World Famous Comics: Mrs. Astor Regrets: The Hidden Betrayals of a Family Beyond Reproach
Mrs. Astor Regrets: The Hidden Betrayals of a Family Beyond Reproach
By: Meryl Gordon Publisher: Tantor Media Average Rating: Binding: Audio CD Format: Audiobook, CD, Unabridged Label: Tantor Media Number of Items: 11 Publication Date: January 01, 2009
A-List angst -- The death and life of Brooke Astor This biography of one of New York's grande dames, with an emphasis on the last years of her very, very long life, doesn't put the subject, let alone the members of her family, in a very positive light. Brooke Astor is given some credit for her philanthrophies, but she is not portrayed by author Meryl Gordon as a particularly nice person and certainly not as a very good parent. Meticulous interviews with Mrs. Astor's friends, employees and acquaintances do not pretty up the portrait either.
A large part of this story is how Mrs. Astor's son, Anthony Marshall, a man of limited talents but with a very ambitious third wife, may have helped himself freely to his mother's fortune while she lived in shabby surroundings in her last few years of life. Marshall was indicted in for these alleged actions in late 2007 and his trial for the crimes is finally due in July 2009. Do we care?
"Mrs. Astor Regrets" is certainly a well-researched and detailed book. The writer has done an amazing and painstaking job. But to what end? Maybe as a cautionary tale about how money and greed go hand-in-hand and often destroy families and reputations? I have to admit that I finished the book only because it was a gift and I couldn't handle the guilt of tossing it. I wouldn't recommend buying or reading to anyone else. In any event, the New York Times Magazine or The New Yorker will no doubt jump back into the saga as soon as Tony Marshall's trial is concluded. It will make a shorter read.
Intriguing, but premature In the rush to publish, the book came out before the fate of Tony Marshall was decided by the courts, and that makes this book a bit disappointing. Still, it omits very little else in its excavation of a family saga that pitted parent against child. I was struck by how most of this, in a normal family, would be no one's business. The book absolves Mrs. Astor of any blame for practically disinheriting many members of her family and staff, leaving them comparatively little while most of her fortune was, initially, at least, bound for New York cultural institutions. No wonder Tony and his wife took over the fortune when Mrs. Astor became senile. Most sons probably would have done the same. The two grandchildren, especially Philip, are portrayed as without flaw, as are the friends, Annette de la Renta and David Rockefeller. There was plenty of money to go around for everyone from the butler to the family, but Mrs. Astor bears the blame for the holocaust that ensued, in my opinion.
The Wages of Sin. Mrs Astor Regrets
Biographical family stories are usually written long after the principals are dead. In this case, Ms Gordon has been blessed with the longevity of her subjects, and a current court case which is the raison dêtre of her book. One can read the book and follow the case in court. An opportunity not to be missed.
Hell has three gates: lust, anger, and greed, and Ms Gordon touches them all in her book. A lady who is no stranger to affluence herself, Gordon covers this saga with balance and sympathy. She does not succumb to the `Everyone hates Anthony Marshall' school of condemnation, even though it is difficult not to. She uses her significant journalistic experience to describe the facts as she uncovered them.
All of the participants are contemptible in equal measure. They all have a pecuniary interest in one side or the other succeeding. As I progressed through this litany of greed, I could not find one person who convinced me of altruistic intentions.
Someone once said `Show me a large fortune, and I will show you a large crime'. Never was a truer word spoken in this case. The story starts with a summary of Brook Aster's life and times. Her three marriages were love at first sight. That is first sight of the potential hubby's bank account. Husband number one was father of Anthony and wife beater in that order. He didn't have a long life so Anthony had to fill-in as whipping boy. This lasted all his life and still does. None of the cast of thousands, who are using their best endeavours to put Marshall behind bars, and leech cash from the Astor Estate, pay any regard to the fact that Anthony Marshall is a decorated Marine officer wounded in action in the South Pacific during WWII. He also had an important job with the CIA and the government. I mention this only to highlight the fact that none of his accusers have the slightest understanding of the word `JOB'. For them, working could be a city in China.
The revolving bride finally snared an Astor, and when he shook off his mortal coil left an obscenely wealthy widow, who used his money to manipulate and dominate anyone who got in her cross-hairs. She kept everyone on their toes by changing her will every week. This lasted until senility overcame her, and her only son took control of the estate under the guidance and advice of an attorney. All the players who had encouraged the old lady to dole out money, favours and property, where discombobulated when her son introduced prudent fiscal measures which impacted them negatively. The most aggrieved was a grandson who recruited some willing executioners to instigate a witch-hunt against Anthony Marshall. The plan was to use the courts to wrest guardianship of the senile Mrs Astor away from her son into the hands of a more amenable chum. The court did not accept the basic accusation of cruelty, but the furore did attract the attention of the District Attorney.
The case against Anthony Marshall is before the courts as we speak, and could see him in jail for the remainder of his life unless wiser heads prevail. His accusers (including his sons), vehemently profess to not wanting him in jail, but that has not inhibited them from roundly condemning him from the witness box on charges far removed from those they instigated.
Ms Gordon's (the first - I think), book is an excellent read. In places it reads more like a court brief than a work of literature, but it is non-the-worse for that. More than an excellent read, it is an important work of non-fiction. People should learn how the mighty are fallen, and when the going gets tough, they tear each other to pieces.
Reap What You Sow... This was an interesting book, if terribly gossipy. I believe the author gave a fair analysis of those involved. Like so many idolized public figures, Mrs. Aster was unable to truly connect with her family. All of her energy seems to have been spent on "famous" people she wanted to socialize with. She repeatedly pitted son against grandson over a period of years, insighting deep-seated jealousy and suspicion while doing it. It's not rocket science to figure out how Tony came to marry yet another manipulative and controlling woman, who at least offered him love and support. The whole thing is sad, sad, sad. That said, she certainly didn't deserve to be ill treated the last years of her life. The good thing that came out of her life-long friendships with those outside her family, was that they helped improve her circumstances. Mrs. Aster controlled her family through promises and threats of financial gain (or loss). In the end, this behavior determined her own fate.
A tragic story of love, greed and revenge that will keep you reading This is a tragic story of love, greed and revenge, a love-hate relationship between mother and son that permeates a family and continues to the next generation. With more than 200 interviews plus exhaustive research including medical records and court papers, this biography leaves no stone unturned in exploring the world of renowned socialite Brooke Astor.
However, this book truly shines when the author gets down to business, investigating how Ms. Astor lived during the last years of her life and whether or not there was elderly abuse. Anecdotes and recollections of her son and his lawyers are contrasted starkly with those of her grandsons, close friends, business associates, and former employees. Key documents, long-forgotten letters, family pictures, and meticulous notes taken by her nurses (often in code) help paint a vivid picture of what happened behind closed doors.
Although intriguing in that it provides a behind-the-scenes insider's look at what really goes on in New York old-money society, it struggles a bit with keeping a coherent flow as interviews and flashbacks are interwoven throughout, in a valiant effort to be objective and get all points of view of the parties involved. Things do pick up once you get past the first half of the book and you have a better sense of who's who. A glossary of people or index in back would have helped.
Given that this book focuses a lot on the years following Mrs. Astor's 100th birthday, readers hoping to get a complete biography of her life may be disappointed ("The Last Mrs. Astor: A New York Story" by Frances Kiernan has much background of her early years, although it skims over the guardianship lawsuit).
In all, "Mrs. Astor Regrets" is interesting read, with lessons to be learned about what could have and should have been. Was she the true victim? Was it revenge? It will keep you reading till the end.
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