Great Hostesses, Written by One Their Favorite Guests
Masters, Brian. Great Hostesses. First Edition. 1982. Book and dust jacket are both in very good condition.
The alchemy of a successful dinner party is disbursed among four dimensions. As such, it does not always translate well to page. This book of anecdotes about the great English and American hostesses is an exception to the rule. The author was a guest at many of the gatherings he describes. It is his personal experience that makes the book so fascinating. In one particularly noteworthy passage, he compares renowned hostesses, Sibyl Colefax and Emerald Cunard, (he was a preferred guest of both). Colefax, he explains, was “hunter of lions” and chased the famous, no matter how dull. The outspoken Cunard tolerated no bores, no matter how important.
“Charm is a gossamer thing, virtually impossible to describe. One can feel the transfusing vigour of its rays, and be unable to account for it retrospectively in words.”
--Brian Masters