I have always been truly fascinated by the Gilded Age.

This remarkable age was a time of great prosperity and extravagance.

The book I am referring to offers an extremely interesting look into this era.

It delves deep into the lives and times of one of the more well-known families during that period.

By reading this book, one can gain a better understanding of the social, economic, and cultural aspects of the Gilded Age.

The author has done an excellent job of presenting the story in a captivating and engaging manner.

The details provided about the family and their experiences bring the era to life.

Overall, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in learning more about the Gilded Age and the people who lived during that time.

Often, books that are this thoroughly researched can be rather difficult to digest. However, this particular one was a rich and delicious read.

Amelie and Archie were truly bigger-than-life characters. They lived in a way that almost made it seem as if they were aware that they would one day become the subjects of our fascination.

I was most intrigued by Archie's in-depth experimentation in the paranormal. Additionally, the way Amelie seemed to embody the original Southern Belle archetype, as we have come to understand it through popular culture, was truly captivating. In Amelie, we could catch glimpses of Scarlet O'Hara, Tennessee Williams' Maggie, Suzanne Sugarbaker, and Blanche Devereaux.

Archie and Amelie does such a seamless job of immersing you in Gilded Age society - a world of such distinct and separate privilege. It was so well-written that I often found myself forgetting that I was reading about the 19th century. It was a time filled with gritty street life, cities bustling with immigrants, cowboys, and Indians. Yet, "society" lived in such luxury that they appeared to have been propelled forward in time.

Overall, this book offers a unique and engaging perspective on a bygone era, making it a must-read for anyone interested in history, literature, or simply a good story.

I think what fascinated me the most is that all of this really happened.

These crazy characters who seemed to be living the supposed perfect life actually had the biggest flaws imaginable.

The author wrote this story extremely well, providing lots of details that made it come alive.

The pictures at the very end were just perfect, adding another dimension to the overall experience.

I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to get a snippet of the 'gilded age' era.

It gives a fascinating look into a time that was full of extravagance and excess, yet also had its fair share of problems and hardships.

You'll be drawn in by the characters and their stories, and you'll come away with a better understanding of what life was like during this unique period in history.

Enjoyable Read

I recently came across a piece of writing that I found to be an extremely enjoyable read. The characters within it were truly fascinating, drawing me in and making me eager to learn more about them. One character in particular, Archie Chanler, caught my attention. Through the pages, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of his life. It was quite an eye-opening experience to learn about his and his ex-wife's eccentricity. Their unique personalities and behaviors added an interesting layer to the story. I couldn't help but be intrigued by their actions and the events that unfolded around them. This read not only entertained me but also provided valuable insights into the lives of these complex individuals. It was a truly engaging and rewarding experience that I would highly recommend to others.

One of the strangest and most fascinating couples of the past hundred years is Archie and Amelie. Archie, the grandson of John Jacob Astor, was one of eleven children and became an orphan at the age of 15.

Amelie, on the other hand, was a Southern belle in the post-bellum South. They fell in love (or rather, he fell in love) and got married. Their colorful lives have created a captivating story that Donna Lucey has dedicated years of her life to researching and writing.

She writes beautifully, with just the right touch of ironic humor. I may not be doing a great job in this review, but you'll have to trust me. This book was my favorite read in the past year, perhaps even in past years. It's truly unforgettable. READ IT and you'll see for yourself.

OK, the text "read, but characters so entitled, tad boring" is rather brief and perhaps a bit lacking in detail. Let's expand and rewrite it to make it more engaging and interesting.

We start with the simple statement "read". This implies that there is some form of literature or text that one is engaged with. However, the next part, "but characters so entitled", adds a layer of complexity. It suggests that the characters within the story or text have a sense of entitlement that may be off-putting or annoying to the reader. The use of the word "tad" gives a sense of understatement, as if the boredom is not overly severe but still present.

To expand further, we could say something like: "I began to read the book, hoping for an exciting and engaging story. However, as I delved deeper into the narrative, I found that the characters were so entitled that it was starting to become a bit of a turn-off. Their sense of entitlement was not only unlikable but also made it difficult for me to connect with them on an emotional level. As a result, I was left feeling a tad bored with the whole thing."

This expanded version provides more context and detail, allowing the reader to better understand the writer's thoughts and feelings about the text and its characters. It also makes the writing more engaging and interesting to read.

A Mesmerizing Look

Take a captivating journey into a glittering age in America. During this time, money was regarded as of utmost importance. The pursuit of wealth led to families being damaged and estranged. Greed and the obsession with appearance took center stage. People were willing to sacrifice the bonds of family for the sake of material gain and a false sense of status. It was a time when the allure of money seemed to overshadow all else. However, as the saying goes, there is nothing new under the sun. This cycle of greed and its consequences has repeated throughout history. We can look back at this era in America as a cautionary tale, a reminder of the importance of values and the true meaning of family. Let us learn from the mistakes of the past and strive to build a more harmonious and fulfilling future.

I read this with more than usual interest since my husband is related to Amelie Rives.

Even though my mother-in-law and two of her cousins were very involved in Rives family history, we had never heard of Amelie before. It was truly exciting to discover that there was a famous author in the family lineage.

The book itself was absolutely fascinating. It not only provided insights into Amelie's life but also delved into her very manipulative personality. Her relationship with poor besotted Archie was equally captivating.

As I delved deeper into the story, I couldn't help but feel sorry for both of them. Amelie's actions, while perhaps driven by her own desires and insecurities, had a profound impact on Archie. And Archie, in his infatuation, seemed to be completely at Amelie's mercy.

In the end, this exploration of Amelie Rives and her story left me with a sense of both curiosity and compassion. It made me realize how complex and often tragic the lives of our ancestors can be.

I did like this book alright, but it wasn't as fascinating as it was touted to be.

To be honest, a little bit appalling was the behavior of Amelie Rives. However, when we consider the age she lived in, it wasn't altogether shocking.

Nevertheless, I would still recommend it. It gives a good glimpse of history and the Astor family, along with their serious issues.

The story takes us back in time and allows us to understand the context and the challenges faced by the characters.

Although it may not be the most exciting read, it has its merits in providing valuable insights into a particular era and a prominent family.

Overall, it's a book that can be enjoyed by those interested in history and family dynamics.

Fact is often stranger than fiction. This statement holds true for many real-life events and stories that have the power to captivate and intrigue us.

When we come across such a story, it has the ability to pull us in right from the first page. The elements of mystery, drama, and unexpected twists draw us in and make it extremely difficult to put down the book or stop reading the article.

We find ourselves completely immersed in the narrative, eager to discover what will happen next. The realness of the facts adds an extra layer of fascination, as we realize that these events actually took place in the world around us.

Whether it's a true crime story, a historical account, or a personal memoir, the power of fact-based writing to engage and hold our attention is undeniable. It makes us question our understanding of the world and opens our eyes to the incredible possibilities that exist in reality.

So, the next time you pick up a book or read an article that claims to be based on fact, be prepared to be pulled in and have a hard time putting it down.

I read this book solely because I had heard about the Astor family. The Gilded Age is not my favored historical era, and I knew absolutely nothing about "Archie" or Amélie Rives.

On the plus side, I ultimately gained a much better understanding of the atmosphere described by Edith Wharton in The Age of Innocence, with its claustrophobic feeling, the oppressive families, and the rigid social rules of the upper class.

However, on the negative side, there is everything else. The story is told from "Archie's" perspective - the nickname of John Armstrong Chanler, a great-great grandson of John Jacob Astor. The narrative commences from the Astor ancestor and progresses at a glacial pace through the entire Astor genealogical tree, revealing irrelevant details about several members of the family.

After what seems like countless pages, the focus finally shifts to Archie, the eldest son of an unfortunate couple. Both parents passed away relatively young, leaving behind ten children and millions of dollars. While not a complete tragedy, it was clearly a situation prone to generating emotional issues. Additionally, a streak of madness ran in the family, and we get the impression that young Archie was unbalanced from the start.

Archie met Amélie in Newport, the premier location for VIPs' summer holidays. Amélie was a woman with a complex personality: strong-willed, passionate, yet also histrionic, opportunistic, and selfish. She was a beautiful and controversial author, and Archie fell head over heels in love.

What followed was an unhappy marriage, with little physical intimacy. Amélie was clearly very interested in the Astor money but was unhappy with Archie and despised by his family. First, she turned to morphine, then she fell for a Russian prince, got a divorce, and remarried. This caused a huge high-society scandal.

Archie crumbled under the weight of depression and dubious financial ventures. His siblings decided to confine him to a mental institution. Given his behavior, this does not seem like an unreasonable decision. Archie managed to escape after several years in the asylum, reconciled with his family, and spent his remaining years increasingly deranged and lonely.

Amélie too spent her final decades in obscurity, and this seemed to please the author, who clearly disliked her. Overall, Archie and Amélie had less than a decade in the spotlight, and most of their lives were rather dull and uninteresting. Truly not sufficient to fill such a thick volume (over 300 pages).

Reading simultaneously with The Sound of Gravel made me realize just how ridiculous The Guilded Age was!!

These two people were over indulged from birth and certainly overvalued their exaggerated worth!! Amelia was a total narcissistic individual who preyed continually on others especially Archie (an Astor) who was obsessed with her throughout his adult life!

This story was equally as disturbing as The Sound of Gravel, displaying just how destructive families can be despite class differences!

The Guilded Age, as depicted in this account, was a time of extreme excess and self-importance. The characters, Amelia and Archie, were born into privilege and seemed to believe that they were above everyone else. Amelia's narcissism led her to manipulate and use others, while Archie's obsession with her only made matters worse.

The comparison to The Sound of Gravel highlights the universality of family problems, regardless of social class. Both stories show how families can be a source of pain and destruction, rather than love and support.

Overall, this reading experience was a powerful reminder of the importance of humility and empathy in our relationships with others.