The Personal Librarian

Belle da Costa Greene (1879-1950) was initially the private librarian of J. Pierpont Morgan and later his son, Jack. She was the first director of the Pierpont Morgan Library, known today as the Morgan Library and Museum. She curated one of the most important rare book and manuscript collections in the United States, eventually transforming it into a major public resource.

J.P. Morgan (1837-1913) financed railroads and helped to organize companies such as U.S. Steel and General Electric. In 1871, he formed a partnership with Philadelphia Banker Anthony Drexel, which in 1895, was recognized as J.P. Morgan & Company, the predecessor to today’s J.P. Morgan Chase. He spent most of his wealth amassing a vast art collection curated by Belle, of course.

Bernard Berenson (1865-1959) was an Italian Renaissance art critic and historian. He wrote Belle’s favorite book as a child “The Venetian Painters of the Renaissance”, which was a gift from her father. Later, Belle and Bernard have a … complicated relationship.

The Personal Librarian is a historical fiction account Belle da Costa Greene’s life written by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. They strived to capture Belle’s upbringing, her career as J.P. Morgan’s librarian and curator, and her social life during America’s Gilded Age. They did a pretty good job, but the pacing was off – sometimes it was a page turner, other times reading it was like pulling teeth. Which is funny, because in the Historical Note at the end of the book, the authors say “Sometimes, when necessary for the pacing of the story or the narrative arc of the book, we have taken liberties with historical dates and details.” Which is every author’s right, of course, but it didn’t really seem to make a difference. Unless the person reading the book happens to be an expert in the Gilded Age. Every chapter started with a date (or a range of dates in time), but those seemed arbitrary, unless the authors were hoping the book would read like a journal or diary.

Belle was a dynamic character. When she began her career, she tried to follow her mother’s advice to the letter. She quickly realized, however, that if she wanted to stand out and make a name for herself, she might have to break a few “rules.” It was really satisfying to watch her learn, change, and experience new things. She could more than hold her own in a time when the art world, like most things, was dominated by men.

Belle’s personal life, however, is a different story. It was really frustrating to watch – or, maybe the better word is read – her relationship with Bernard Berenson play out. Frustrating, and sad. From the Historical Note:

Which is really too bad. Of course, they had to take creative license, which is fine, but did they really have to write it the way they did? For Belle to be so professionally sure of herself, but unsure in other areas of life doesn’t quite make sense. But that’s not at all saying this is a bad book. Just a little bit of a long-haul.