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A review by ashyoung555
The Mistress of Paris by Catherine Hewitt
5.0
I have always been fascinated by the lives of the courtesans in 19th century France, so I knew this biography would be interesting to me, but I didn't anticipate exactly how engaging it would be. While the author does seem to make a lot of assumptions of Valtesse's personal motivations, this biography is backed by a great amount of research and I feel like it was informed by a deep understanding of who this woman was and what she achieved.
This book depicts Valtesse as a businesswoman, passionate, intelligent and quick-witted. In her prime, she commanded every person she met and space she occupied, and lived in luxury after emptying the pockets of wealthy men - artists, writers, military, nobility - in exchange for her companionship. The whole concept of these women being courtesans for a living is so fascinating to me, as is the social climate of that time, and this biography scratched that itch completely. I felt like I was swept into Valtesse's Paris, and I got a real taste of what her life might have been like.
Overall, this was an exceptionally rewarding reading experience. The Mistress of Paris is so engaging, written and structured so well, and I thoroughly recommend it if you're intrigued by Paris' social scene in the 19th century, and how the courtesans made the city their own.
I haven't read much else about the courtesans yet, or 19th century France, and I'm sure my experience of this book would be different if I had, but purely for enjoyment and curiosity's sake, this was a 5 star read for me. Valtesse was truly remarkable.
This book depicts Valtesse as a businesswoman, passionate, intelligent and quick-witted. In her prime, she commanded every person she met and space she occupied, and lived in luxury after emptying the pockets of wealthy men - artists, writers, military, nobility - in exchange for her companionship. The whole concept of these women being courtesans for a living is so fascinating to me, as is the social climate of that time, and this biography scratched that itch completely. I felt like I was swept into Valtesse's Paris, and I got a real taste of what her life might have been like.
Overall, this was an exceptionally rewarding reading experience. The Mistress of Paris is so engaging, written and structured so well, and I thoroughly recommend it if you're intrigued by Paris' social scene in the 19th century, and how the courtesans made the city their own.
I haven't read much else about the courtesans yet, or 19th century France, and I'm sure my experience of this book would be different if I had, but purely for enjoyment and curiosity's sake, this was a 5 star read for me. Valtesse was truly remarkable.