''Manhattan's Babe'' () is a 2014 novel by the French writer

Frédéric Beigbeder Frédéric Beigbeder (; born 21 September 1965) is a French writer, literary critic and television presenter. He won the Prix Interallié in 2003 for his novel '' Windows on the World'' and the Prix Renaudot in 2009 for his book '' A French Nov ...

. It is about the failed romance between the young

Oona O'Neill Oona O'Neill, Lady Chaplin (14 May 1925 – 27 September 1991) was a British actress, the daughter of American playwright Eugene O'Neill and English-born writer Agnes Boulton, and the fourth and last wife of actor and filmmaker Charlie Chaplin. ...

and

J. D. Salinger Jerome David Salinger ( ; January 1, 1919 – January 27, 2010) was an American author best known for his 1951 novel '' The Catcher in the Rye''. Salinger published several short stories in '' Story'' magazine in 1940, before serving in World Wa ...

Plot

is the daughter of the playwright

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama techniques of Realism (theatre), realism, earlier associated with ...

and an

it girl An "it girl" is an attractive, well-known young woman who is perceived to have both sex appeal and a personality that is especially engaging. The expression ''it girl'' originated in British upper-class society around the turn of the 20th&nbs ...

in New York. In 1940, when she is 15 years old, she visits the

Stork Club Stork Club was a nightclub in Manhattan, New York City. During its existence from 1929 to 1965, it became one of the most prestigious clubs in the world. A symbol of café society, the wealthy elite, including movie stars, celebrities, showgi ...

where she meets the short story writer Jerry Salinger who immediately falls in love with her. They flirt during the night, but Oona is quickly tired of him and moves on, and Jerry is soon drafted into the military. Oona begins a career as a Hollywood actress and meets

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered o ...

, who seduces her and marries her in 1943, when she is 18 and he 54. Hearing about this, Jerry is filled with jealousy and bitterness.

Reception

Jérôme Dupuis of ''

L'Express (, stylized in all caps) is a French weekly news magazine headquartered in Paris. The weekly stands at the political centre-right in the French media landscape, and has a lifestyle supplement, ''L'Express Styles'', and a job supplement, ''R� ...

'' called it a "fluid and well-documented story" and complimented its fictional, desperate letters from Salinger to Oona. Dupuis was negative to Beigbeder's sometimes failed "pirouettes", where he tries to incorporate unrelated material such as flirting advice, parallels to contemporary French celebrities, or the story of how Beigbeder fell in love with his wife at first sight when she was 20 and he was 45. Eric Chevillard of ''

Le Monde (; ) is a mass media in France, French daily afternoon list of newspapers in France, newspaper. It is the main publication of Le Monde Group and reported an average print circulation, circulation of 480,000 copies per issue in 2022, including ...

'' criticised the degree to which Beigbeder made the story about himself and wrote that "Salinger, Chaplin & Me" would have been a more fitting title. ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The magazine's publisher, Kirkus Media, is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fiction, no ...

'' highlighted the part about

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and described Beigbeder's writing as cinematic, calling it "romantic, analytical, sometimes excessively cute".

References

External links

Grasset

Assouline
{{J. D. Salinger 2014 French novels Novels by Frédéric Beigbeder J. D. Salinger Cultural depictions of Charlie Chaplin Hollywood novels Novels about writers Éditions Grasset books Novels set in Manhattan