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C. W. Gortner
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Marlene: A Novel Paperback – December 13, 2016

by C. W. Gortner (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 812 ratings
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A lush, dramatic biographical novel of one of the most glamorous and alluring legends of Hollywood’s golden age, Marlene Dietrich—from the gender-bending cabarets of Weimar Berlin to the lush film studios of Hollywood, a sweeping story of passion, glamour, ambition, art, and war from the author of Mademoiselle Chanel.

Raised in genteel poverty after the First World War, Maria Magdalena Dietrich dreams of a life on the stage. When a budding career as a violinist is cut short, the willful teenager vows to become a singer, trading her family’s proper, middle-class society for the free-spirited, louche world of Weimar Berlin’s cabarets and drag balls. With her sultry beauty, smoky voice, seductive silk cocktail dresses, and androgynous tailored suits, Marlene performs to packed houses and becomes entangled in a series of stormy love affairs that push the boundaries of social convention.

For the beautiful, desirous Marlene, neither fame nor marriage and motherhood can cure her wanderlust. As Hitler and the Nazis rise to power, she sets sail for America. Rivaling the success of another European import, Greta Garbo, Marlene quickly becomes one of Hollywood’s leading ladies, starring with legends such as Gary Cooper, John Wayne, and Cary Grant. Desperate for her return, Hitler tries to lure her with dazzling promises. Marlene instead chooses to become an American citizen, and after her new nation is forced into World War II, she tours with the USO, performing for thousands of Allied troops in Europe and Africa.

But one day she returns to Germany. Escorted by General George Patton himself, Marlene is heartbroken by the war’s devastation and the evil legacy of the Third Reich that has transformed her homeland and the family she loved.

An enthralling and insightful account of this extraordinary legend, Marlene reveals the inner life of a woman of grit, glamour, and ambition who defied convention, seduced the world, and forged her own path on her own terms.

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  1. Print length
    432 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    William Morrow Paperbacks
  4. Publication date
    December 13, 2016
  5. Dimensions
    1.1 x 5.3 x 7.9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0062406078
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0062406071
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Maria Magdalena Dietrich was born for a life on the stage. Raised in genteel poverty after the First World War, the willful teenager vows to become an actress and singer, trading her family’s proper, middle-class society for the free-spirited decadence of Weimar Berlin’s cabarets and drag balls. With her sultry beauty, smoky voice, and androgynous tailored suits, Marlene performs to packed houses—and becomes entangled in a series of stormy love affairs that push the boundaries of social convention—until she finds overnight success in her breakthrough film role as the cabaret singer Lola-Lola in The Blue Angel.

For Marlene, neither fame nor marriage and motherhood can cure her wanderlust. As Hitler rises to power, she sets sail for America. Her image as an erotic temptress captures worldwide attention, and she becomes one of Hollywood’s top leading ladies, starring in one high-profile film—and affair—after another. Though Hitler tries to lure her back to Germany, Marlene chooses instead to become a citizen of her new nation, even as America enters the war against her fatherland.

But one day, she must return to Germany, escorted by General George Patton himself. In the devastated cities and the concentration camps, she comes face-to-face with how the evils of fascism transformed her country, and the family she thought she knew.

About the Author

C. W. Gortner is the author of many bestselling historical novels—including Mademoiselle Chanel—which have been published in more than twenty countries. He lives in San Francisco.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ William Morrow Paperbacks; Reprint edition (December 13, 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 432 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0062406078
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0062406071
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.9 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 1.1 x 5.3 x 7.9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 812 ratings

About the author

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C. W. Gortner

C. W. Gortner

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C.W. GORTNER holds an MFA in Writing with an emphasis in Renaissance Studies from the New College of California, as well as an AA from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in San Francisco.

An established author of historical fiction, he's been translated in 26 languages and toured internationally. Several of his historical novels are national and/or international bestsellers. He previously worked as a fashion executive and then devoted twelve years of his professional life to the public health sector. In 2012, he became a full-time writer following the success of his novels.

In his extensive travels to research his books, he has danced a galliard at Hampton Court, learned about organic gardening at Chenoceau, and spent a chilly night in a ruined Spanish castle. He's also a dedicated advocate for animal rights, in particular companion animal rescue to reduce shelter overcrowding.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
812 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

bill greene
5.0 out of 5 stars "I am at heart, a gentleman." A wild and strong woman way ahead of her time. 8.5/10
Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2018
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"I am at heart, a gentleman."

Summary: A gripping story of a dynamo woman forging her own path way ahead of her time. She is a wild and strong original, and hailed as the ninth-greatest female star of classic Hollywood cinema. Historical biography based on all true people and events; I absolutely loved this book and wish I could have been friends with Marlene Dietrich! 8.5/10

The good: I chose this book because I had read another book by this author (Mademoiselle Chanel) and loved it. I knew nothing about Marlene Dietrich going into it other than she had great legs. I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down and learned that this woman was so much more than a Hollywood star. It is well written with lots of character development throughout. I found myself researching and looking up lots of people and events to see how much of this book was true, and every character and event are all based on fact. Marlene is a strong woman, quite a character (loved that she wore her tuxedo and suits regularly), and a woman way ahead of her time. She is much more than a Hollywood star and my favorite part of the book was the ending when you learn all about what she did during WWII; volunteering at canteens, going on a war tour performing for troops, donating her salary to war efforts, helping refugees and more. She received the Medal of Freedom in November 1947, for her "extraordinary record entertaining troops overseas during the war." She also received the French Legion de'Honeur. I highly recommend this novel and have added another person to my list of "if you could have dinner with any person, dead or alive."

The bad: The only real critic I have is that the ending came on abruptly. It would be nice if everything in this were fact, but the author admits that she was private and there were areas that were challenging to fill in the gaps. He does a great job though. Lastly, I wish it was longer because it was so good!
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Ruth E. Cornelius
4.0 out of 5 stars Marlene
Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2023
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This is a fictional account of Marlene Dietrich's life. It was a very interesting and engrossing tale. I enjoyed it very much.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Marlene
Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2023
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Marlene: A Novel by C.w. Gortner is an absolute must read page turner! A peek into the lives of the entertainment world. Eye opening, tragic and yet beautiful! I love C.W. Gortner’s writing style which reads like an autobiography.
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Toosie
5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable and so well written.
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2017
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I must admit I have become a sucker for C.W.Gortner's writing. I loved CHANEL, and I loved MARLENE.
With Gortner's novels it is hard to discern where fact ends and fiction begins because his prose is so seamless and his research impeccable. I always remember reading about Marlene Dietrich in Photoplay and Modern Screen when I was very young and an avid movie fan. I remember hearing my parents speak about her (and not necessarily in the most glowing terms,) and I used to see her perform on early TV shows. I must admit I was not impressed. I also remember seeing so many of the Dietrich parodies done by myriad comediennes.
But for me this book was a revelation. The blending of history and biography and the description of prewar Germany and the rise of Hitler was so well written you could almost hear the music in the cafes, and view the catastrophic events as they were happening because the descriptions were seen through Marlene's eyes. I never knew how active she was in the USO, entertaining the troops during WWII. Even if you weren't a Marlene fan
to begin with, you will be won over with admiration for how true to herself she remained and how loyal she was to her friends and lovers. . HIghly recommended.
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Ruth Anderson
4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating portrait of a legendary actress!
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2016
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Maria Magdalena Dietrich was born into a life of genteel poverty, her mother’s proud family connections brought low by her father’s early death and a subsequent – and ever-present – lack of funds. Destined for life as a concert violinist, as a teenager she chafes against the moral restrictions imposed by her formidable mother. For while Maria Magdalena loves the violin, she yearns for something more, a chance to explore the burgeoning opportunities both personal and professional promised by the siren song emanating from the decadence of post-war Berlin, where the moral fiber that once defined the nation crumbles with the fall of the Kaiser and the dawn of the fledgling Weimar Republic. It is within the decadence and hedonism of the cabarets and clubs of 1920s Berlin that Maria – now known as Marlene – finds the beginnings of her voice and image as she strives to become an actress. A chance encounter with a mid-level studio executive lands her a coveted screen test, eventually leading to her breakthrough role as Lola-Lola, the seductive cabaret girl who leads men astray in The Blue Angel. Her partnership with director Joseph von Sternberg makes her a star, and as the Dietrich legend rises, the lines between reality and glossy celluloid fantasy begin to blur. As her once-beloved homeland descends into the madness of National Socialism and her personal and professional relationships become fraught with tension, Marlene is faced with a choice. Will she crumble under the weight of the Dietrich mythos, tarnished by poor box office receipts and failed relationships, or will a second world war allow the inimitable artist one last chance to reinvent herself anew?

I came to this novel not out of any special affinity for Marlene Dietrich or her films, but rather as a long-time fan of both classic Hollywood and C.W. Gortner’s novels, hoping for some juicy insight into the filmmaking process at home and abroad throughout the 1930s and 1940s. To date my favorite Dietrich films are among those made at the twilight of her film career, particularly 1947’s Golden Earrings, which is pretty terrible (Dietrich is as un-gypsy-like as it gets!), but I love it anyway, and 1948’s SUPERB A Foreign Affair, directed by Billy Wilder. After finishing this deliciously dishy take on Dietrich’s rise through the first half of the twentieth century, I’m determined to correct the unthinkable oversight of being woefully unfamiliar with her filmography, particularly the collaborations with von Sternberg, which were so essential to the construction of her myth and legacy.

Gortner takes his time establishing the mood of Marlene’s youth, positioning her later on-screen reputation as an untouchable seductress along with her seemingly endless string of lovers as a natural expression of a rebellious teenager coming of age and embracing the moral and artistic freedoms afforded by the Weimar culture of the interwar period. I knew Dietrich had a reputation as something of a female lothario, but I had no idea how much and to what extent her amorous appetites informed her character and image. Through her various relationships with men and women, Gortner sketches a portrait of a woman who came of age in the cabarets of Berlin and whole-heartedly embraced the hedonistic spirit of the age. It’s both fascinating and heartbreaking to witness the cost Dietrich’s insistence on doing it “her way” wreaks on her familial relationships – but if love is a drug it was one to which even a master such as Marlene would prove vulnerable.

It’s fascinating to watch Gortner chart the rise of Dietrich’s film career, focusing most on her relationship with the man half responsible for its creation – director Joseph von Sternberg. Mercurial and obsessive, he helped Marlene tap into her on-screen potential, their collaborations the foundation of Dietrich’s screen image as a lethal siren. I loved the deep dive into the studio system from an actor’s perspective providing, fascinating – and salty – insight into the perspective of the actors and directors like Dietrich and von Sternberg, artists who chafed under the restrictions of the receipts-driven system that exerted absolute control over not only their creative choices but their appearance, relationships, and free time. This novel is a window into a forgotten world, one where both star and studio collaborated to present a very specific image to the move-going public, a type of image that seems nearly deified and unassailable compared to today’s culture of insta-celebrity and 24/7 news cycles. Today we see stars at their best and just as quickly, their worst, an image tarnishing before it even has a chance to truly shine. Marlene is a study in how such a construct came to be in this period, seen through the eyes of the occasionally crass, surprisingly home-cooking and cleaning housefrau who wanted to be famous actress…and then made it so.

I was fascinated by the final quarter of the novel, where we see the rise of Hitler and the advent of World War II through the eyes of an expatriate German. I had no idea just how much she did for the war effort on behalf of her adopted country, nor did I ever consider the backlash she must have faced in Germany for refusing to support Hitler’s rise to power. While I haven’t read enough biographical information to grasp the tension she surely must have felt, knowing her family lived under Hitler’s sway, within these pages I was reminded of a lyric from the musical Hamilton -- Hamilton’s challenge to Aaron Burr at the end of the song “Aaron Burr, Sir” in which he asks “If you stand for nothing, Burr, what’ll you fall for?” Not only is the sentiment appropriate to Marlene’s wartime experiences, as she is forced to confront the question of what do you do when faced with the unimaginable, the unfathomable, the horrifying…it stands true today, for what happens when silence is no longer an option?

I’m not attempting to suggest that Dietrich herself should be taken as some sort of role model for today (that is a role I feel sure she would have abhorred with every fiber of her bohemian being), but the questions of moral responsibility that she grappled with leading up to and during the war felt incredibly timely. In a world increasingly segmented, with weighty issues reduced to a sound bite, our stars even more idolized and dissected (and arguably, disposable vis-à-vis lasting value, entertainment or otherwise), Marlene is unexpectedly relevant. Through the lens of Dietrich’s wildly colorful life, Gortner offers up a thoughtful portrait of a woman whose controversial life is still enduring and relatable. Gortner honors the myth even as he deconstructs it to reveal the very human, flawed woman beneath. A fascinating study in celebrity, after this I can only hope that one day Gortner will turn his pen to other titans of early twentieth-century culture (such as Judy Garland or Bette Davis). Marlene is both a homage and an engaging dissection of celebrity culture, the perfect blend of dishy gossip and thought-provoking conjecture. In short, this is why Gortner is one of my favorite novelists.
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Chris
3.0 out of 5 stars good book
Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2020
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it does tend to drag thru her life. got interesting about 3/4 thru the book. interesting person.
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Top reviews from other countries

Philip Roche
5.0 out of 5 stars Marlene
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 29, 2018
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Inevitably when you award stars you base it on your feelings and how much you were engaged in the writing. It worked the author used narrative to bring Marlene to life and that is 2hat he has done. A thoroughly good read. I didn't want the book to end.
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Evelijn
2.0 out of 5 stars Marlene Dietrich what about her life story
Reviewed in Australia on October 3, 2018
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I found this poorly written
not a Alice Weir quality
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M. Duffy
4.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 4, 2020
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Really enjoyed this. Research is excellent.
My Dad saw Marlene in France when she was entertaining troops. He admired her for doing this. As this is one of the few things he said apart from it was hard having to carry all your equipment while going ashore on chest high water. She must have impressed him
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FB
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant!!!!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 4, 2020
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Brilliant!!!!
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LP
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 18, 2016
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Cracking read, couldn't put it down
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