První herečka – Gortner C. W. (2021)

The First Actress is another of the historical novels by American author C. W. Gortner, which features a real and remarkable female figure. This time it is the still-revered French actress Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923). She can truly be called the "first actress" in the modern sense of the word: both for how she broke the conventions of her time with her innovative and natural use of her unique talent on stage, and for the unique position of an internationally recognized star that she gradually achieved. As is typical of Gortner, the "divine Sarah," raised in a convent as the daughter of a Jewish courtesan, becomes the narrator of her own story in his novel, which includes not only the ups and downs and intrigues on the theater stages and behind the scenes, but also complex family, romantic, friendly, and professional relationships. These include a number of famous personalities - Alexandre Dumas, Victor Hugo, George Sand, Oscar Wilde, and the future British monarch Edward VII. Félix Nadar, one of the first great photographers, also helped Sarah achieve her celebrity status, as did the famous painter Alfons Mucha, who, in Gortner's words, "made her immortal with his posters." In this vividly written novel, which is based on...