Madame Sarah

Summary (from the publisher): Here, by the author uniquely equipped to write it, is a magnificent biography of Sarah Bernhardt, the tempestuous Frenchwoman many consider to be the greatest actress who ever lived.

 

"Madame Sarah," as she was affectionately known to many intimate friends, fellow actors and countless numbers of admirers the world over, was born in Paris in 1844, the illegitimate daughter of a pretty milliner. Her childhood was not a happy one, for her health was dangerously frail and her mother had little time for her. But from the moment she stood before an astonished panel of leading dramatic artists and recited a fable by La Fontaine, she knew she must and would become an actress.

 

It was the beginning of a long and glorious career, first in France's two national theatres, then again and again with her own companies in England and America - in theatres and private houses, on makeshift open-air stages, even under huge circus tents - and finally on innumerable and backbreaking grant world tours. It was a career that was to see her infuse brilliant fresh light into such classics as Facine's Phedre, make into her very own such contemporary dramas as Sardou's Tosca and Rostand's L'Aiglon, and star time and time again in perennial revivals of Dumas fils' La Dame aux Camelias.

 

All of this Cornelia Otis Skinner chronicles, with an insider's knowledge of and love for the theatre. But she also tells us of the many other aspects of Bernhardt's life, aspects to which the great actress gave the same inexhaustible energy she brought to the stage: her selfless work in behalf of the wounded during the siege of Paris in 1870-1871 and her courageous trips to the Front in World War I; her love for the Belgian aristocrat who fathered her only child and her affairs with many men; her role as gracious though often capricious hostess to many of the great figures of her time; her sudden tantrums and strangers alike, episodes often followed by equally inexplicable displays of kindness and generosity.

 

Madame Sarah, through her unique craft, sparkling showmanship and vibrant personality was deservedly one of France's most beloved heroines at home and one of her most glorious ambassadors abroad. Madame Sarah, through its clear-eyed but warmly human, humorous and sympathetic treatment of its subject, can deservedly be called a perfect testimonial to her.

 

Review: This biography covers the life of Sarah Bernhardt, a French actress who lived from 1844 to 1923 and is considered one of the greatest actresses to ever live. Born the illegitimate daughter of a milliner turned courtesan, and saddled with lifelong frail health that resulted in a rail-thin physique, Sarah defied the odds and became an international sensation, beloved both in her home country and abroad. In addition to her legendary acting talent, Sarah was known as a playwright, dabbled in sculpting, was known to be generous with her money, practiced her considerable nursing skills during wartime, courageously fought against stage fright and physical pain to please her audiences, and overcame a childhood largely devoid of love or affection. Yet she was also prone to tantrums and hyperbole, was often inconsiderate with friends and employers, and was known to be impetuous and unpredictable. She was also bold at a time when society was less than kind to women; she openly defied conventions by having a child out of wedlock and openly acknowledging her unmarried status, played men's roles wearing men's costumes when it pleased her, and had numerous lovers, many of which were decades younger than her.

 

Sarah had a shockingly neglected childhood. Her mother, who seemingly cared little for her, turned her care over to a hired nurse, and would leave the country without informing the nurse or Sarah. Despite stage fright, Sarah found an outlet in acting, although her fame never seems to have impressed her mother. Her eccentric childhood likely contributed to her outlandish and eclectic tastes: "At various times during her restless life she took up sculpture, painting, the piano, writing, pistol shooting, fishing and alligator hunting" (xvii). At various points in her life she was hoisted above the earth in a hot air balloon, went down in a mine, fired a cannon, leapt about on a half-frozen river, attended four executions, and at all times maintained a menagerie of eccentric and at times life threatening animals at her home (including various dogs, tigers, alligators, snakes, and monkeys) - along with a collection of relatives, friends, and servants. Known for her boundless energy, she scarcely slept but worked for hours on end well into her old age, followed by entertaining and socializing late into the night. During her lifetime she was friends with royalty including the Prince of Wales, notables such as Oscar Wilde and Flaubert, and is supposed to have had a fateful interaction with Abraham Lincoln's widow.

 

The facts of Madame Sarah's life seem difficult to discern, as Sarah was given to hyperbole, as was the press about her. Much of the anecdotes shared about her life in this biography comes from Sarah's granddaughter Lysiane, but there's no way of knowing if the stories she were told about her grandmother's early years are accurate. Skinner does attempt to account for the unreliability of many of the tales of Sarah's life, making sure to include that some may be "spurious" (45) and also including altering accounts when more than one version exist. Yet this quality of the narrative made me question much of its validity, in part because the author seems opinionated rather than strictly in search of the most likely account. Such as her assertion that "it would be senseless to attempt to prove which account is the true one. [...] She told them what she wanted told in turn to posterity. I prefer, in respect for her wishes to stick by [Sarah's version of events]" (51).

 

In addition, the author seems prone to hyperbole herself in describing Sarah's theatrical performances, She describes the "enchanting wraith" performing by saying her audience "shivered as though with ice on their spines when that voice clarioned in rage or anguish and her acting became the flash of forked lightening" (162). Furthermore, the author sometimes skips over seemingly large events in Sarah's life, such as only briefly referencing the decline and death of Sarah's beloved younger sister and only glossing over major health issues such as "an abdominal operation" that is only referenced as explanation for the loss of Sarah's infamous thinness (285). Finally, the author assumes that her reader will have a working knowledge of French, as she fails to provide translations for several quotes.

 

Sadly, despite her immense fame, few seem to remember Sarah Bernhardt, who was famous in a world before prolific photography and videography could give her enthralling performances a lasting posterity. The woman who was known as "The Eighth Wonder of the World" and "who had emperors kneeling at her feet, crowned heads showering her with jewels and adoring mobs throwing their jackets on the ground for her to walk on" has largely faded from the public's memory (xi).

 

Stars: 3. 5

 

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