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The Only Woman in the Room: A Novel
She was beautiful. She was a genius. Could the world handle both? A powerful novel based on the incredible true story of the glamour icon and scientist Hedy Lamarr, whose groundbreaking invention revolutionized modern communication.
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Community Reviews
3.5 stars
Disappointing compared to her other novels. Although I did enjoy reading about Hedy Lamarr and her scientific breakthroughs, unhappy marriages and motivating guilt.
Disappointing compared to her other novels. Although I did enjoy reading about Hedy Lamarr and her scientific breakthroughs, unhappy marriages and motivating guilt.
Hedy Kiesler was a beautiful woman and much like Tess of the D'urberville, she was not taken seriously for her brains. Letâs begin to understand that she had the weight on her shoulder at a very early age. Her father knows her beauty and being a banker, knows which way to best secure her and their future. That means if thereâs a mysterious man in the audience who gives you a huge bouquet of roses and seemingly has no limit on how much heâs willing to shower Hedy Kiesler with extravagant gifts after each performance, go with him and make sure you get that man to marry you. Thatâs what Hedy Kiesler did.
While she found him to be exceptionally captivating in the beginning, we see shades of how controlling he is. He plans their entire wedding including her wedding dress without so much as caring to ask Hedy Kiesler what she would like. Her family is Jewish and he has her converted to Christianity. She is attracted to the power he exudes as he effortlessly weaves around with powerful men and feels duty-bound to her family (father) to secure a safe and good future for them all. Unfortunately, after the wedding, Fritz becomes more controlling and emotionally and physically abuses Hedy Kiesler. She becomes a bird in a gilded cage and is only let out to be his arm candy at the dinner function.
After the wedding, she is to be ready in their home at his beck and call. She must make love to him when he wants and spend every moment making herself even more ravishing, as much as possible. She is forced to give up her beloved acting, especially after she made the movie, Ecstasy, where she was described to have faked an organism for the movie. She must be seen on his arms at parties and must never interrupt or have a conflicting opinion of his. However, he never stipulated she couldnât listen and that she does. Oh, the secrets she hears and she tries to use that to her advantage. She also learns that her husband isnât just only working with fascists but is supporting the anti-Semitic efforts made in both Italy and Germany. The keyword is anti-Semitic because remember, sheâs Jewish.
She does try twice to run away after her father has passed. Her relationship with her mother is of jealousy and anger on her motherâs part. The first time she runs away, she seduces a man and makes a rondeau where they will meet at the train station to flee Austria. Hedy Kiesler truly thought she escaped only to find Fritz waiting for her there. He retaliates by literally raping her to teach her a lesson. The second time she runs away she succeeds and makes her way to London.
From there she meets MGM executive Louis B. Mayer. At first, he offers her a pathetic low amount of money to be a contracted star at $125 per week. She arranges to go on a cruise ship and have herself utterly breathtakingly ravishing as she enters the room. All patrons stop and look at her, being captivated by her beauty. Right then and there, she is able to renegotiate (dictate) the salary she feels she deserves and MGM executive Louis B. Mayer consents to her demand and pays her $500 per week under contract.
Feeling remorse for not helping her own people, she dedicates her free time to searching her mind for information to use against the Third Reich. She remembers hearing Fritz discussing solutions for the German torpedo system, knowing that the Nazis couldnât create a secure radio-controlled system. She struggles to find an effective solution until she meets composer George Antheil; while playing a duet with him, she is inspired to create a radio frequency that adapts to other frequencies like musicians adapt to a melody. Together, they work tirelessly to make this a reality.
It does become a reality and they present it to the Navy who refuses to accept it much less acknowledge it because she is a woman and they dismiss her. Think of all the lives the Navy could have saved had they just gotten over themselves and adopted her invention. (Tidbit: Lamarr and composer George Antheil developed a radio guidance system using frequency-hopping spread spectrum technology for Allied torpedoes, was finally recognized and posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2014. This cited passage is from Wikipedia.)
Throughout the entire novel, while it was sad and heartbreaking to read how abusive Fritz is to Hedy Kiesler, I just didnât feel connected to her. I felt bad for her, yes but either the author just didnât write Hedy Kiesler to be likable or IRL, she simply is very clinical and closed off. In later years (not found in the book), Hedy Kiesler has been said to have married 6 times and she became a recluse.
As Greta Garboâs short and sardonic quote says it best, âI want to be alone.â
While she found him to be exceptionally captivating in the beginning, we see shades of how controlling he is. He plans their entire wedding including her wedding dress without so much as caring to ask Hedy Kiesler what she would like. Her family is Jewish and he has her converted to Christianity. She is attracted to the power he exudes as he effortlessly weaves around with powerful men and feels duty-bound to her family (father) to secure a safe and good future for them all. Unfortunately, after the wedding, Fritz becomes more controlling and emotionally and physically abuses Hedy Kiesler. She becomes a bird in a gilded cage and is only let out to be his arm candy at the dinner function.
After the wedding, she is to be ready in their home at his beck and call. She must make love to him when he wants and spend every moment making herself even more ravishing, as much as possible. She is forced to give up her beloved acting, especially after she made the movie, Ecstasy, where she was described to have faked an organism for the movie. She must be seen on his arms at parties and must never interrupt or have a conflicting opinion of his. However, he never stipulated she couldnât listen and that she does. Oh, the secrets she hears and she tries to use that to her advantage. She also learns that her husband isnât just only working with fascists but is supporting the anti-Semitic efforts made in both Italy and Germany. The keyword is anti-Semitic because remember, sheâs Jewish.
She does try twice to run away after her father has passed. Her relationship with her mother is of jealousy and anger on her motherâs part. The first time she runs away, she seduces a man and makes a rondeau where they will meet at the train station to flee Austria. Hedy Kiesler truly thought she escaped only to find Fritz waiting for her there. He retaliates by literally raping her to teach her a lesson. The second time she runs away she succeeds and makes her way to London.
From there she meets MGM executive Louis B. Mayer. At first, he offers her a pathetic low amount of money to be a contracted star at $125 per week. She arranges to go on a cruise ship and have herself utterly breathtakingly ravishing as she enters the room. All patrons stop and look at her, being captivated by her beauty. Right then and there, she is able to renegotiate (dictate) the salary she feels she deserves and MGM executive Louis B. Mayer consents to her demand and pays her $500 per week under contract.
Feeling remorse for not helping her own people, she dedicates her free time to searching her mind for information to use against the Third Reich. She remembers hearing Fritz discussing solutions for the German torpedo system, knowing that the Nazis couldnât create a secure radio-controlled system. She struggles to find an effective solution until she meets composer George Antheil; while playing a duet with him, she is inspired to create a radio frequency that adapts to other frequencies like musicians adapt to a melody. Together, they work tirelessly to make this a reality.
It does become a reality and they present it to the Navy who refuses to accept it much less acknowledge it because she is a woman and they dismiss her. Think of all the lives the Navy could have saved had they just gotten over themselves and adopted her invention. (Tidbit: Lamarr and composer George Antheil developed a radio guidance system using frequency-hopping spread spectrum technology for Allied torpedoes, was finally recognized and posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2014. This cited passage is from Wikipedia.)
Throughout the entire novel, while it was sad and heartbreaking to read how abusive Fritz is to Hedy Kiesler, I just didnât feel connected to her. I felt bad for her, yes but either the author just didnât write Hedy Kiesler to be likable or IRL, she simply is very clinical and closed off. In later years (not found in the book), Hedy Kiesler has been said to have married 6 times and she became a recluse.
As Greta Garboâs short and sardonic quote says it best, âI want to be alone.â
The Only Woman in The Room reveals the life of Hedy LaMar beyond her movie star reputation. Marie Benedict shares Hedy's childhood, relationship with her parents and her fascinating role to a wealth Austrian businessman as his wife. The story continues to her stardom and then to her scientific research. Th look seems a little slow and nor detailed at the beginning and then possibly a quick finish at the end. While the book was quick to read, it was interesting learning about her WWII and Hollywood connections along with the expectations of women by society and family/spouses at that time in history.
Very interesting historical fiction based on the real life of Hedy Lamar. I found parts of the book fascinating, and after finishing researched the actress and inventor. I didn’t like this book quite as much as I liked “Carnegie’s Maid “ but I would highly recommend this book.
I went into reading this book with a bad attitude, expecting not to like it. And to my pleasant surprise, I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the pace, characters, writing style and plot (to which I was ignorant). However, the ending left me wanting greatly. It just seemed to stop. That was a big disappointment. An easy read that was enjoyable.
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