The Real Traviata: The Song of Marie Duplessis

A very good book about the most widely known courtesan ever. It is well reaseached and the author provides details about her life. The opinion is balanced, the good and the bad in the courtesan is shown. Images are authentic. The text is easy to read, but doesn't contain childish vocabulary.

This was the epitome of everything written about Marie Duplessis with lots of details. The ultimate book for anyone interested in the real story of Marguerite or Violetta. (P.S. I meant the Callas Traviata).

This lady's true story is told within the pages of this book for the first time - though a fictionalised version by Alexandre Dumas fils found favour in 19th century France, while good old Joe Green (Giuseppi Verdi) also had a shot at her life story with his opera 'La Traviata'.This is a huge, sprawling, brilliantly-researched, fascinating biography-of-sorts and it's worthy of your attention of you have the time and inclination to read it.

A great biography that doesn't over stay it's welcome, delivering an eminently readable account of the life of Marie Duplessis, who in her short life acted as a muse to some of the leading writers and artists of 19th century Paris. An at times fascinating look at the woman's background and resultant character against the backdrop of such a politically and socially dynamic time in French recent history, this is an accomplished biography. Well worth a look.

The story of the life of Marie Duplessis is, to some extent, very well known, albeit through the artistic licence of Verdi (La traviata) and Alexandre Dumas fils (La dame aux Calélias). Verdi's opera is probably the most-performed these days, and the Dumas's novel is what immortalised Duplessis after her death.Now here is Revé Weis's 'the real story' of this tragic young woman, a true rags-to-riches tale: a woman who attracted huge attention in her own lifetime from admirers like Liszt, Dumas fils, and was given an obituary that treated her as a princess.Weis arranges his story in chronological order – birth to death – and finishes with a treatise on the contemporary reception and reaction to the novel and the opera. The context of her life is brought vividly to life, too. It's important that we know of the regard with which courtesans such as Duplessis were held, and in this respect – context – Weis is triumphant. His knowledge of the mileau is palpable through the pages.For anyone interested in the role of women in such a society as early nineteenth century Paris, as well as understanding the art that drew inspiration from this, then this is an indispensable read; and entirely readable it is.With Christmas coming up, I think this is an ideal gift to anyone with interests in opera, novels, biography, etc.

This is a thoroughly researched and extremely detailed biography of the life of Marie Duplessis. Even if you have not heard of her, you will know the opera, La Traviata and the character of Violetta Valery was based upon the short, tragic, rags to riches, real life of story of Marie Duplessis; as was the novel, “La Dame aux Camelias,” by Alexandre Dumas, fils, which was later turned into a play in 1849. What made the story of this ‘Lady of the Camelias,’ this, “fallen woman,” so fascinating that her story became a sensation which is still played out on stages throughout the world even today?It has to be said that, if you wanted to create a character you felt sympathy for, it would be hard to imagine anyone feeling anything other than compassion for the young Alphonsine Plessis (she later took her mother’s first name) who was the second daughter of poverty stricken parents in 1824. After her father attempted to kill her beloved mother, the family were split up and young Alphonsine was told at the age of only ten that the family she was living with would no longer feed her. Little wonder that this young girl, reduced to begging, was at the mercy of inappropriate attention from adults, as she drifted alone and seemingly unwanted. You would think that, having rediscovered her father, things might improve; but sadly, Alphonsine was destined to be misused by those who should have been protecting her.The author does an excellent job of not only telling us the story of Marie Duplessis, but also of recreating the times shelived in. Alphonsine was a young lady who used her looks and intelligence to become a glamorous courtesan, who had several wealthy, influential protectors and who went from working in a laundry (and worse) to being at home in the echelons of Parisian society. In the times when Alphonsine was living in Paris (1838 to 1847), the city was hedonistic and full of great art, music and glamour.This is a story of aristocratic splendour, of the famous – such as Alexandre Dumas and Liszt – and of terrible tragedy. Not only of the death of a young woman, but of a life which burned so brightly that was almost like a match – destined to flare and then be cruelly snuffed out. However, despite everything, you have to applaud this young woman who was abused, abandoned and rejected, but who used her assets of beauty and intelligence to rise way above the life she expected to live and to become the talk of Paris. This really is a very detailed work, but it beautifully recreates both the life of Mari Duplessis and of the era she lived in, plus looking at the success of the works based upon her story after her death. A very interesting read and an excellent biography. Lastly, I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.