Only Woman in the Room, The
Benedict, MarieIntroducing screen star ... Hedy Lamarr. Before taking Hollywood by storm, she was the wife of an Austrian arms dealer and from her elevated place in Viennese society, privy to the plans of the Third Reich. Not only was she an actress and trophy wife but in direct contrast to the stereotype, a scientist and inventor as well.
Fascinating and absorbing this is the fictionalised story of a real-life Hollywood icon remembered for her beauty but whose invention revolutionised modern communication.
Pages
247
247
Year
2019
2019
Reviews
18-12-2023
Everyone read this book but felt it lacked something in the information supplied eg/ her adopted child, her mother coming to America etc. We realise it was a novel based on fact but felt it would have been a more satisfying read had some of those background things been added. Almost felt like a book written in a hurry!
24-11-2023
Many of us didn't know anything about her and others knew of the glamorous side of her life - so it was a revelation and left us feeling most lives are so simple and ordinary - but maybe that's much easier. Good discussion.
15-11-2023
We all enjoyed this book and the true story behind it. It was an easy and quick read.
02-10-2023
We were pleased to learn about Hedy Lamarr, but on the whole we were disappointed in the book. There was very little about her invention or about her later life.
31-07-2023
Everyone loved this book. Very inspiring.
27-07-2023
Everyone enjoyed this book and it left us with a desire to find out more about Hedy Lamarr, her life and inventions. A wide ranging discussion followed and we agreed that it was interesting to discover how Jewish people who escaped from the Nazi threat felt about the situation they left behind. We decided there is still a serious lack of books about the important roles women have played throughout history.
23-06-2023
This book was enjoyed by the group, and started some interesting conversations about women's roles in history, and racism etc.
22-05-2023
An easy read, but padded out with wordy descriptions, not really relevant to the story. Author would have been better to write a biography rather than a novel based on the first 26 years of the film star's life. We all agreed it was lightweight, and not always convincing.
11-05-2023
This was a great book. Some of the older members remembered her, most of us Googled her and also looked up some of her movies on YouTube. She was the most amazing lady - very interesting read. A true survivor and well before her time as she was very clever - it's a shame she wasn't appreciated for what she achieved. Loved this book - easy to read and created lots of discussion. Great story..
26-04-2023
We enjoyed the content of this book, but most of us felt it could have been "more". It just didn't have the depth and nuance that we thought it could have had.
24-04-2023
A very shallow take on the story of Hedy Lamarr, which appeared to miss a lot of real-life details or to develop anyone adequately to create any connection. An inspiring story for sure, just not very well executed.
30-03-2023
An interesting read but left us with more questions, probably because the book is written as a novel. Had good discussion about the role of women in society in recent times.
22-03-2023
Excellent writing. A great read.
30-01-2023
Enjoyable but light read. Not great writing but some of us enjoyed it because it was an easy holiday read!
09-01-2023
Part 1 of the book became increasingly difficult to read as the abuse Hedy experienced worsened. It was well-written and compelling to read. It was fascinating to learn about the invention of Hedy and George.
15-12-2022
The group thought there could have been so much more said about the main character, rather than just focusing on her fame. Rather disappointing read. But did spur the group to watch the Netflix film about her which everyone really enjoyed.
17-11-2022
Everyone enjoyed the book and watched the documentary 'Bombshell - The Story of Hedy Lamarr'. A fascinating woman ahead of her time.
17-11-2022
An excellent book which we all enjoyed. Easy to read and lots of discussion about the role of women in relationships.
08-11-2022
The subject matter was great but the writing style not so good.
23-09-2022
Interesting read - really saw the clear sexism reducing the military opportunities for women in WWII. We talked a lot about what Hedy Lamarr actually did and many of us had done searches on her as well - we felt the book didn't really do her justice. It's really worthwhile listening to interviews online and learning more about this extraordinary woman...
15-09-2022
Enjoyed by some but most thought it was poorly written - too many gaps, and poor characterisation.
15-09-2022
Our group felt the style of writing didn't add interest to Hedy Lamarr's extraordinary life. Not an inspiring read.
18-08-2022
Fascinating book. Generated great discussion. Amazing lady - well before her time. A little disappointed that it appeared to gloss over her scientific work, however there is lots of available information and many of us found ourselves researching more about her. Great discussion on the decisions we are all forced to make due to circumstances beyond our control, in order to survive. Recommend.