It is the time of the Belle Epoque in France and during the summer of 1885, Samuel Pozzi, the Comte De Montesquiou and Edmond de Polignac decided to visit London for a few days of intellectual shopping. These three men represent the best and the worse of that time in France; they moved in the same circles; they were very friends but not rivals.
Of the three, Pozzi, Dr. Samuel Pozzi is the lead character in this book and is the man in the red coat. In that famous painting by John Singer Sargent, he captures the mindset and Pozzi’s vision of his place in the world. Pozzi unlike the other two individuals central to the book was a “productive” man, known for being a society doctor, a man of science, the doctor who brought French medicine into the nineteenth century. Brilliant, handsome, and cultured, he moved effortlessly through French and English society. Married but a lover of women who found him all but irresistible, he was welcomed at the finest houses. Pozzi introduced modern gynecology to France and was feted in England for his break throughs in medical hygiene and surgery which led to shorter and higher recovery rates. When he took over the Lourcine-Pascal Hospital in 1883, it was almost entirely occupied by those infected with venereal disease which was very common in the poor population. He restructured the hospital, added wings, and went on to create the first gynecological clinic and chair at a university in France.
As we move through the book, we are brought into the society and world of the upper class, mostly in France, somewhat in England. If one is broke but with a great name, such as Montesquiou and Polignac, one will move smoothly though the houses of the rich and those who play the part. The parties, affairs, marriages made for financial and name considerations allow men and women to live a life far beyond the lives of the average. Snobbery is taken to be a fine art, and it continues until the Great War of 1914.
I believe the author enjoyed writing this book as he has felt free to insert his own witticisms and caustic remarks from time to time; they help to keep the reader engaged and draw attention to a detail that might have otherwise been overlooked. Although not for everyone, the book gives an excellent glance into a world that is long gone, taking its abuses, but also unfortunately, its finest moments with it. It was a time when a man (or woman) could make their mark in the world by combining their talents and interests to create their own unique image.
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