Florence Foster Jenkins

St. Martin's Griffin

Florence Foster Jenkins:  The Inspiring True Story of the World's Worst Singer
Nicholas Martin
Jasper Rees
2016

The Summary
"Despite having no pitch, no rhythm, and no tone, Florence Foster Jenkins became one of America's best-known sopranos and [even performed] at Carnegie Hall.  Born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Florence Foster adored music and as a girl was a talented pianist, but her wealthy father refused to allow her to study in Europe.  In retaliation, she eloped with Dr. Frank Jenkins, but the marriage soon foundered, not least because the eighteen-year-old bride contacted syphilis on their wedding night.  Moving to New York, Florence became a piano teacher, but after her father's death in 1909, she inherited a considerable sum of money.  It was then that she vowed to become a great soprano and began taking singing lessons.  That same year she met the man who would become first her manager and, then, her common-law husband, St. Clair Bayfield.  Over forty years later, after a lifetime supporting New York's classical musical societies and even founding her own, Florence's greatest dream was finally realized.  At the age of seventy-six, she gave a recital, by public demand, at Carnegie Hall.  Her extraordinary story is now a film starring Meryl Streep as Florence and Hugh Grant as St. Clair Bayfield, directed by Stephen Frears."

The Good
Florence Foster Jenkins was quite an entertaining book.  I really liked the detail involved in her story, and I also liked how the authors pulled from several documents and resources to bring Florence's character to life.  She's an absurd character in history, a larger-than-life persona that fed on the adoration of her many fans, but both Rees and Martin manage to ground her firmly in reality and delve deep into her history.

She's quite a fascinating individual.  After eloping with a man twice her age, Florence became a concert pianist (she was quite the accomplished player), a music teacher, a social club manager, and, fulfilling a lifelong dream, a concert soprano at the age of 76.  She might not be a shining star in history, and she might not be remembered half so well as others; however, she made quite a splash in the early twentieth century.

Meeting Florence Foster Jenkins for the first time was an interesting experience, especially after listening to a recording of her music.  (If you intend to read this book, I would highly recommend sampling her work.  It gives a little more context as to why she was dubbed the "world's worst singer" and, more importantly, it gives you an idea of what she really sounded like.)  But it was a good experience, and I'm glad I read up on her.

Moreover, I appreciated the pictures that showed Florence's family--including her philandering husband, her raucous cousin on the Jenkins' side (who managed to escape murder charges on two separate occasions), and her beloved St. Clair Bayfield--as well as portraits of her youth.  It was nice to actually see her costumes, period pieces for the Verde Club that were both ostentatious and remarkable, like their wearer.

Overall, I had a great time reading Florence Foster Jenkins.

The Bad
Occasionally, the text did become a little dry.  I sometimes struggled to finish Florence Foster Jenkins for the simple reason that the chapters seemed to last forever and it seemed to rehash some familiar information unnecessarily.  It's a wonderfully detailed book, but it can border on tiresome, especially toward the end.

The Ugly
Syphilis.

You know, I didn't realize that syphilis could actually impair hearing.  I knew it could drive a person insane, but I didn't realize it could attack one's ears and actually induce deafness--or, in the case of Florence Foster Jenkins, alter hearing considerably.

Read Harder Challenge (Part Seven)

I finished some new books for my Read Harder Challenge, and I've completed more reading tasks:

1. Read a biography (not memoir or autobiography)
2. Read a dystopian or post-apocalyptic novel
3. Read a book about religion (fiction or nonfiction)

St. Martin's Griffin

First up, I finished Florence Foster Jenkins by Nicholas Martin and Jasper Rees, which inspired the recently released movie of the same name.  Florence Foster Jenkins was not a traditional singer.  At a young age, she was well known for her skill with a piano and her love--and, more importantly, support--of music; however, it wasn't until she was 76 years old that she undertook to become a concert singer.  She's best remembered for her concert at Carnegie Hall and her vinyl recordings, which introduced the world to her rather...unique voice.

I enjoyed reading Florence Foster Jenkins.  Drawing from multiple resources, including Florence and her common law husband, St. Clair Bayfield, Martin and Rees' book does an incredible job of shedding light on Florence, her work, and her time.  It's intriguing without becoming dull, amusing without ridiculing its rather unorthodox subject, and chock full of interesting historical facts about Florence and the New York artistic scene of the early 20th century.  Overall, I enjoyed it and I highly recommend for any readers to take a moment to listen to Madame Jenkins on YouTube to get a better idea of how her singing voice sounded.  You (probably) won't regret it.

Scholastic Press

Next, I completed Rook by Sharon Cameron.  The Sunken City--formerly Paris, the City of Lights--is a place of danger, desperation, and despotism.  Ruled by the corrupt Premier Allemande and the bloodthirsty LeBlanc, the Sunken City is brimming with discontent and revolution--and, at the heart of it all, is the mysterious Red Rook who spirits people from their cells and wreaks havoc against the Premier's puppet government.

A story packed with action and adventure, political intrigue and danger, Rook has quickly become one of my guilty pleasures.  I know it falls under the rather broad category of dystopian young adult fantasy (think Hunger Games, Divergent, The Maze Runner, Life as We Knew It or even The Giver), but I really enjoyed Sharon Cameron's novel.  I enjoyed the characters, the unexpected twists and turns, the ambiguous references to the past, the complicated political climate.  I wasn't a fan of the love triangle and, yes, I will admit that the story seemed to drag in a few places; however, altogether, I really liked it and I think it settles in nicely next to Cinder.

Last, I rounded out my reading with God in Pink by Hasan Namir.  Ramy is a young Muslim man living in Iraq in 2003, right in the midst of a war and a cultural revolution--and he also happens to be gay.  Struggling with what he knows his brother would term a "sexual deviancy," Ramy tries to balance his feelings with his obligations to his family and his faith.

Arsenal Pulp Press

Truthfully, I struggled with this novel, because I was not comfortable with all the depictions of heinous violence and wanton savagery.  I understand that mindless cruelty, thoughtless barbarity is simply a fact; I understand that it happens, that it's not something you can ignore if you live on the planet Earth.  I know it exists, but it's still hard to read about terrible things happening to other people.

I didn't hate this novel; rather, the opposite.  I thought God in Pink was a magnificent book depicting life in war-torn Iraq for a gay Muslim man.  It's poignant and it's guaranteed to make an impact, but, at the same time, it will tear out your heart.  I recommend reading it with great caution, like I would for Native Son by Richard White, Beloved by Toni Morrison, or The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.  Read it, but expect deep emotional turmoil.