The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed
Author: Sara G. Forden
List Price: $14.95
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ISBN: 0060937750
Publisher: Perennial (09 October, 2001)
Sales Rank: 9,605
Average Customer Rating: 4.6 out of 5
Customer Reviews
Rating: 4 out of 5
"Dynasty", "Dallas"...."Gucci"?
Having worked in the fashion industry for the likes of Gianni Versace and Georgio Armani, I was naturally inclined to read this intriguing book based on the rise, fall and rise again of the house of "Gucci". I found the first half of the book to be the most facinating. The author does an excellent job in vividly decribing the humble beginnings of Guccio Gucci's small leather goods business to its eventual capitulation into a Billion dollar company...The book reads right out of a script of "Dallas" or "Dynasty"...with the squablings, betrayals, greed and glamour associated with those t.v. shows....only this book's storyline is real. I was particularly impressed with the great amount of effort put into decribing each of the important characters associated with the Gucci saga. One really walks away with a true sense of the mindset behind people like Marizio Gucci and his power-hungry wife...
I am confident anyone reading this book will find that it is hard to put down (and will encourage the reader to run to the latest "Gucci" boutique and pick up a crocodile handbag!)
Rating: 5 out of 5
Dishy, Yet Intelligent
This is an amazingly detailed, perceptive, and engrossing read! I read it on a cross-country plane trip, and the hours literally flew by. Forden traces the history of the Gucci empire from its earliest beginnings to the present day. This history provides a context for the drama, upheaval, and legal battles that plagued the family in the 70s, 80s and 90s. Forden weaves the personal, public, and legal aspects of these battles in a seamless, cogent, and intelligent discussion. While it is a sensational story, Forden does a great job of getting to the facts that underly the disputes and presents them without fanfare - they speak for themselves.The photographs and family tree are great additions to this book. You'll need the family tree to keep track, and the photos make the story that much more real.
Watching the characters' lives unfold was better than any soap opera, precisely because they are/were real people whose choices led them on a path of destruction. Even so, Forden's prose avoids the talk-show and tabloid cliches that have ruined many a biography.
Finally, as an attorney, this book provided me with interesting insights into family legal battles and corporate organization.
Rating: 3 out of 5
reads like a history book
The story of Gucci was interesting. In fact, reality surpassses fiction in this case.
However, I was expecting more of a narrative feel; this reads like a collection of well researched facts. Some of the other reviews say it is like a novel - I think it is more like an interesting history book. Especially at the beginning -hard to get into the first few chapters it is written in such a factual, boring way. Similar Products
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