Ellen Collier asked C.W. Gortner:

I fail to understand why readers can't separate authors from their subject. Seems a few readers are somehow blaming you for Chanel's behavior and attacking your novel when you're just recording the facts, describing and interpreting them. Chanel's ambition and drive to overcome obstacles are what make her so fascinating. What do you think of these reactions and how do you handle the controversy and negative reviews?

C.W. Gortner Hi Ellen,
Great question on a subject that has stymied authors forever.

Perhaps because I write in first-person, a form of unintentional transference bleeds through, in that I, the writer, become associated with my character. I also think that in general, some readers tend to lump authors and subjects together as one; I've seen it happen with other writers, as well.

That said, Chanel is a challenging character; she's combative and not always nice, she's fallible, and she makes terrible decisions that she justifies as the right decision, for reasons of her own. She was known for being less than forthright in real life, too, so I wanted that aspect of her personality to color the book, not overtly, but on a subtle level. I've said before that I don't care if readers like my character; I'm less interested in likability than I am in empathy. Even if we disagree with the character, do we understand WHY she chooses to behave as she does? Understanding someone and liking them are two distinct things. For example, I understand Chanel wanting to regain control of her perfume without liking how she went about it.

To be an historical novelist, empathy is my primary obligation. The moment I start judging my character, the novel ceases to be about her and becomes about my judgment of her. Chanel is telling you her version of events, and few of us know we're behaving badly in the moment or can admit it afterwards. Chanel had extraordinary determination and accomplished extraordinary achievements in her life, but like all of us, she wasn't perfect. She had her flaws.

I understand readers' negative reactions to her because she's not designed for sympathy. She wouldn't have cared what we thought of her. Some readers have accused me of white-washing her, particularly during the later chapters on WWII. Perhaps I erred in my approach, but my intent was to not excuse her behavior - I personally find it reprehensible - but rather to present it in the way she may have seen it at the time. I loved writing her, she was a joy to inhabit, but there were several instances when I did disagree with her. I had to set my disagreements aside because it's not about me. And other characters' reactions to her, such as Misia Sert, convey the doubt toward her intentions that Chanel herself won't admit.

Some readers have firm, black-and-white impressions of historical characters. For some, Chanel will always be a self-serving Nazi collaborator. The circumstances she faced and her reasons for behaving as she did are lost in the hindsight of history; I believe very little in life is black and white, however, except Chanel's clothes. Her motivations were often complex, woven with shades of grey - a point I've touched upon before in my answer here to a question by Martin Turnball. She may well have been as heartless as her detractors claim or she may have been motivated by a sense of obligation, clouded by the situation in which she found herself. In the end, like much about Chanel, we can't know for certain. Her friend Winston Churchill said it best: "She's an enigma wrapped in a mystery."

When I see negative reviews, I try to take it in stride. Reading a book is a subjective experience and we all come to its pages with our own preconceived impressions and opinions. I know that I can't please everyone and that I can, and will, upset some. I don't enjoy being criticized, of course, but that's part of being a published writer. Your work goes out into the world and you can't control how it'll be received.

I'm proud of my books. I know how much effort and time I spend researching and writing them. I know how challenging it is to set out to write what I do. That must be my default position. I give every novel I write my utmost, but the reception isn't a private party where I oversee the guest list.

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