• Chanel

  • An Intimate Life
  • By: Lisa Chaney
  • Narrated by: Carole Boyd
  • Length: 16 hrs and 58 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (45 ratings)

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Chanel  By  cover art

Chanel

By: Lisa Chaney
Narrated by: Carole Boyd
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Publisher's summary

By the end of World War I, Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel had revolutionised women's dress. But dress was the most visible aspect of more profound changes she helped to bring about. During the course of her extraordinary journey, from abject poverty to a new kind of glamour, she would help forge the idea of the modern woman. Unearthing an astonishing life, this remarkable biography shows how the most influential designer of her century became synonymous with a rebellious and progressive style.

Her numerous liaisons, whose most poignant details have eluded previous biographers, were the stuff of legend. Witty, strange, mesmerizing, Chanel became muse, patron, or mistress to some of the century's most celebrated artists, including Stravinsky, Picasso, and Dali.

©2012 Lisa Chaney (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

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What listeners say about Chanel

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Half & Half

What did you like best about Chanel? What did you like least?

The first half was very interesting, then it became yawn worthy and then it was just annoying

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

In the beginning the author says how little is documented. Out her personal thoughts, how few letters she wrote. I enjoy the history and the info how she started out in life. In the later parts of the book, for me, the author thought she was hanneling Gabriella telling someone us of her thoughts,. She thought this, she felt that. It annoyed me and I do not understand why editing didn't catch this?

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

For me the narration was fine.

What else would you have wanted to know about Lisa Chaney’s life?

Now you see right there, we aren't buying Lisa Chaney's life, we were BUYING a telling of Gabriella CoCo Chanel!

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5 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Politically Charged and Inaccurate

The author of this book had a political axe to grind, instead of providing information on Chanel’s life, most of the book covered Chanel’s life in relation to politics, and the author wants to make sure the reader associates the Nazi’s with...Republicans? Strangely, the author was also obsessed with the sexual orientation of Chanel and the artists Chanel hung around. You can mention that once or twice but between politics and the bisexual nature of Chanel, this book didn’t provide anything new! I’m very disappointed, I wish I had more insight into her life as it related to fashion.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Chanel Chanel!!!

I'm so fortunate find this audiobook, Chanel always makes me fascinating and most of all inspiring about fashion at my adult age.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

In depth exhaustive study of the life of Chanel

First I will commend the narration. Carole Boyd was excellent,particularly in voicing Chanel. I only have one quibble it is with the voices of the American magazine editors. Her American accent was off. In those days women who held those jobs spoke in a more elevated manner using a Middle Atlantic accent similarly to the one Grace Kelly worked hard to acquire for her film roles.

I found the opening chapters detailing Gabrielle Chanel's impoverished peasant background too drawn out. What I found fascinating was the ruthlessness and voraciousness in which she approached the satisfaction of her virile sexual appetites. Chanel's talents were her understanding that fashion is truly a reflection of the times and her respect for proportion and practicality were worthy of legend. A lovely woman she was not. Whereas I admire her abilities to foist herself up, I despise the callous way in which she treated anyone who got in the way of achieving her sexual conquests. in the end her greatest love was the house of Chanel. Even that did not bring her happiness.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Loved the detail of each character!

There a lot of detail of how things were at the time, she even went into outfit details! Great narrator. Wow

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