The Curse of Beauty

The Scandalous & Tragic Life of Audrey Munson, America's First Supermodel

De: James Bone

Narrado por: Marianne Fraulo

The tumultuous and heartbreaking life of a world-famous model whose riveting story of beauty, fame, passion, murder, and madness in the Gilded Age captivated a nation.

As America was stepping into the modern era, one great beauty became the artist's model of choice. Her perfect form became the emblem of the Gilded Age and appears on the greatest monuments of New York and the nation. Supermodel, actress, icon - her beauty paved the way for a life of glamour, passion, and ultimately tragedy. She dated the millionaires of the fashionable Newport colony and became the first American movie star ever to appear naked in a film, but her promising film career collapsed; her doctor fell in love with her and killed his own wife; and on her fortieth birthday her mother committed her to an insane asylum. She remained there until her death in 1996 at the age of 104 and is now buried in an unmarked grave.

Her name is Audrey Munson.

Many listeners will recognize Audrey Munson and have walked by her in the street without even knowing her name. She stands atop New York's Municipal Building. She sits as Miss Manhattan and Miss Brooklyn outside the Brooklyn Museum and is immortalized on the Manhattan Bridge, the Frick Mansion, the New York Public Library, and the Pulitzer Fountain outside the Plaza Hotel. In gold, bronze, and stone, she still graces bridges, skyscrapers, fountains, churches, monuments, and public buildings across the nation, from Jacksonville to San Francisco, from Atlanta to the Wisconsin state capitol.

From James Bone, the former New York bureau chief of The Times of London, this brilliantly reported investigative biography reveals for the first time the riveting truth of the forgotten life of an iconic beauty.

©2016 James Bone (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

As indulgent and impressive as the Gilded Age

The voice actress was perfection! This story opened up a dark and fascinating world and era. I have seen photographs of this forgotten age between 1900 and 1920, but never knew about the glamerous and sinister world that was bohemia and nascent Hollywood. To anyone interested in a beautiful tragic starlet, cursed by her own beauty, I recommend this book.

Is there a Curse?

This had the potential of an insightful biography of a forgotten early twentieth century icon, but fell flat. I'm not sure if it's due to the limited resources available for Bone to rely on, or if there simply wasn't enough outside the sealed records at the St Lawrence Hospital for him to draw on. It took him a long while to get to the heart of the story: the tragedy of Audrey Munson's career and life. The fluff partway through nearly lost me and the narrator about put me to sleep!

What an Amazing Life

I really enjoyed learning about Audrey and was surprised by how many of her statues I have seen. It was so interesting to learn more about NYC, Newport and the social structures that influenced her time.

sadness for days

what a devastatingly sad tale. well written and told but it will haunt me forever.

A very interesting story. Very complex.

A little dragged on at times. I couldn't keep her affairs straight. Still very interesting. A cruel world.