Fair Rosaline
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Description
'SPELLBINDING' ELODIE HARPER
'BEGUILING' WILLIAM BOYD
'GRIPPING' ISABELLE SCHULER
THE UNMISSABLE UNTELLING OF ROMEO AND JULIET, NARRATED BY ROSALINE, THE WOMAN ROMEO 'LOVED' FIRST.
Fierce, feminist and intensely gripping - FAIR ROSALINE takes everything you think you know about Romeo & Juliet and turns it on its head . . .
The first time Romeo Montague sees young Rosaline Capulet he falls instantly in love. Rosaline, headstrong and independent, is unsure of Romeo's attentions but with her father determined that she join a convent, this handsome and charming stranger offers her the chance of a different life.
Soon though, Rosaline begins to doubt all that Romeo has told her. She breaks off the match, only for Romeo's gaze to turn towards her cousin, thirteen-year-old Juliet. Gradually Rosaline realises that it is not only Juliet's reputation at stake, but her life.
With only hours remaining before she will be banished behind the nunnery walls, will Rosaline save Juliet from her Romeo? Or can this story only ever end one way?
A subversive, powerful untelling of Shakespeare's best-known tale, narrated by a fierce, forgotten voice: this is Rosaline's story.
'An excellent spin on a timeless classic'
Jennifer Saint
'I have not been able to stop thinking about this book . . . Fair Rosaline is a gripping, spellbinding and wonderfully immersive'
Elodie Harper
'Brilliant and beguiling . . . A terrific novel - very clever and alluring'
William Boyd
'Thought-provoking . . . a rich and atmospheric'
Katherine J. Chen, author of Joan
'A gripping story of female agency and strength. Rosaline is a compelling heroine and I was rooting for her from the first page'
Isabelle Schuler, author of Lady Macbethad
'Intelligent, imaginative, irreverent. A gripping Romeo and Juliet for the 21st century'
Annabel Abbs
'A brilliant, feminist re-imagining of Romeo and Juliet. I absolutely devoured this'
Jillian Cantor, USA Today bestselling author of Beautiful Little Fools
'Exquisitely written, wonderfully lyrical and richly immersive - this a story we all know made fresh and chillingly relevant'
Ellery Lloyd
'A deliciously dark take on the iconic love story'
Woman & Home
'A dark, powerful and thought-provoking novel'
Culture Fly
SELECTED AS ONE TO WATCH IN 2023 IN THE EVENING STANDARD
EDITOR'S CHOICE IN THE BOOKSELLER
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS FOR AUGUST IN THE I NEWSPAPER
Book Information
Posts
Anyone who has read Romeo & Juliet will have stumbled upon Rosaline's name - it was because of her that Romeo originally attended the Capulets' ball. Only that he sees Julia there & falls in love with her. The book now tells the short but intense love sequence of Romeo & Rosaline - & how Romeo ruins Rosaline. How Romeo then falls in love with Juliet at the ball; in return, Rosaline becomes aware of his true character & now does everything in her power to spare Juliet the terrible fate that would befall her at the hands of Romeo. For me, the writing style is very similar to Shakespeare's original play - the choice of words & the paraphrases. That made the whole thing authentic for me, but it still took some time getting used to. I was able to read the book fast because the plot progressed quickly. I liked the relationship between the independent Rosaline and the warm & wild Tybald - I really found Tybald a likeable character. When Rosaline finally decides against Romeo & does everything she can to protect her beloved cousin, the story blossoms for me. How Rosaline defends herself against Romeo, the monk and the machinations of men in general was really exciting & permeated by her love for Juliet. The idea of the plot - to stage Romeo as a truly evil charlatan - was basically OK for a retelling for me, especially since the story is told from the POV of the “scorned” Rosaline. But how deep Romeo's abysses really go here in the book was unexpected
Für uns alle definiert die Geschichte von Romeo und Julia Romantik und Liebe. Die Tragödie ihrer Liebe ist ein Ideal dem man in vielen Beziehungen hinterher trauert. Doch in diesem Buch wird eine andere Seite der Geschichte gezeigt und das nur durch einen Perspektivenwechsel. Romeo liebte Rosaline bevor er Julia liebt und Rosaline hat einiges zu erzählen. Ich habe mich fast so schnell in das Buch verliebt, wie sich Romeo in die Mädchen verliebt, doch ich denke eine von beiden Lieben hat länger Bestand.
Description
'SPELLBINDING' ELODIE HARPER
'BEGUILING' WILLIAM BOYD
'GRIPPING' ISABELLE SCHULER
THE UNMISSABLE UNTELLING OF ROMEO AND JULIET, NARRATED BY ROSALINE, THE WOMAN ROMEO 'LOVED' FIRST.
Fierce, feminist and intensely gripping - FAIR ROSALINE takes everything you think you know about Romeo & Juliet and turns it on its head . . .
The first time Romeo Montague sees young Rosaline Capulet he falls instantly in love. Rosaline, headstrong and independent, is unsure of Romeo's attentions but with her father determined that she join a convent, this handsome and charming stranger offers her the chance of a different life.
Soon though, Rosaline begins to doubt all that Romeo has told her. She breaks off the match, only for Romeo's gaze to turn towards her cousin, thirteen-year-old Juliet. Gradually Rosaline realises that it is not only Juliet's reputation at stake, but her life.
With only hours remaining before she will be banished behind the nunnery walls, will Rosaline save Juliet from her Romeo? Or can this story only ever end one way?
A subversive, powerful untelling of Shakespeare's best-known tale, narrated by a fierce, forgotten voice: this is Rosaline's story.
'An excellent spin on a timeless classic'
Jennifer Saint
'I have not been able to stop thinking about this book . . . Fair Rosaline is a gripping, spellbinding and wonderfully immersive'
Elodie Harper
'Brilliant and beguiling . . . A terrific novel - very clever and alluring'
William Boyd
'Thought-provoking . . . a rich and atmospheric'
Katherine J. Chen, author of Joan
'A gripping story of female agency and strength. Rosaline is a compelling heroine and I was rooting for her from the first page'
Isabelle Schuler, author of Lady Macbethad
'Intelligent, imaginative, irreverent. A gripping Romeo and Juliet for the 21st century'
Annabel Abbs
'A brilliant, feminist re-imagining of Romeo and Juliet. I absolutely devoured this'
Jillian Cantor, USA Today bestselling author of Beautiful Little Fools
'Exquisitely written, wonderfully lyrical and richly immersive - this a story we all know made fresh and chillingly relevant'
Ellery Lloyd
'A deliciously dark take on the iconic love story'
Woman & Home
'A dark, powerful and thought-provoking novel'
Culture Fly
SELECTED AS ONE TO WATCH IN 2023 IN THE EVENING STANDARD
EDITOR'S CHOICE IN THE BOOKSELLER
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS FOR AUGUST IN THE I NEWSPAPER
Book Information
Posts
Anyone who has read Romeo & Juliet will have stumbled upon Rosaline's name - it was because of her that Romeo originally attended the Capulets' ball. Only that he sees Julia there & falls in love with her. The book now tells the short but intense love sequence of Romeo & Rosaline - & how Romeo ruins Rosaline. How Romeo then falls in love with Juliet at the ball; in return, Rosaline becomes aware of his true character & now does everything in her power to spare Juliet the terrible fate that would befall her at the hands of Romeo. For me, the writing style is very similar to Shakespeare's original play - the choice of words & the paraphrases. That made the whole thing authentic for me, but it still took some time getting used to. I was able to read the book fast because the plot progressed quickly. I liked the relationship between the independent Rosaline and the warm & wild Tybald - I really found Tybald a likeable character. When Rosaline finally decides against Romeo & does everything she can to protect her beloved cousin, the story blossoms for me. How Rosaline defends herself against Romeo, the monk and the machinations of men in general was really exciting & permeated by her love for Juliet. The idea of the plot - to stage Romeo as a truly evil charlatan - was basically OK for a retelling for me, especially since the story is told from the POV of the “scorned” Rosaline. But how deep Romeo's abysses really go here in the book was unexpected