The Woman Who Had Everything
1967, the Summer of Love, Taylor and Burton are in Rome on the set of Boom!. The eponymous woman is Elizabeth Taylor, but a broader theme spotlights two close associates who feel confident they have ‘everything’, because they’re entrenched in her orbit. Elizabeth knows what’s missing in her associates’ lives—an essential part of us all that goes beyond profession, lifestyle, travel, compensation, and heady excitement, all of which they have. Unmarried executive assistant and loyal friend, Jean, tentatively reciprocates glances from a dishy Italian dolly grip; costume designer, Buddy, seeks to be a valued gay partner in this new age of sexual freedom. Heavily invested in their work, neither Buddy nor Jean has felt any need to indulge in love until now.
Elizabeth dislikes female co-stars and surrounds herself with gay men. In this fluid, artsy community, the casual matter-of-factness of homosexuality and creativity (meet freelancer, Karl Lagerfeld) anchors the novel. Elizabeth’s intelligence, talent, humour, and infectious energy are colourfully credible, and her consideration and easy work ethic shines with a sincerity and dignity which she grants to everyone. Greco invites us to see the human side of extreme wealth, without highlighting entitlement, which is a pleasant change from the usual ‘lives of the rich and famous’ stereotype.
This unfathomable wealth—a $75,000 bespoke trailer, 130ft luxury yacht, private jet, thirty-carat diamond ring, endless parties and soirees and dining out—seems too fantastical; yet the reality is spontaneously vibrant and bursting with energy. Ignore for a while the screaming, shouting and name-calling, and the stars enjoy an eternal connection which spills over to friends and colleagues.
Greco’s readers will know he loves detailed tangential paths. Rome’s cafes, clubs, and nightlife thrum. Capo Caccia encapsulates a centuries-old cultural way of life. The movie bombed, but this is worth the fun ride.
