by Alexander Chee
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016. 561 pgs. Fiction.
The life of famed Falcon soprano Lilliet Berne has been one of reinvention. Beginning her life as a poor Minnesota farm girl, she transformed in turn into a circus equestrienne, a prostitute, an imperial seamstress, a courtesan, a spy, and finally an opera star. Only five people know the secrets of her past, so when she is offered a role in an opera that mirrors her own history, Lilliet must discover who has betrayed her.
For those who love a lot of period detail in their historical fiction, The Queen of the Night is a perfect choice. Chee provides lush descriptions of the clothing Lilliet wears, the operas she sings in, and the events of her day. Second Empire France comes alive in his narrative. I found Lilliet to be a surprisingly emotionally flat character, but I was nevertheless completely swept along in her story. This isn’t a book with a single, central conflict, but rather a winding story of Lillet’s Scarlett O’Hara-like determination to survive. Her experiences are completely improbable, perhaps in an echo of opera itself.
I also have to say that I love the cover of The Queen of the Night. Though it features a historic photograph of the Comtesse de Castiglione (who happens to figure prominently in the story), the dress, the pose, and especially the mask perfectly represent Lilliet Berne.
SGR
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