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Prima Donna
Opera singer Sabine Conrad is the toast of nineteenth-century New York high society. A celebrated soprano with the voice of an angel, she is showered with adulation by her audiences and courted by wealthy patrons. But behind the scenes, her every move is controlled by a Svengali-like manager, Gideon Price. When her attempt to escape him goes tragically awry, she flees, leaving behind a grisly murder.
Three years later, as Marguerite Olson, she has put aside the prima donna she once was to run a low-class theater in Seattle. Hidden among prostitutes, drunks, and miners, a desperate and determined Marguerite carefully guards the secrets of her old life—until her past returns to offer a terrifying proposition.
Prima Donna captures both the glittering decadence of New York and the rough raunchy waterfront of Seattle, as Marguerite, caught between two worlds, must find the strength to confront the truth of her past and choose which voice defines her in this dark and harrowing novel.
Three years later, as Marguerite Olson, she has put aside the prima donna she once was to run a low-class theater in Seattle. Hidden among prostitutes, drunks, and miners, a desperate and determined Marguerite carefully guards the secrets of her old life—until her past returns to offer a terrifying proposition.
Prima Donna captures both the glittering decadence of New York and the rough raunchy waterfront of Seattle, as Marguerite, caught between two worlds, must find the strength to confront the truth of her past and choose which voice defines her in this dark and harrowing novel.
418 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
14 people are currently reading
460 people want to read
About the author
Megan Chance
32 books704 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Megan Chance is the bestselling, critically acclaimed author of several novels. Booklist calls her writing “Provocative and haunting.” Her books have been chosen by Amazon's Book of the Month, Borders Original Voices and IndieNext. A former television news photographer with a BA from Western Washington University, Megan Chance lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband. Visit her at www.meganchance.com
Megan Chance is the bestselling, critically acclaimed author of several novels. Booklist calls her writing “Provocative and haunting.” Her books have been chosen by Amazon's Book of the Month, Borders Original Voices and IndieNext. A former television news photographer with a BA from Western Washington University, Megan Chance lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband. Visit her at www.meganchance.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
August 12, 2010
This is a story about journeys and self-discovery. Sabine Conrad is running from a crime she committed. She is also running from herself and the person she has become. In Seattle she changes her name to Marguerite and tries to become a different person; tries to forget who she is. But you can never change who you really are, especially Marguerite. In her past as Sabine, music and singing were everything to her. They were woven into every fiber of her being. Music was her soul.
Every so often, the chapters are entries from Sabine's journal, written during her early days as she tried to build her singing career. Sabine traveled the country with her brother Barrett and her teacher Gideon. Sabine and Gideon fell in love during this time, and maintained a secret relationship. Both Sabine and Gideon did things they regretted, but most of it was to further Sabine's career. There were no innocent parties, just two people who loved each other, but yet never really communicated with each other. You know, say one thing but mean something else. Good things never come from this type of behavior. As the story unfolds Marguerite likes to think of herself as a victim, but she was just as responsible for her actions as Gideon was for encouraging her. Both of them were at fault.
A leopard can only hide her spots for so long, before they pop out again. So it was for Marguerite and music. She was a sad, empty, shell of a person without her singing. Marguerite tries to ease her pain on a daily basis until she befriends Charlotte. Charlotte starts to coax things out of Marguerite, and the walls she built begin to fall. Marguerite begins to face certain truths, and the story moves forward from there. I don't want to give you any spoilers, but I will tell you that Marguerite eventually comes to terms with Sabine. Her actions, her sense of being, who she is. At least now Sabine can now live her life on her own terms with no more secrets.
With respect to 1880s Seattle frontier, Chance's writing certainly brought that time and place to life for me. It was a rough and tumble place, and women did what they had to to survive. Overall I enjoyed the story, however it did drag a bit in the 3rd quarter of the book. I was also a little tired of Sabine's journal entries because she was acting like a child, not growing up. She was a Prima Donna in the truest sense, whereas Marguerite was growing up and realizing herself, who she was. That probably also comes from what she had to do to survive. Towards the end, the story picks up the pace and ends quite well.
Every so often, the chapters are entries from Sabine's journal, written during her early days as she tried to build her singing career. Sabine traveled the country with her brother Barrett and her teacher Gideon. Sabine and Gideon fell in love during this time, and maintained a secret relationship. Both Sabine and Gideon did things they regretted, but most of it was to further Sabine's career. There were no innocent parties, just two people who loved each other, but yet never really communicated with each other. You know, say one thing but mean something else. Good things never come from this type of behavior. As the story unfolds Marguerite likes to think of herself as a victim, but she was just as responsible for her actions as Gideon was for encouraging her. Both of them were at fault.
A leopard can only hide her spots for so long, before they pop out again. So it was for Marguerite and music. She was a sad, empty, shell of a person without her singing. Marguerite tries to ease her pain on a daily basis until she befriends Charlotte. Charlotte starts to coax things out of Marguerite, and the walls she built begin to fall. Marguerite begins to face certain truths, and the story moves forward from there. I don't want to give you any spoilers, but I will tell you that Marguerite eventually comes to terms with Sabine. Her actions, her sense of being, who she is. At least now Sabine can now live her life on her own terms with no more secrets.
With respect to 1880s Seattle frontier, Chance's writing certainly brought that time and place to life for me. It was a rough and tumble place, and women did what they had to to survive. Overall I enjoyed the story, however it did drag a bit in the 3rd quarter of the book. I was also a little tired of Sabine's journal entries because she was acting like a child, not growing up. She was a Prima Donna in the truest sense, whereas Marguerite was growing up and realizing herself, who she was. That probably also comes from what she had to do to survive. Towards the end, the story picks up the pace and ends quite well.
January 10, 2010
Sabine Conrad thought she had it all - the grand Prima Donna of the stage, the darling of New York society as well as the *love* of her controlling manager Gideon Price - until she is involved in a murder that sends her running to the farthest corner of the country, Seattle. Down on her luck, and going by the name Marguerite Olson she takes employment with a saloon keeper that eventually grows into a business partnership as well as a *relationship* of sorts. The story is told in alternating viewpoints, the later storyline in Seattle is first person narrative of Sabine and her past history as a young opera star is told via excerpts from Sabina's diary. Eventually Sabine/Marguerite's past comes back to haunt her and she must chose between her new life or the old one that comes calling once again – can she resist the lure of the stage and the public’s adoration?
*Yawn*. Despite not being a great fan of opera, I actually had great hopes for this one, especially with the setting being my own home town - Seattle. Unfortunately as some other reviewers have noted none of the characters were terribly likeable and in fact most times were downright distasteful as was much of the language they used as well as their sexual relationships (does everyone like it rough and ready?). Sabina was bordering on TSTL over Gideon and his machinations (oh come with the suspecting the maids of stealing her jewels), and I also found it hard to believe that no one would have raised an eyebrow at a young girl old traveling around the country with her brother and *manager* without a proper escort.
I did enjoy the old Seattle setting and didn't really catch anything that sounded out of place and very much appreciated her including "The Mountain" in her settings (Rainier does dominate the landscape just a tad when she deigns to show herself), but I think I would have enjoyed it more if there'd been some more interaction with the founding fathers, but outside of a very brief appearance at the end that is not to be. It would have been nice to see Sabine interact with Asa Mercer as well as a Pike or Boren. In the end, it is a good book but not a great one. Get it from the library if you must and then buy it if you love it.
*Yawn*. Despite not being a great fan of opera, I actually had great hopes for this one, especially with the setting being my own home town - Seattle. Unfortunately as some other reviewers have noted none of the characters were terribly likeable and in fact most times were downright distasteful as was much of the language they used as well as their sexual relationships (does everyone like it rough and ready?). Sabina was bordering on TSTL over Gideon and his machinations (oh come with the suspecting the maids of stealing her jewels), and I also found it hard to believe that no one would have raised an eyebrow at a young girl old traveling around the country with her brother and *manager* without a proper escort.
I did enjoy the old Seattle setting and didn't really catch anything that sounded out of place and very much appreciated her including "The Mountain" in her settings (Rainier does dominate the landscape just a tad when she deigns to show herself), but I think I would have enjoyed it more if there'd been some more interaction with the founding fathers, but outside of a very brief appearance at the end that is not to be. It would have been nice to see Sabine interact with Asa Mercer as well as a Pike or Boren. In the end, it is a good book but not a great one. Get it from the library if you must and then buy it if you love it.
November 10, 2009
This story is told from two different view points. One viewpoint is twenty seven year old Sabine who is living in Seattle and working in a saloon hiring prostitutes and constantly looking over her shoulder in fear that her past will catch up with her. The other viewpoint is seventeen year old Sabine's journal and it talks about the opera and her lovers and the all the scandal and family problems. The journal also slowly leads readers step by step towards understanding why and how Seattle Sabine is in the situation she is in.
I did not care for the journal of young Sabine. Thru her words readers visit the scandalous and heated backstages of 1800s opera, but it is literally a soap opera about the opera. Everybody is sleeping with everybody else and on top of being incredibly selfish, spoiled, and wanton, Sabine is also unbelievably naive. Her lover, Gideon takes women left and right and she cannot figure him out? Her jewelry also keeps disappearing. Hello, Sabine? Anybody home in that brain? Something else I found bothersome was that anytime Sabine and Gideon have words, they must sum it up with rough sex.
Seattle Sabine is not much better. Tho she lacks the fame, money, and pretty dresses, she still offers her body to get what she wants and thinks only of herself. Tho hiding from her past and those that are searching for her, her vanity and love of her own voice may be her downfall. She begins a show business venture with her current lover and it is only a matter of time before her past catches up to her and she has a decision to make.
I was all prepared to give this four stars due to the amazing historical details and the fact that I truly felt I was on the rainy streets of 1878 Seattle, but just when I thought Sabine was finally redeeming herself, I lost what little respect I had for her around page 334. The ending left me feeling empty. I feel Sabine went back to square one and well... what was the point of all this then?
I did not care for the journal of young Sabine. Thru her words readers visit the scandalous and heated backstages of 1800s opera, but it is literally a soap opera about the opera. Everybody is sleeping with everybody else and on top of being incredibly selfish, spoiled, and wanton, Sabine is also unbelievably naive. Her lover, Gideon takes women left and right and she cannot figure him out? Her jewelry also keeps disappearing. Hello, Sabine? Anybody home in that brain? Something else I found bothersome was that anytime Sabine and Gideon have words, they must sum it up with rough sex.
Seattle Sabine is not much better. Tho she lacks the fame, money, and pretty dresses, she still offers her body to get what she wants and thinks only of herself. Tho hiding from her past and those that are searching for her, her vanity and love of her own voice may be her downfall. She begins a show business venture with her current lover and it is only a matter of time before her past catches up to her and she has a decision to make.
I was all prepared to give this four stars due to the amazing historical details and the fact that I truly felt I was on the rainy streets of 1878 Seattle, but just when I thought Sabine was finally redeeming herself, I lost what little respect I had for her around page 334. The ending left me feeling empty. I feel Sabine went back to square one and well... what was the point of all this then?
February 15, 2010
I've read some of Megan Chance's other books (I highly recommend An Inconvenient Wife, which has one of those endings that just leaves you gasping) but this, I think, is her best yet.
It's not for you if you don't like narrators who are--well, let's put it this way, you don't want to cross opera singer Sabine Conrad or, as she becomes, Marguerite Olson. She's not a character you love--she's a character you are fascinated by, not just because of what she does, but because of how she has created so many layers around herself and what she's done that you finish the book wondering if the ending is sort of happy in a tragic way or just really tragic.
That kind of writing take a lot of skill in my opinion, and Megan Chance pulls it off beautifully. Moving back in forth from Sabine's early years as an opera singer in the 1870s, to the moment where her life falls apart (in the late 1870s), to her life as Marguerite in Seattle in 1881, you see what's happened--and, as the novel keeps going, start to wonder if Sabine, even when she was young, was as naive as she appears to be, or if she was determined to get what she wanted no matter what. And her life as Marguerite--she's hard and broken but still so...intricate, really, is the word I think best describes her. And Sabine.
If you like historical fiction that doesn't flinch away from the darker side of human nature, do yourself a favor and check this one out. It is truly mesmerizing and I can't wait to see what Megan Chance does next!
It's not for you if you don't like narrators who are--well, let's put it this way, you don't want to cross opera singer Sabine Conrad or, as she becomes, Marguerite Olson. She's not a character you love--she's a character you are fascinated by, not just because of what she does, but because of how she has created so many layers around herself and what she's done that you finish the book wondering if the ending is sort of happy in a tragic way or just really tragic.
That kind of writing take a lot of skill in my opinion, and Megan Chance pulls it off beautifully. Moving back in forth from Sabine's early years as an opera singer in the 1870s, to the moment where her life falls apart (in the late 1870s), to her life as Marguerite in Seattle in 1881, you see what's happened--and, as the novel keeps going, start to wonder if Sabine, even when she was young, was as naive as she appears to be, or if she was determined to get what she wanted no matter what. And her life as Marguerite--she's hard and broken but still so...intricate, really, is the word I think best describes her. And Sabine.
If you like historical fiction that doesn't flinch away from the darker side of human nature, do yourself a favor and check this one out. It is truly mesmerizing and I can't wait to see what Megan Chance does next!
November 9, 2010
While I don't think this is the best work I've read from this author I still found the story and the characters interesting and enjoyable. I think Megan Chance is very good at writing characters in an ambiguous way so the reader isn't really sure how to interpret their actions. She's also very good at writing emotional or romantic relationships. I liked the way she did both in this story.
I highly recommend 'An Inconvenient Wife' by Megan Chance, which is a very interesting novel with some similarities to Prima Donna, 'The Spiritualist' is also similar to Prima Donna in that the reader isn't certain about the character's motivations.
In 'Prima Donna' I enjoyed reading about the young Opera star, Sabine's, rise to fame and the way she goes about securing patrons and the gifts they give her. I thought the way her relationship with her sister's beau Gideon changed over time was intriguing and I wondered who's interest he had at heart.
I thought the story's weakest point was the relationship between the characters Marguerite and Johnny, who run a theater (with a little prostitution on the side) in Seattle. The reader is told how Johnny feels but is never shown the reasons for his feelings or how they develop, this omission felt like a void in the story to me.
I enjoyed the ending and I especially liked the way Chance paints a very different picture of the events that happened in the story just by shifting the perspective.
I thought this was an easy and enjoyable read but more historical romance than historical fiction. If you are looking for something by this author I would encourage you to try 'An Inconvenient Wife' or 'Susannah Morrow'.
I highly recommend 'An Inconvenient Wife' by Megan Chance, which is a very interesting novel with some similarities to Prima Donna, 'The Spiritualist' is also similar to Prima Donna in that the reader isn't certain about the character's motivations.
In 'Prima Donna' I enjoyed reading about the young Opera star, Sabine's, rise to fame and the way she goes about securing patrons and the gifts they give her. I thought the way her relationship with her sister's beau Gideon changed over time was intriguing and I wondered who's interest he had at heart.
I thought the story's weakest point was the relationship between the characters Marguerite and Johnny, who run a theater (with a little prostitution on the side) in Seattle. The reader is told how Johnny feels but is never shown the reasons for his feelings or how they develop, this omission felt like a void in the story to me.
I enjoyed the ending and I especially liked the way Chance paints a very different picture of the events that happened in the story just by shifting the perspective.
I thought this was an easy and enjoyable read but more historical romance than historical fiction. If you are looking for something by this author I would encourage you to try 'An Inconvenient Wife' or 'Susannah Morrow'.
June 20, 2010
Sabine Conrad is on top of the world. She finds herself as one of the most popular sopranos in the country, until a shocking murder brings it all crashing down.
The story is shown through Sabine's journal entries documenting her rise to fame during the 1870s. The other parts take place in 1881 Seattle, four years after the murder, where she has assumed a different identity.
The journal entries were sometimes excruciating. I knew that she was young and everything, but good grief! She was dumb as a bag of rocks. Speaking of rocks, it seemed like all she needed was for someone to buy her a nice piece of sparkley jewelry after a fight and all was forgiven.
I did enjoy the scenes in Seattle and the inner turmoil that was going through Sabine's head as she started to get close to people, but had to lie to them to protect her past. However, despite her best efforts, she soon finds herself face-to-face with the demons she tried to keep hidden and her life is once again turned upside down.
I also enjoyed all the opera talk. I just love opera and it was one of the things that attracted me to this book.
Overall, I did enjoy Prima Donna. I wasn't blown away by it and there were some excruciating parts, like I said. Also, the ending was wrapped up just a little too neatly, like it felt a bit rushed, but it was a pretty good read.
The story is shown through Sabine's journal entries documenting her rise to fame during the 1870s. The other parts take place in 1881 Seattle, four years after the murder, where she has assumed a different identity.
The journal entries were sometimes excruciating. I knew that she was young and everything, but good grief! She was dumb as a bag of rocks. Speaking of rocks, it seemed like all she needed was for someone to buy her a nice piece of sparkley jewelry after a fight and all was forgiven.
I did enjoy the scenes in Seattle and the inner turmoil that was going through Sabine's head as she started to get close to people, but had to lie to them to protect her past. However, despite her best efforts, she soon finds herself face-to-face with the demons she tried to keep hidden and her life is once again turned upside down.
I also enjoyed all the opera talk. I just love opera and it was one of the things that attracted me to this book.
Overall, I did enjoy Prima Donna. I wasn't blown away by it and there were some excruciating parts, like I said. Also, the ending was wrapped up just a little too neatly, like it felt a bit rushed, but it was a pretty good read.
October 25, 2013
I've loved Megan Chance for years. I love her heroines, especially, their bitterness and fear and bravery. Prima Donna was split up into the heroine's present-day (well, 1878 "present-day") and flashbacks to her earlier life. The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is that the heroine had grown so much in the intervening years, and I didn't quite adore the flashbacks as much as the present-day stuff (set in Seattle! I love my city). I loved seeing her change and come to some tough realizations about herself and her life, and I wanted more of that. That said, I could barely put this book down. I finished it in just a few days, and it's generally taking me a week or more to read a novel these days. I highly recommend it. (And if you like historical fiction that doesn't turn a blind eye to the scariness of some aspects of the past, especially for women, check out her An Inconvenient Wife. It's one of my favorite historical novels ever. And if you can get your hands on Fall from Grace, one of her backlist romances, I loved that too).
April 14, 2010
This novel about an opera singer in the 19th century captured my interest, being a singer myself. I thought that the intrigue and mystery connected with the storyline would be satisfying, and make for a good read. Well---little did I know that this female author chose to throw in quite a bit of bad language----words that I have to wonder that they would say in those days, as well as sexual situations that didn't really add to the storyline, nor need to be there. It wasn't really of the bodice-ripper genre, but it was enough to make one annoyed and took away from the original story.
I liked the story---and the mystery, but did not enjoy the writing....not a fan. I am trying to decide if all of her novels will be this way----and why this author feels as if she needs to write like a man....which tend to be more explicit in the sexual scene area. When there is writing like this----when it supposed to be a historical novel/mystery, it takes me out of the era and the story becomes almost a chore to follow.
All in all---not my favorite....
I liked the story---and the mystery, but did not enjoy the writing....not a fan. I am trying to decide if all of her novels will be this way----and why this author feels as if she needs to write like a man....which tend to be more explicit in the sexual scene area. When there is writing like this----when it supposed to be a historical novel/mystery, it takes me out of the era and the story becomes almost a chore to follow.
All in all---not my favorite....
September 23, 2011
I first read Megan Chance's City of Ash. I shouldn't have. It has lots of F-bombs. I even emailed the author and asked why she put so much crappy language in. She responded that the characters in that time period would have talked that way. She suggested I read her other books which she said didn't have as much bad language. I got 20 pages in to Prima Donna and saw she was wrong - that one is just as bad. I can't recommend this book or City of Ash. It's too bad because the historical part of City of Ash (and maybe Prima Donna) was really great and you could tell she did her research. But I just don't want to wince when I read.
April 21, 2010
A surprisingly good story set in 1870s Seattle about a successful singer trying to escape her past.
January 2, 2011
Opera star quits stage to become bad-ass saloon keeper? I didn't quite buy it. Too silly by far.
August 14, 2014
I'm giving up. It's not bad, really. I just don't care about Sabine/Marguerite. Too many books, too little time.
January 27, 2021
I love opera, I like Deadwood, and I’ve generally really enjoyed Megan Chance’s books, so this seemed like a sure thing. But alas.
I’m not really really sure what precisely didn’t work for me. I really enjoyed the parts set in Seattle, but I found the diary entry bits extremely irritating and started skipping them entirely about a quarter of the way in.
The only specific issue that I really can point to (which I admit may be exacerbated by skipping the diary entries) is that I deeply hated Sabine choosing Gideon over Johnny. Not that I necessarily think that Johnny was a great guy (although, as we’ve already established, I love Al Swearengen, so I’m firmly #teamjohnny), but that Gideon and and his relationship with Sabine was so toxic and awful that I just don’t see how they could come back from that.
Aside from everything else, Chance seems to want to echo opera narratives in her own story; obviously Gound’s Faust is a big touchstone, but so are Carmen, Traviata, and Tosca (probably as well as others my tired brain can’t think of right now). So ending the story with the three principles of a love triangle all alive and relatively happy seems entirely thematically inappropriate. In my opinion it should have ended either 1) Gideon allowing Sabine to make a new life in Seattle with Johnny, possibly sacrificing himself in the process (kind of a gender bent Madama Butterfly, which I’m here for. More men need to die in operas), 2) Gideon murders Sabine and then commits suicide (Carmen, although I’m not a fan of this one), 3) Sabine turns herself in for the murder, possibly after killing Gideon (a la Tosca).
Anyway.
I’m not really really sure what precisely didn’t work for me. I really enjoyed the parts set in Seattle, but I found the diary entry bits extremely irritating and started skipping them entirely about a quarter of the way in.
The only specific issue that I really can point to (which I admit may be exacerbated by skipping the diary entries) is that I deeply hated Sabine choosing Gideon over Johnny. Not that I necessarily think that Johnny was a great guy (although, as we’ve already established, I love Al Swearengen, so I’m firmly #teamjohnny), but that Gideon and and his relationship with Sabine was so toxic and awful that I just don’t see how they could come back from that.
Aside from everything else, Chance seems to want to echo opera narratives in her own story; obviously Gound’s Faust is a big touchstone, but so are Carmen, Traviata, and Tosca (probably as well as others my tired brain can’t think of right now). So ending the story with the three principles of a love triangle all alive and relatively happy seems entirely thematically inappropriate. In my opinion it should have ended either 1) Gideon allowing Sabine to make a new life in Seattle with Johnny, possibly sacrificing himself in the process (kind of a gender bent Madama Butterfly, which I’m here for. More men need to die in operas), 2) Gideon murders Sabine and then commits suicide (Carmen, although I’m not a fan of this one), 3) Sabine turns herself in for the murder, possibly after killing Gideon (a la Tosca).
Anyway.
February 25, 2021
Very engaging
I like Megan Chance’s characters-complex and messy. There were times in this book where I felt Sabine was stupid-but it could be her youth. I wanted the book to end differently-with the man who took her in. I felt he was a truer character. The plot is complex but realistic. Singing was her life. She couldn’t give it up.
I like Megan Chance’s characters-complex and messy. There were times in this book where I felt Sabine was stupid-but it could be her youth. I wanted the book to end differently-with the man who took her in. I felt he was a truer character. The plot is complex but realistic. Singing was her life. She couldn’t give it up.
April 3, 2018
I enjoyed the book but it could have about 100 pages shorter and I would have enjoyed it more. There seemed to be a lot of repetitious thoughts and rehash of events. I started skipping pages just to get to the end.
November 6, 2021
Highly recommended
April 19, 2011
I was excited to read this book for a couple of reasons – particularly the choice of setting and unique character occupation – and I really don’t know what took me so long to get to it. The story itself moves between the present with Marguerite in Seattle and the Journal of Sabine Conrad. I liked how the author used his technique to reveal certain information to the reader from the journal that helped to piece together some of what was happening in the present. The aspect of the story that I found most interesting was the choice of Seattle as the setting for most of the current-set plotline. I don’t know of too many hist-fic novel that have taken advantage of this locale. I think that it is a unique choice and it was so interesting to see it juxtaposed with the bigger, more established cities like New York and Philadelphia at that time. It was almost like another character that you got to know – a seedy, dirty, up-and-comer!
In another unique move, Sabine Conrad (as in “The Journal of”) is an opera singer. I haven’t read any books about opera singers and it was certainly interesting to be immersed in that world of music. I learned many things about music, opera, and the stories that they tell. What was interesting to me is that at this time, during the 1800’s, opera appeared to be a very popular entertainment. Everyone seemed to at least know something about the opera, even if they couldn’t afford to attend – they were the celebrity singers of the day. I couldn’t name one opera singer for you if I tried!
Just a quick word of warning – there is some violence and sex scenes and much of the story takes place in a “box house” which is like a bar with private rooms. Certainly not terribly graphic but there are some mildly disturbing descriptions (particularly toward the end of the book).
I really enjoyed this story. The writing was fast-paced and kept the story barreling ahead. At the end of each chapter I didn’t want to put it down because there was always a little something to keep you coming back – especially the Journal chapters. You really don’t find out for certain what happened until right at the very end – and you will find it very hard to guess accurately! I highly recommend this book and can’t wait to have the chance to look into some of this author’s other novels.
This book was received for review from the publisher - I was not compensated for my opinions and the above is my honest review.
In another unique move, Sabine Conrad (as in “The Journal of”) is an opera singer. I haven’t read any books about opera singers and it was certainly interesting to be immersed in that world of music. I learned many things about music, opera, and the stories that they tell. What was interesting to me is that at this time, during the 1800’s, opera appeared to be a very popular entertainment. Everyone seemed to at least know something about the opera, even if they couldn’t afford to attend – they were the celebrity singers of the day. I couldn’t name one opera singer for you if I tried!
Just a quick word of warning – there is some violence and sex scenes and much of the story takes place in a “box house” which is like a bar with private rooms. Certainly not terribly graphic but there are some mildly disturbing descriptions (particularly toward the end of the book).
I really enjoyed this story. The writing was fast-paced and kept the story barreling ahead. At the end of each chapter I didn’t want to put it down because there was always a little something to keep you coming back – especially the Journal chapters. You really don’t find out for certain what happened until right at the very end – and you will find it very hard to guess accurately! I highly recommend this book and can’t wait to have the chance to look into some of this author’s other novels.
This book was received for review from the publisher - I was not compensated for my opinions and the above is my honest review.
April 15, 2020
I've read two of Ms. Chance's previous novels, 'An Inconvenient Wife', which is one of my favorite books EVER, and 'The Spiritualist', which was just 'Eh'. It was a very strange book. I've had 'Prima Donna' on my wishlist forever it seems, impatiently waiting for it to be released. I had high hopes for it...until the synopsis was released. I am NOT a fan of Opera or theatre, but I do love period novels, so I figured I'd still give it a go.
Right off the bat, I didn't like Marguerite/Sabine very much, and my dislike for her only intensified throughout the novel. The book alternates between her in Seattle under an assumed name, and her journal entries starting from when she was sixteen. I really began to dread the journal entries. Sabine was an incredibly spoiled brat who was unable to make her own decisions, then would blame everyone else around her when things didn't go her way. Her manager/lover Gideon wasn't much better. They were so destructive together that I would become very angry while reading this...not how I like my books to make me feel.
Older, Seattle Sabine (Marguerite), was not much better. Any time she wanted something, or didn't get her way, she morphed into a flaming whore. Really! Even as a teenager, in the journal entries, everything was about sex. Her and Gideon would fight (which was pretty much all the time), and they would end up having violent sex...she needed money or the notice of society, so she'd sleep with a wealthy man twice her age, then complain about how she felt cheap...ahhh, she WAS!! And she KEPT doing it...that's what drove me crazy!
By the end of the book, I was almost exhausted from reading page after page of Marguerite lying to her Seattle friends and lovers. Of her back-and-forth of 'What am I gonna do?' Where am I gonna go'? Senseless lie upon lie that she doled out to her boss/lover Johnny, and how she would sometimes lie to her only friend Charlotte for seemingly no reason. UGH!! Anyway, in the end, I didn't HATE the book...I mean, I did finish it. It'll keep you reading just to find out what happened, and why Sabine ran away from her life, and who she murdered...however be prepared. Sabine is a most unlikeable character, and I'd be SHOCKED if you didn't find yourself wanting to hurl the book across the room at least once.
Right off the bat, I didn't like Marguerite/Sabine very much, and my dislike for her only intensified throughout the novel. The book alternates between her in Seattle under an assumed name, and her journal entries starting from when she was sixteen. I really began to dread the journal entries. Sabine was an incredibly spoiled brat who was unable to make her own decisions, then would blame everyone else around her when things didn't go her way. Her manager/lover Gideon wasn't much better. They were so destructive together that I would become very angry while reading this...not how I like my books to make me feel.
Older, Seattle Sabine (Marguerite), was not much better. Any time she wanted something, or didn't get her way, she morphed into a flaming whore. Really! Even as a teenager, in the journal entries, everything was about sex. Her and Gideon would fight (which was pretty much all the time), and they would end up having violent sex...she needed money or the notice of society, so she'd sleep with a wealthy man twice her age, then complain about how she felt cheap...ahhh, she WAS!! And she KEPT doing it...that's what drove me crazy!
By the end of the book, I was almost exhausted from reading page after page of Marguerite lying to her Seattle friends and lovers. Of her back-and-forth of 'What am I gonna do?' Where am I gonna go'? Senseless lie upon lie that she doled out to her boss/lover Johnny, and how she would sometimes lie to her only friend Charlotte for seemingly no reason. UGH!! Anyway, in the end, I didn't HATE the book...I mean, I did finish it. It'll keep you reading just to find out what happened, and why Sabine ran away from her life, and who she murdered...however be prepared. Sabine is a most unlikeable character, and I'd be SHOCKED if you didn't find yourself wanting to hurl the book across the room at least once.
April 11, 2011
This book is great. You really get to experience the crazy insanity that was wealth during this time period, and you get the seedy underbelly. Not to mention the dirt in the mining town. Sabine/Marguerite does a lot of things she's not proud of to survive, but she does survive and the diary entries that tell the story of the way it used to be, juxtoposed with what her life is like in Seattle is excellent. When Gideon (the manager) shows up and tells her the way things really were both Sabine and the reader have to come to terms with the fact that what she remembers isn't necessarily what actually happened, it's just what she chooses to remember. We also have to come to terms with the fact that Sabine has painted herself the victim when in fact, the truth is something a little darker. The ending wasn't entirely what I expected, but I fully enjoyed this book and will probably read it again very soon.
November 28, 2015
I enjoyed this book right from the start, but after a good while I could hardly stand it.
First off, the author seems to have some kind of obsession with stench, piss, feces and spit and garbage. In every chapter she feels the need to dwell on how awful everything smelled, and people spitting and feces on the ground and grime and garbage.
The book becomes quite repetitive when Sabine/Marguerite hits Seattle. Rain, rain, rain, every other page talked about rain or dampness. Whore, whores, whoring. I don't think I've ever read a book that mentioned every version of that word so many times.
I hate when a good book starts to become one you can't wait to get finished with.
First off, the author seems to have some kind of obsession with stench, piss, feces and spit and garbage. In every chapter she feels the need to dwell on how awful everything smelled, and people spitting and feces on the ground and grime and garbage.
The book becomes quite repetitive when Sabine/Marguerite hits Seattle. Rain, rain, rain, every other page talked about rain or dampness. Whore, whores, whoring. I don't think I've ever read a book that mentioned every version of that word so many times.
I hate when a good book starts to become one you can't wait to get finished with.
November 12, 2013
Loved it. Compelling story and interesting storytelling using current plotline vs. diary flashbacks. I think I really needed a book where everyone was painted in shades of gray. No one blameless and squeaky clean, but no cackling black hats, either... And some more tarnished or more redeemed in the end than you realized at the start. As a singer, a romantic, and sometimes a bloody fool myself, I found ways to connect with this book emotionally that I never imagined i would when I picked it up. I will plan to read more of Ms. Chance's work soon. :-)
March 1, 2010
I was teetering between 2 stars or 3 stars for this book. I really didn't like any of the characters, especially Sabine! The middle of the book really dragged, but the scene descriptions were great. I really felt like I was in 19th century New York and Seattle. The last 100 pages were a bit more interesting to me, but I still didn't care what happened to any of the characters and I hated feeling that way! I tried to care, but they were all pretty easy to dislike.
October 23, 2010
I cannot summarize the story better than the blurb already listed without risking a spoiler. I am not usually attracted to novels in this genre, but I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It is an engrossing read. Megan Chance's prose is smooth and easy to read through, but it feels rich and full. The atmosphere of the novel is present like fog through the entire read. Darkly erotic. Great descriptions and richly colorful scenes.
May 22, 2013
I found my new favorite HF writer ! This is a wonderfull, playfull romp in nineteenth-century New York high society that finds itself hiding out in a brothel in a mining town.
The diary entries were riveting and added to the mystery of Sabine.
I loved how she was an innocent and trusting young girl but ended up a tough and angry brothel worker.
The diary entries were riveting and added to the mystery of Sabine.
I loved how she was an innocent and trusting young girl but ended up a tough and angry brothel worker.
March 29, 2014
This book had three things that intrigued me: a whorehouse in the Ol’ West; an opera singer; and *murder*.
For the full review -- including a version of How It Should Have Ended -- follow the link to That's What She Read.
For the full review -- including a version of How It Should Have Ended -- follow the link to That's What She Read.
March 20, 2015
Beautifully written! You don't have to be an opera fan to enjoy this. Sixteen year old Sabine Conrad's journey as an opera singer in the nineteenth century to her life as an adult, is quite a moving one. There were times when I wanted to like Gideon Price, her manager and there were times when I didn't. I wasn't sure how this story would unfold but the conclusion was well worth the ride.
May 28, 2010
I liked this right up to the end. I didn't like the ending where she ended up right back where she started. Seemed to make the whole book pointless. If it would have had a differnt ending I would have given it 5 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 18, 2011
I would give this 0 stars if I could. I read the first chapter and was totally turned off by it so I did a quick skim and read the last chapter, which confirmed to me that it would be a waste of my time to read this melodramatic, graphic book.
January 31, 2010
one small step above a romance novel. not for me.
February 15, 2010
A bit too meledramatic for my taste but it made me grateful to be a femasle in this era.
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