The Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee
Method Read: Hardcover
Rating; 4/5

This book is set to be this year’s The Goldfinch, and for good reason. It is beautiful, expansive and LONG. It is literary fiction at its best, with delightful turns of phrase and many references to other works of art/literature.

The Queen of the Night follows an opera singer, Lilliet Bern from her modest beginnings in North American, through her time as a dresser for Empress Eugenie, up to her opera debut. All of the threads are connected in the most enticing way, pulling at the edge of your consciousness until suddenly, with a great pull, all is revealed.

This is not a book for the faint of heart. Picking it up is an undertaking. There are moments when the story lags and you will want to give up. Somewhere around page 350 you will wonder how in the world there could possibly be another 200+ pages. It is a marathon, not a sprint.

The Queen of the Night is ultimately a rewarding book. Moments of it sparkle so brightly that you’ll be thinking about them for days after. This is not the book for everyone, but those who fall under its spell will love it dearly.

However, might I suggest not picking this as a book club book? Your fellow book club members thank you .