I have to be honest I only flipped through this briefly when I downloaded it over a year ago and it just did not seem interesting.

If every historical event / figure was written this way, I think everyone would be much more invested in the past. I think Elinor Glyn had the gumption and the drive that many women desire and I found every page to be more fascinating than the last.

While I learned a lot from this book, I don't think I'd recommend it to others. The author portrays Glyn in a very positive light which, in some cases, seemed too generous.

One of my personal favourite non-fiction reads of the year! Was delighted to include it in "Hollywood Moments,” the cinema-themed gift list as part of the holiday books package in Zoomer magazine’s Zed Books section.

I received an advance reading copy (arc) of this book from NetGalley.com in return for a fair review. Elinor Glyn was definitely a woman ahead of her time. Born in England in 1864, she married up as did many young women back then. Finding herself with a rich husband who demonstrated little passion, she took solace in writing romance stories. Her books were considered extremely racy for the times, and she was shunned by polite society. Nevertheless, her novels became quite popular. She even traveled to Hollywood where she worked on photoplays based on her novels. Most famously, she penned 'It', which starred Clara Bow making her Hollywood's original It Girl. Author Hilary A. Hallett did a great deal of research and brought to life Madame Glyn in all her colorful glory including that tiger skin rug that she couldn't do without. My only complaints are #1- Hallett often got sidetracked with irrelevant details that were off-topic and #2 -she spent too much time analyzing Glyn's work. From best sellers to the theater to Hollywood, Glyn definitely did it her way. She brought glamor, sex, and sizzle front and center. No doubt if reality television had been around when Elinor Glyn's star was shining bright, she would have dominated the airwaves with her outrageous behavior. Elinor Glyn not only paved the way for modern romance writers, but she also helped create some steamy sex scenes at a time when movies could only be seen and not heard. I would like to think that if Madame Glyn had been born one hundred years later, she would have still stirred up the pot and pushed the envelope as far as she could. Good for Elinor Glyn!

As far as my reading schedule - the library having a copy to borrow - I read A Dress of Violet Taffeta first and, IMHO, that made all the difference in my enjoyment of Inventing the It girl by Hilary Hallett. I really wanted to know more about Elinor Glyn and how she carved out a larger than life place for herself. In 1907 she wrote Three Weeks and the rest is history. Oh the scandal caused by sharing sexual passion in a book that became an international best seller. To say that the two sisters, Elinor and Lucy 'Sutherland, made their mark on history is an understatement. Marrying well but to men who used them badly, leaving them destitute set both on a fascinating life.
From writing a steamy novel to the glitter of Hollywood and Clara Bow, Elinor was an international super star and this book gives the reader a look at the world of WWI and then the Roaring Twenties. I won't share more because I would end up writing a review that would be way too long when what I want to do is to urge anyone who finds this time period of interest to pick up a copy and immerse themselves in the life and times of a woman who found her own way, doing it her way.
My thanks to the publisher Liveright and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of Inventing the It Girl by Hilary A Hallett. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC to review.

I read around 50% of this novel, and while it was an well researched and written, I personally could not connect with the life of Elinor Glyn. So while it did not work for me, I recommend giving it a chance for yourself since it could be very interesting for a different reader.

Inventing the It Girl
How Elinor Glyn Created the Modern Romance and Conquered Early Hollywood
by Hilary A. Hallett
Pub Date 26 Jul 2022 |
W. W. Norton & Company, Liveright
Biographies & Memoirs | Nonfiction (Adult)


I am reviewing a copy of Inventing the It Girl through W.W. Norton, Liverlight and Netgalley:




Hilary A. Hallet turns the modern day novel into a subject of serious study, in this biography of pioneering celebrity author Elinor Glyn.




In 1907 Elinor Gwynn a society darling shocked her English Peers with the publication of Three Weeks an intensely erotic novel that launched her to international fame and infamy. Historian Hilary A. Hallett traces Glyn’s meteoric rise for the first time, beginning where most romance novels end: with her marriage into the English gentry class in 1892.



After her husband Clayton gambled their fortune away Glyn boldly became the first commercially successful writer to challenge the sexually straightjacketed literary code. As she churned out novels, she consorted with world leaders from St. Petersburg to Paris to Cairo before movie producers lured her to California in 1920. There, Glyn crafted the romantic aesthetic of Hollywood’s golden Silent Age, coining the term “- a quality of magnetism she projected onto actresses like Clara Bow. Deep archival research, has allowed Hallett presents Glyn as an icon of sexual and professional independence who would encourage new generations to chase their own desires wherever they led.


I give Inventing the It Girl four out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

It's funny how the inventor of the "It" girl is nearly lost to history herself. Inventing the It Girl by Hilary Hallett tells the story of Elinor Glyn, who wrote an erotic novel back when that was really frowned upon and became a sensation. Glyn would later become one of the pioneers of Hollywood and a force in early screenwriting.

From a pure biography perspective, Hallett does a great job of covering Glyn's life and putting it in perspective. There may be a bit too much for a casual reader but someone who enjoys digging into a subject will really appreciate Hallett's significant research into every aspect of Glyn's life.

I did find myself wondering if Hallett may have been fallen in love with Glyn a bit too much. While there are some comments about Glyn that portray her in a negative light, the vast majority of the book skews very positive. Even with this lens on, it seems that many of Glyn's actions and attitudes may not have been all that endearing. It is a minor quibble with what is overall a very good biography.

(This book was provided to me as an advance copy by Netgalley and W.W. Norton & Company. The full review will be posted to HistoryNerdsUnited.com on 7/21/2022.)

Inventing the It Girl by Hillary A. Hallet is a non-fiction book that reads like fiction. I never heard of Elinor Glyn and was absolutely fascinated reading about the E.L. James of the early 1900s!! Glyn truly wrote her way into history, and I hope this book will her the attention and appreciation she so richly deserves. Highly recommend!!

Inventing the It Girl was a really interesting read about the life of Elinor Glyn. I liked learning more about the feminist movement in the early 20th century. Well written and kept me intrigued!

An interesting story with a great sense of storytelling.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

An intriguing look at a nearly forgotten novelist--and an even more fascinating study of the evolution of feminism from the latter part of the 19th century into the early 20th century. Glynn stepped free of the boundaries of an upper-class wife and mother--and in the process affected the lives of millions of readers and movie-goers. While the prose is sometimes too slow and there are odd backward jogs in the chronology, it's worth the reader's patience.

Many thanks to Norton and to Netgalley for the early look.

The flowery present tense prose of this book weakened it for me - I was ready to jump in because the subject matter was so fascinating, but I had a hard time slogging through the writing itself.