{"product_id":"the-queen-of-the-night-isbn-9780544925472","title":"The Queen Of The Night","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eNATIONAL BESTSELLER, \u003cem\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/em\u003e Editors’ Choice, and a Best Book of the Year from \u003cem\u003eNPR\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eBoston Globe\u003c\/em\u003e, BuzzFeed, and others. The mesmerizing story of one woman's rise from circus rider to courtesan to world-renowned diva—\"a brilliant performance\" (\u003cem\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/em\u003e).\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Queen of the Night\u003c\/em\u003e tells the captivating story of Lilliet Berne, an orphan who left the American frontier for Europe and was swept into the glamour and terror of Second Empire France. She became a sensation of the Paris Opera, with every accolade but an original role—her chance at immortality. When one is offered to her, she finds the libretto is based on her deepest secret, something only four people have ever known. But who betrayed her? \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith epic sweep, gorgeous language, and haunting details, Alexander Chee shares Lilliet’s cunning transformation from circus rider to courtesan to legendary soprano, retracing the path that led to the role that could secure her reputation—or destroy her with the secrets it reveals. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“It just sounds terrific. It sounds like opera.”—\u003cem\u003eThe New Yorker \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Sprawling, soaring, bawdy, and plotted like a fine embroidery.”—\u003cem\u003eNPR \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e | \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNational Bestseller \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e Editor's Choice\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eA Best Book of the Year from\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNPR,\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eEsquire\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eSelf\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Boston Globe\u003c\/em\u003e, the \u003cem\u003eSan Francisco Chronicle\u003c\/em\u003e, the \u003cem\u003ePortland Mercury\u003c\/em\u003e, Jezebel, \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTime Out NY, Buzzfeed, Vox.com, Refinery 29, Electric Literature,\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e LitHub, Entropy, \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Morning News, and the\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eFinancial Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eAn Indie Next Pick  One of the Most Anticipated Titles of 2016 by \u003cem\u003eEntertainment Weekly\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eWired\u003c\/em\u003e, Refinery29, Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, BBC, Bustle, The Millions, Flavorwire, Book Riot, Brooklyn Magazine, and Bookish.\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eA \u003cem\u003eGuardian \u003c\/em\u003eBest Book of the Summer \u003c\/strong\u003e   \"\u003cem\u003eThe Queen of the Night\u003c\/em\u003e joins \u003cem\u003eTipping the Velvet\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Crimson Petal and the White\u003c\/em\u003e as the rare historical novel in which the setting may be old, but the writing makes everything feel brand new. Alexander Chee has written a subversive, sexy epic about a young American girl who struggles more than her fans will ever understand on her way to eventually become a highly celebrated soprano at the Paris Opera House. Lillet Berne's dramatic rise to success is all the more exciting because of all the wonderful details Chee includes about her life in the late 19th century. The descriptions of her dresses alone are worth the price of this book, and Chee's knowledge about opera is such that you can almost hear the music when reading his words. But for all the research and historical detail, in the end, it's a love story, as so many of the most excellent books are.\"--\u003cstrong\u003eEsquire \u003c\/strong\u003e   “The novel is infused with an operatic sensibility…\u003cem\u003eThe Queen of the Night\u003c\/em\u003e is a celebration of these women of creativity, ingenuity, endurance, mastery and grace—a gala in their honor.” —\u003cstrong\u003eKelly Gardiner, \u003cem\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e     “Epic…Brilliantly extravagant in its twists and turns and its wide-ranging cast of character.” —\u003cstrong\u003eJulia Felsenthal, \u003cem\u003eVogue \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e     “[An] extravagant five-act grand opera of a novel…Chee’s writing is cultured and confident, and the elite society he depicts is dazzling…Readers willing to submit to the spell of this glittering, luxuriantly paced novel will find that it rewards their attention, from its opening mysteries to its satisfying full-circle finale.” —\u003cstrong\u003eSam Sacks, \u003cem\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e     \"A sweeping, richly detailed historical novel about a young woman's tumultuous trajectory from circus rider to renowned soprano at the Paris Opera.\" —\u003cstrong\u003eKim Hubbard, \u003cem\u003ePeople\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e     “An opera of the page, complete with seduction, hidden identity, betrayal and plenty of costume changes…It’s the ball gowns and roses, magic tricks and ruses, hubris and punishment that will keep the reader absorbed until the final aria.” —\u003cstrong\u003eSarah Begley, \u003cem\u003eTime\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e     “Gorgeous prose...Extraordinarily beautiful and dramatic, a brilliant performance.” —\u003cstrong\u003eWendy Smith, \u003cem\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e     “[A] postmodern bodice ripper…It just sounds terrific. It sounds like opera…It offers a rare, intriguing psychology: the heart as a buried place, where someone is hiding, singing—words you can’t quite hear.” —\u003cstrong\u003eJoan Acocella, \u003cem\u003eThe New Yorker\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e     \"[A] wild opera of a novel…Swift, smart, immersive, and gorgeous.\" —\u003cstrong\u003eGarth Greenwell, \u003cem\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e     “If Lilliet Berne were a man, she might have been what 19th-century novels would call a swashbuckler: the kind of destiny-courting, death-defying character who finds intrigue and peril (and somehow, always, a fantastic pair of pantaloons) around every corner…The richness of [Chee’s] research is evident on every page. Paris’ glittering swirl of artists, artistocrats, and underworld habitués lives vividly in his descriptions.” —\u003cstrong\u003eLeah Greenblatt, \u003cem\u003eEntertainment Weekly \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e     \"Despite the nineteenth-century setting, the story couldn’t be more appropriate for the Age of Kardashian—a masterful look at transformation and its unforeseen aftershocks.\" —\u003cstrong\u003eNathan Smith, \u003cem\u003eWired\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e     “\u003cem\u003eThe Queen of the Night\u003c\/em\u003e tackles the fate of history, women’s sexuality, and the inner lives of forgotten courtesans who wielded power at a time when women were often powerless. The intricate ways Chee renders this past reveals so much about our present day.” —\u003cstrong\u003eTanwi Nandini Islam, \u003cem\u003eElle\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e     “Vivid, glittering…A spellbinding story of intrigue and self-reinvention.\" —\u003cstrong\u003eJarry Lee, \u003cem\u003eBuzzfeed\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e     “With a hint of the charm of Victorian erotica, a marvelously involute plot and a whiff of the circus in the American grain… Chee has leaped to another scale altogether…Here, that voice, a rare instance of a fairy-tale first person, is at once fabulous in its simplicity and intimate in its specificity, making the story seem historical, mythic and at the same time deeply personal.” —\u003cstrong\u003eEllen Akins, \u003cem\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e     \"Enchants.\" —\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eUS Weekly\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e     “Operatically elaborate, enthralling…A bit like Verdi’s \u003cem\u003eLa Forza del Destino\u003c\/em\u003e in its twists and turns…Chee does an excellent job of making the world of 19th-century opera—an art form that continues to struggle with the perception that it is not fun—lively and fascinating and louche.” —\u003cstrong\u003eSpencer Lenfield, \u003cem\u003eSlate \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e     \"A lush, imaginative novel, one that you’ll hope never ends.\" —\u003cstrong\u003eClaire Luchette, \u003cem\u003eTravel and Leisure\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e   \"\u003cem\u003eQueen of the Night\u003c\/em\u003e joins \u003cem\u003eTipping the Velvet\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Crimson Petal and the White\u003c\/em\u003e as the rare historical novel in which the setting may be old, but the writing makes everything feel brand new…A subversive, sexy epic.\" —\u003cstrong\u003eMaris Kreizman, \u003cem\u003eEsquire\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e     “A multi-stranded, thoroughly researched epic.\" —\u003cstrong\u003eJoe Fassler, \u003cem\u003eThe Atlantic\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e     “\u003cem\u003eThe Queen of the Night\u003c\/em\u003e is an astonishing universe into which its lucky readers can dissolve completely, metamorphosing alongside its shapeshifting protagonist. Lilliet Berne steals her name from a gravestone and launches into a life of full-throated song; her voice is an intoxicant, and this book is a glorious performance. Chee's enveloping, seductive prose is perfectly matched to the circus world of the opera.” —\u003cstrong\u003eKaren Russell\u003c\/strong\u003e     \"A luminous tale of power and passion. Chee gives us an unforgettable heroine and a rich cast of characters—many of them real historical figures. The story dazzles and surprises right up until the final page.\" —\u003cstrong\u003eJ. Courtney Sullivan\u003c\/strong\u003e     “One doesn't so much read Alexander Chee’s \u003cem\u003eThe Queen of the Night\u003c\/em\u003e as one is bewitched by it. Beneath its epic sweep, gorgeous language, and haunting details is the most elementa\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mariner Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44890091946213,"sku":"NP9780544925472","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780544925472.jpg?v=1730232526","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-queen-of-the-night-isbn-9780544925472","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}