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Born in 1906, Huguette Clark grew up in her family's 121-room Beaux Arts mansion in New York and was one of the leading celebrities of her day. Her father William Andrews Clark, was a copper magnate, the second richest man in America, and not above bribing his way into the Senate. Huguette attended the coronation of King George V. And at twenty-two with a personal fortune of $50 million to her name, she married a Princeton man and childhood friend William MacDonald Gower. Two-years later the couple divorced. After a series of failed romances, Huguette began to withdraw from society--first living with her mother in a kind of Grey Gardens isolation then as a modern-day Miss Havisham, spending her days in a vast apartment overlooking Central Park, eating crackers and watching The Flintstones with only servants for company. All her money and all her real estate could not protect her in her later life from being manipulated by shady hangers-on and hospitals that were only too happy to admit (and bill) a healthy woman. But what happened to Huguette that turned a vivacious, young socialite into a recluse? And what was her life like inside that gilded, copper cage?… (more)
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Meryl Gordon's The Phantom of Fifth Avenue: The Mysterious Life and Scandalous Death of Heiress Huguette Clark (Grand Central Publishing, $28) is once again proof that the rich are very different. Huguette Clark, a recluse, was the daughter of a Montana robber
Reviewed 6/5/14 in The Sacramento News & Review
What I found to be of interest was how Huguette's legal affairs were completely botched. I wonder if this was due to naiveté, greed, or just the pressures of dealing with a demanding and narcissistic person. It was certainly interesting reading about her life and how she ended up. I think this would make a fascinating psychiatric study, it's too bad she never let a psychologist examine her. At times the book seemed to move slowly and seemed a bit biased against those around her. Overall, not a bad read.
I was shocked at the amount of money that the nurses, doctors and hospital and her own lawyers weaseled out of her. Not just money was given out, but homes, vehicles and
When I finished reading this book, all I could think was "That poor woman." Her own father warned her that no one would
It was difficult to read about the complicated relationship Huguette had with her caretakers. Were they taking advantage of her? So the evidence would suggest. However, did they care for Huguette as she wanted to be cared for? Yes, so what right would I have to fault any of it?
This was a great read and one I would recommend to readers who enjoy biographies.
At one time she was vibrant & lively a most popular debutant, in fact she learned to surf while in
After her failed romances she began to withdraw from society, living on 5th Ave. a few floors above her mother. At 84 she checked into Doctors' Hospital for a form of treatable skin cancer but never moved back out. She was estranged from her relatives w/ only the her caretakers & hospital staff (ALL leeches & vultures) around her siphoning off her money....
When she died at 104 yrs of age (after living in the hospital for 20 years), she left an estate of over $300 million..... and then the fight began.
This was an interesting book but it was tedious, so very much detail..... The people who surrounded Huguette Clark were utterly detestable people..... So the book left me w/ a sour after taste. What I would have liked more of was to have been able to see more of her art work and in color...