LoveReading Says
LoveReading Says
An immersive, page-turning work of biographical fiction, Daisy Goodwin’s Diva certainly hits all the right notes for opera aficionados. At the same time, it comes hugely recommended for readers who love stories steeped in the glamour and grit of mid-century celebrity. Epic tales of love and loss. Novels that conjure the passions, pains and gifts of extraordinary women like Maria Callas — la divina.
In this novel, we first meet Maria in Paris in 1968, just after she’s discovered that the love of her life, Aristotle Onassis, is marrying Jacqueline Kennedy. Accompanied by her close friend, director Franco Zeffirelli, she steps out in public “dignified but also spectacular”. Under the glare of cameras, she shares an exchange with Elizabeth Taylor: “We divas need to stick together.
Next time, don’t trust a man until there’s a ring on your finger,” cautions Liz.
Through shifting timelines, Goodwin unveils Maria’s upbringing in 1930s Greece, her remarkable, hard-fought rise to become “la divina”, the world’s greatest opera singer, and how she fell madly in love with Onassis, and into the circles of celebrities like Noël Coward, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
Conjuring Callas in all her complexity, Diva will enchant readers who adore rip-roaring stories of ambition, desire, celebrity and the intricacies of love and heartbreak.
Reviewed by Joanne OwenJoanne Owen’s lifelong love of reading and writing began when she was growing up in Pembrokeshire, and very much wished that witches (and Mrs Pepperpot) were real.
More reviews by Joanne Owen About Diva
In the glittering and ruthlessly competitive world of opera, Maria Callas is known simply as la divina: the divine one. With her glorious voice, instinctive flair for the dramatic and striking beauty, she's the toast of the grandest opera houses in the world. Yet her fame has been hard won: raised in Nazi-occupied Greece by a mother who mercilessly exploited her, Maria learned early in life how to protect herself.
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Diva Synopsis
In the glittering and ruthlessly competitive world of opera, Maria Callas is known simply as la divina: the divine one. With her glorious voice, instinctive flair for the dramatic and striking beauty, she's the toast of the grandest opera houses in the world. Yet her fame has been hard won: raised in Nazi-occupied Greece by a mother who mercilessly exploited her, Maria learned early in life how to protect herself.
When she meets the fabulously rich shipping magnate, Aristotle Onassis, her isolation melts away. For the first time in her life, she believes she's found a man who sees the woman rather than the legendary soprano. Desperately in love, Onassis introduces her to a life of unbelievable luxury, mixing with celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
And then, suddenly, it's over. The international press announce that Onassis will marry the most famous woman in the world, former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, leaving Maria to pick up the pieces.
In this remarkable novel, Daisy Goodwin brings to life a woman whose extraordinary talent, unremitting drive and natural chic made her a legend. But it was only in confronting the heartbreak of losing the man she loved that Maria Callas found her true voice.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781035906673 |
| Publication date: |
12th September 2024 |
| Author: |
Daisy Goodwin |
| Publisher: |
Aria an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
416 pages |
| Primary Genre |
Historical Fiction
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| Other Genres: |
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| Recommendations: |
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Press Reviews
Daisy Goodwin Press Reviews
'I was blown away by Diva. Beautiful, visceral, tragic, gutting.' -- Miranda Cowley Heller - #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Paper Palace
'The spectacular Daisy Goodwin has written Diva, an epic novel about Maria Callas in love that hits every note and soars off the page. You will root for Callas as she navigates her dynamic career and a love affair that will break her heart. Told with tenderness and power, this is bravura storytelling in the hands of a master.' -- Adriana Trigiani 'Elegant, adult, ultimately very moving, Diva presents an amazingly convincing Maria, while always conveying the power of the majestic Callas myth.' -- Laura Thompson
'I've been completely overwhelmed by Diva: by the pleasure of reading such a marvellous ardent, romantic, yet utterly worldly book... Quick, where are my Callas records...' -- Lady Antonia Fraser
'With its glamour, celebrity and heartbreak, this is the unstoppable story of ambition and desire that enchantress Daisy Goodwin was born to write.' -- Lucy Worsley
'Daisy Goodwin's richly imagined world makes Diva an irresistible page-turner. Blending high drama with an artist's eye for detail, Goodwin breathes life into one of the greatest and most tragic stars of the 20th century. Whether you're an opera aficionado or simply love an epic tale of love and ambition, Diva is a pure delight.' -- Dr. Amanda Foreman
'Daisy Goodwin is a genius storyteller, fashioning the most delicious, insider gossip into a tale full of heartbreak, love, ambition and brutal disappointment.' -- Nina de Gramont
'Maria Callas was the greatest opera singer of all time, a woman whose miraculous performances were an alchemical compound of power and vulnerability, perfectionism and emotional risk-taking. Her private life was no less conflicted or dramatic. Based on her true story, this page-turner is a must read for fans of Daisy Goodwin's fiction.' -- Lucasta Miller
Author
About Daisy Goodwin
Daisy Goodwin was our Guest Editor in May 2014 - click here - to see the books that inspired her writing.
Daisy Goodwin’s work as a TV producer and presenter includes Reader I Married Him, Bookworm and The Nation’s Favourite Poems; she is also the creator of Grand Designs and the hit Itv drama Victoria, which has sold to 134 countries. She has edited numerous poetry anthologies, including the bestselling 101 Poems That Could Save Your Life, and is the author of Silver River, a memoir, as well as three bestselling novels: My Last Duchess, The Fortune Hunter and Victoria. Her work has been translated into seventeen languages.
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