Judith Krantz

Lore & Background

Judith Bluma-Gittel Tarcher was born in New York City to a Jewish family. She graduated from the Birch Wathen School at 15 and attended Wellesley College, where she focused on dating and reading rather than grades, earning a B− average in her major. After college, she worked in fashion public relations in Paris, meeting figures such as Marlene Dietrich and Orson Welles, then returned to New York for a magazine career at *Good Housekeeping* and as a freelance writer for *Cosmopolitan*, where she wrote 'The Myth of the Multiple Orgasm'.

In 1976, after joining her husband in flying lessons to overcome her fear of flying, Krantz wrote her first novel, *Scruples*, in nine months. Published in 1978 when she turned 50, it reached number one on *The New York Times* bestseller list. Her second novel, *Princess Daisy* (1980), earned $5 million before publication and set a record for paperback rights at $3.2 million. She continued with bestsellers like *Mistral's Daughter* (1982) and *I'll Take Manhattan* (1986), the latter a thinly disguised self-portrait.

Krantz retired from writing in 1998 at age 70, stating she had nothing left to say. Her autobiography, *Sex and Shopping: The Confessions of a Nice Jewish Girl*, was published in 2000. She died at her home in Bel Air in 2019.

Reader's Guide

Judith Krantz's significance lies in her role as a defining author of the bonkbuster or 'sex-and-shopping' novel, a sub-genre that blended romance, glamour, and consumer culture. Her debut, *Scruples*, set in the high-fashion world of Beverly Hills, established a template that resonated with millions of readers worldwide. Over 80 million copies of her books are in print across more than 50 languages, and seven of her novels were adapted for television, often with her husband as executive producer. Krantz's work, while sometimes critically dismissed—notably Clive James's scathing review of *Princess Daisy*—achieved immense commercial success and influenced popular fiction's treatment of female ambition, wealth, and sexuality. Her career also exemplified the rise of the celebrity author, as she actively toured and promoted her books. Later novels like *Mistral's Daughter* expanded beyond formula to address themes of women's empowerment, art, and Jewish persecution during World War II. Krantz's legacy endures as a bestselling author who captured the aspirational fantasies of her era.

Did You Know?

• Krantz's first novel, *Scruples*, was published when she was 50 years old.
• She served on the advisory board of Compassion & Choices, an organization dedicated to providing choices for the dying.