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Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune

Bill Dedman,

Paul Clark Newell Jr.

Discussion: 2013-Jul-Aug-Sep

Why we're reading this: September 10, 2013
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2013-Jul-Aug-Sep

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* September 2013
By Tiffany , WristStrong · 1 post · 32 views

last updated Oct 01, 2013 03:57PM

* August 2013
By Tiffany , WristStrong · 1 post · 26 views

last updated Aug 20, 2013 06:06PM

What Members Thought

Oct 06, 2013 Kathrina rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: history, memoirs-bios

One goodreader calls this Mansion Porn; oh yes. Mansion Porn, Rich People Porn, this book gives you plenty of time to consider how you'd behave so much more appropriately if gifted with $15 million dollars, if only some rich old woman would give you the chance to prove it. Too much money makes everyone look suspicious, and some of them deserve a closer look. The accountant is a skank, for sure, the nurse, a kind, benevolent, naive exploiter of the first degree, poisoned by unreasonable charity, One goodreader calls this Mansion Porn; oh yes. Mansion Porn, Rich People Porn, this book gives you plenty of time to consider how you'd behave so much more appropriately if gifted with $15 million dollars, if only some rich old woman would give you the chance to prove it. Too much money makes everyone look suspicious, and some of them deserve a closer look. The accountant is a skank, for sure, the nurse, a kind, benevolent, naive exploiter of the first degree, poisoned by unreasonable charity, and Hughette herself? Eccentric? Autistic? Batshit crazy? Hollywood is sure to buy the rights to this one, and I can't wait to see Helena Bonham Carter combing a doll's hair in her hospital gown and six layers of cashmere sweater.

On top of all this sensational rich-people drama, we're also treated to a focused perspective of America's industrial age. The author only lightly introduces the copper magnate's impact on our current environmental crisis -- how enormous wealth piled up so quickly, before we realized the real price paid for mining our natural resources. Does buying a camp for girl scouts also buy forgiveness? Do we, the readers, have any right to judge how a rich person spends their money? Can we judge the ethics of how they earned it? Wouldn't we jump at the chance to make all of their mistakes?

This book was riveting from start to finish. And, in fact, the story continues in real time. The last chapter was written in July, only 3 months ago, and the case was finally settled just weeks ago. There are more stories to be discovered and explored -- for instance, an heir to $6 million dollars of Hughette's fortune, found dead of exposure under a highway viaduct, with a $500,000 uncashed check in his pocket. How about a reality show of Hadassah and her spoiled family, who lost their Bentley in Hurricane Sandy? Times are tough, eh? I'd even love an historical docudrama of Hughette's cousin's wife and Mrs. Astor, floating around, waiting for rescue while the Titanic sank with their husbands aboard. Never a dull moment when you've got Monet and Cezanne hanging on your bedroom wall, and 2 million dollars worth of dolls to curate and drink tea with. ...more

81 likes · Like · see review

Sep 26, 2013 Linda rated it liked it

Shelves: audio, ohio-e-book-project

I suspect this book would read better than it listened. The audio was burdened by lots of dollar figures: net worth, price of housing, price of paintings, prices of jewels, amount given to people who worked for her. Would have preferred more story. It was interesting to listen to actual phone calls between a great nephew and Ms. Clark.
Huguette Clark owned numerous mansions, including several that she never lived in. She spent the last 20 years of her life living in a suite in a NYC hospital. She ...more

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Feb 25, 2014 Judy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

In 2009 Bill Dedman noticed a mansion for sale in Connecticut and after researching the history of the house, he realized that no one had occupied it for more than sixty years. Further research revealed that a reclusive heiress named Huguette Clark owned that house and several other extravagant properties around the country and yet no one had seen her for decades. Huguette, the daughter of copper baron W.A. Clark, lived to age 104, but in spite of her great wealth--her father's fortune rivaled t ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

May 24, 2014 Jennifer Weiss rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: nfbc

Fascinating. There were parts that dragged a bit, but overall it's really a fascinating look at the richest family in American history that we've never heard of, and of the very eccentric heiress. ...more

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