Tuesday 25 February 2014

The Red Queen by Margaret Drabble

"Dr Babs Halliwell, having powdered her unsatisfactorily mauve nose with a clumsy dusting of inadequate beige, returns to her seat and opens the text once more."

Yet another tick off the 1001 list and I have to say it is a corker. Two stories in one, well perhaps it counts as three when you consider the character of the author making an appearance. The tragic tale of  the Crown Princess in Korea morphs through the ages and comes to life in the hands of Dr Halliwell when she receives a mysterious package containing the translation of an ancient text.

Conferences, lost luggage, an appealing affair with a world renown scholar with disastrous results - yes this novel is jam packed with romance, adventure, history, violence, re-birth and death. Joined throughout the ages by the written word and the colour red, what's not to love.

The voice of the Crown Princess called out to me through the night, tempting me to switch the light back on and get to the end.


5 out of 5, Remembering your room number as an important date, I like it.

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