Last Night at Chateau Marmont: A Novel

Congratulations to Calista Smith of King William, Virginia for winning this week's book giveaway!  While this contest is now closed, please come back to SixSeeds for more giveaways for good, family, fun!

by Lauren Weisberger

If you had all the money you could spend and every opportunity to cheat on your spouse, would you be able to withstand the pressure?

Do you ever look at a celebrity magazine detailing the latest escapades of your favorite star, who just can’t seem to stay married or out of the Betty Ford clinic?

Lauren Weisberger, the author of The Devil Wears Prada, spins another compelling tale, this time set in the music and celebrity gossip industry.

Brooke is happily married to the soulful, talented musician Julian Alter.  A loving supportive wife, she truly believes in him…  even when no one else does. Consequently, she takes two jobs (as a nutritionist at NYU and a consultant to an Upper East Side girls’ prep school) to support him as he follows his dream. 

And then, suddenly, the dream comes true.

When Julian gets a record deal with Sony, he becomes a star. A particularly impressive performance on Jay Leno allows him to dart all over the world, make loads of money, get a new designer wardrobe, tour with Maroon Five, and even perform at the Grammies.   With so much success, what could go wrong?

The novel is named after a fictitious celebrity gossip magazine called “Last Night” which Brooke gets delivered to her home every week.  However, reading it loses some of its appeal as she (and her husband) begin appearing in its glossy pages. The other part of the title – the Chateau Marmont part – is named after a luxury hotel in West Hollywood, California, where apparently stars all hang out at the pool.

While Brooke and Julian enjoy the newfound excitement of a dream realized, the strain on their marriage becomes hard to ignore.  Especially when “Last Night” publishes photos of Julian in a very compromising position with some unknown woman…  yes, at Chateau Marmont.

Weisberger does a great job showing how celebrity couples face more intense hardships than married people not in the glaring limelight.  (Or perhaps we face the same temptations but they simply have so many more opportunities to indulge their every whim.)

How would you react to immediate fame?

Rather, how would your spouse react?

Pick up this very enjoyable novel and live the dream…  at least for 370 pages.  Then, go kiss your husband and be thankful he’s an accountant.

To Consider:

1. Is marital fidelity a reasonable goal, even for pop stars?
2. What dreams have you pursued that never worked out?
3. Had those dreams materialized, how would your life be better?  Worse?
4. What risks do spouses take when they support the other?
5. How can spouses assist each other in the pursuit of dreams, and how can they be a detriment?
6. If you had all the money you could spend and every opportunity to cheat on your spouse, would you be able to withstand the pressure?

Read the first chapter here. 

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