Once they established themselves as brothers (they were born to an aristocratic French family ten years apart) they spent only one day separate from each other until Jules died of syphilis in Edmond's arms. The years before and after were marked by all the belle ̌poque had to offer as they wrote novels, plays and criticism together, attended every drama and ball, participated in every public and private conversation, and patronized every possible Parisian entertainment. They were intimate enough with Hugo, Baudelaire, Degas, Flaubert, Zola and Rodin to be a part of the vicious circle of gossip they maintained about each other, but most important, the brothers de Goncourt wrote eloquently and yet also elaborately about it all. The result not only shows exactly how belle the literature, art, drama and cultural sensibilities of ̌poque really were but also outclasses any celebrity nastiness of the present day. Annotation 2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
