporarily misplaced" it (aka lost it). Well, yesterday, a good ...more
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Anna Godbersen was born in Berkeley, California, and educated at Barnard College. She currently lives in Brooklyn with her husband, where she is at work on the sequel to Envy.
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"There was no pleasure like being envied on a mass scale."
—
70 people liked it
"As she always did on any really important day, Penelope Hayes wore red."
—
54 people liked it
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