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    The Red Necklace: A Novel of the French Revolution
    Unavailable
    The Red Necklace: A Novel of the French Revolution
    Unavailable
    The Red Necklace: A Novel of the French Revolution
    Audiobook9 hours

    The Red Necklace: A Novel of the French Revolution

    Written by Sally Gardner

    Narrated by Carrington MacDuffie

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    The winds of change are blowing through Paris in the winter of 1789, both for France and for our hero, a striking and mysterious Gypsy boy named Yann Margoza. He was born with a gift for knowing what people are thinking and an uncanny ability to throw his voice, and he has been using those skills while working for a rather foolish magician. That work will soon end, however, and on the night of the magician's final performance, Yann's life will truly begin. That's the night he meets shy Sido, an heiress with a cold-hearted father, a young girl who has only known loneliness until now. Though they have the shortest of conversations, an attachment is born that will influence both their paths.

    And what paths those will be! While Revolution is afoot in France, Sido is being used as the pawn of a fearful villain who goes by the name Count Kalliovski. Some have instead called him the devil, and only Yann, for Sido's sake, will dare to oppose him.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateMay 13, 2008
    ISBN9780739356807
    Unavailable
    The Red Necklace: A Novel of the French Revolution
    Author

    Sally Gardner

    Sally Gardner gained a first class degree at a leading London art college and became a successful theatre costume designer before illustrating and writing books. Her debut novel, I, Coriander won the Nestle Gold Award and she is also a Costa and Carnegie prize-winner. Her books have been translated all over the world and have sold over two million copies. Find Sally online at sallygardner.co.uk, or on Twitter @TheSallyGardner.

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    Reviews for The Red Necklace

    4/5

    17 ratings17 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I think more than the characters, I enjoyed the setting and the time period. The author admits she wasn't 100% faithful to the history but she captured the feeling of the French Revolution and did highlight that it didn't happen overnight but slowly built and bubbled up. The lead female could have been a little less mousey although she had her moments.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed this book, but I summed up my major problem with it while complaining to my roommate. I felt like Gardner got an idea for a story and thought, “Oh, when I can I set this story? I know! The French Revolution!” and so she did. It didn’t feel cohesive enough, or something. Also, totally saw the major plot twist at the end a mile away. [Mar. 2010]
    • 4/5
      ” This is Paris; here the winds of change are blowing, whispering their discontent into the very hearts of her citizens.”This is a YA historical fiction set in the days of unrest in Paris, and featuring gypsies, magicians, and a bad-guy of the most evil sort, and showing the great difference in class and opportunity. Although it was quite far-fetched, I was swept away in the story, and learned a bit more about life in the days of the French Revolution.
    • 4/5
      The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner is a story that unfolds against the backdrop of the early days of the French Revolution. The story of two young people who meet on a fateful night, separate for a number of years, and then unite in a time of extreme danger.Yann Margoza is a performer and he, along with his guardian the dwarf Tetu, and the magician Topolain are brought to the chateau of the Marquis de Villeduval to perform their magic act for his guests. Among the guests is the sinister Count Kalliovski. Like a puppet master, this evil count controls the strings of both people and events that unfold throughout the story. The Marquis has brought his daughter home from school at the request of the Count, although she is being kept practically a prisoner. The Marquis de Villeduval is a weak, greedy man who has mortgaged his estates to the hilt and borrowed money from the Count, he has no interest in his daughter, Sido, considering her flawed. Yann and Sido meet for the first time on this eventful night, and she helps him escape from the Count. Although published in 2007, The Red Necklace has an old fashioned feel to it, as if it had been written for a previous generation. An adventure story laced with gypsy magic, a budding romance and a more than a few nasty secrets. The story builds to an exciting climax where Yann must save Sido from both the guillotine and the evil clutches of Count Kalliovski.
    • 4/5
      Another co-worker recommended YA book. The Red Necklace is part fantasy and part historical fiction and I quite liked it. Sido is the daughter of a marquis who used to be rich, and pretends he still is. Yann is part gypsy/part magician/part genius. Their lives are through together on the eve of the French Revolution and end up becoming intertwined throughout the course of the novel. I've read a fair amount of French Revolution YA (I'm not sure how) and these did a comparable job to those books (including Sovay). I liked the slightly mystical twist that Gardner included and I can't wait to read The Silver Blade.
    • 4/5
      Our story is over, though in its end lies its beginning.A gorgeous story, with lovely descriptions and superb narration throughout, and an interesting plot. It is light on characterization, which is painted in rather broad strokes, with the protagonists spending very little actual time together. More of the main relationship is propelled through mystical/ emotional means. Sido, the shy, neglected and mentally/ verbally abused daughter of the weak and spineless Marquis de Villeduval is a decent heroine. I wished that a little more attention had been paid to her and what she must have endured. I did get irritated at her refusal to leave her awful father behind, who had only ever hated and hurt her, but I could understand it nonetheless.The Marquis himself is almost comic in the pathetigue of his self-absorbed stupidity, selfishness and unmitigated blindness to reality.Count Kalliovski, our villain, exuded creepy, evilness right out of the pages of this book. Murderer of Topolain, Anis and countless others. Mysterious. Lustful. It is hinted at more than once that he has made some sort of pact with evil. ALl we really know is that he is Yann's father and that he had been "in love" with Anis, Yann's mother, and murdered her when she would not have him. At the end, it appears the Devil really is going to get him, that "cursed soul." Yann and Sido best beware!Yann Margoza himself. 14 at story's beginning, 17 at the denoument and on his way back to France at the height of the French Revolution to try and save innocents from the slaughter. A full-blooded Gypsy/ Romany, he is quite gifted. Able to see the future and read minds, he can also work the threads of light, not to mention a talent for throwing his voice. There are hints that Yann is a great shaman-possibly the most powerful yet... Possibly, also, the "King of the Gypsy. That was less clear.This is all set against the breathless backdrop of the French Revolution, one of the darkest periods in the history of Europe and certainly one of the most devastating for humanity. The bestial cruelty and sheer hateful butchery that was daily engaged in during those years of confusion and wholesale slaughter is still sickening to even contemplate. Sally Gardner seems to present the Revolution as good ideas gone terribly, horribly awry. I believe that the ideas of equality and freedom are paramount to all of mankind, at all times. No argument there. But after having looked into the Revolution's roots, I would have to say that Egalite and Liberte were not the driving forces that inspired those who engineered the Revolution - far from it as they sought to set themselves up as their own special class the first opportunity they had. They used those admirable and monumental goals to gain the support of the masses.... and then betrayed them when it no longer served their purposes to string them along. One review I saw suggested that Gardner portrayed Danton, Marat and Robespierre favorably, but I saw no sign of that. In fact, since they hang out with Kalliovski, I would say they are tinged by association with evil. I discovered that there is a second book in what is being labled the "French Revolution" series,though there is no indication if that is the end or if more are planned. It is due out next spring: The Silver Blade. Really looking forward to that volume. The Count is indeed back and kidnaps Sido, again, so Yann has to go get her.... I wonder what role the charm that Yann gave Sido will play?Oh, and the US cover? Did not like it. If the girl on the cover is supposed to be Sido, she should have dark hair. If not, who is she supposed to be?
    • 3/5
      I had really high expectations after reading I, Coriander. In a way, I was disappointed that I didn't find myself enjoying it as much. I love stories of the French Revolution. I had to keep reminding myself that it was written for a much younger audience and for what it was, it was good. I struggled to get 'really' into it, but I still enjoyed it very much,
    • 4/5
      This book was one of the best historical-fantasy books I have ever read! Trying to find Silver Blade now!
    • 5/5
      The Red Necklace takes place in the chaotic fires of the French Revolution, following the romance of young Yann, a Gypsy mind reader and voice thrower, and Sido, the daughter of a French noblemen.I loved this book -it's beautifully written and filled with so much fascinating historical detail but still manages to come across as a great work of fiction rather than a history lesson. Yann is a really interesting character to read about, and I enjoyed the inclusion of a small mystical element surrounding Yann's Gypsy connections. I particularly enjoyed Yann's time in London in the the middle of the story, which allowed for some variety in the novel's setting.Sadly, Sido, the "girl" of The Red Necklace, was the weakest link for me. She had hardly any personality and was particularly boring. She just allowed all of the activities of the Revolution happen around her, and would have accepted her unwanted marriage to another nobleman because that was the life she was supposed to lead. While Sido did become more interesting near the end of the novel, it was difficult for me to really root for her.Sally Gardner also offers a wonderful, crafted writing hand for the YA historical fiction genre. Her voice is clean and a joy to read, as well as closely woven with action, intrigue, mystery and suspense. Even though I was only vaguely interested in The Red Necklace when I picked it up, I ended up reading the novel in less than a day. This wonderful historical romance manages to be romantic and adventurous at the same time without feeling sappy.I'm going to go out and pick up Gardner's other YA novels, particularly the sequel to The Red Necklace, The Silver Blade, as soon as I can!
    • 5/5
      Highly recommended. I'll write something after I've looked at other reviews.
    • 2/5
      The greatest thing about The Red Necklace was the cover. You've got pretty hair and a pretty dress, clearly the book must be good, right? Wrong, this book was horrible!The writing was disjointed. Something would happen to one of the characters, such as Sido, and instead of developing what happened, Gardner immediately ended the chapter and would switch to the other character, Yann. Also things would happen out of nowhere, like all of a sudden we find out the "dwarf" - yes that's the term she used, could perform magic. I seriously said WTF out loud several times while reading this book.I feel like this book was awkward, I really think a lot of bad choices were made by the editor. One thing which really bugged me was the narration, in the beginning it went back and forth one chapter would focus on Sido, the next would focus on Yann. Then, partway through the book, there were three chapters focusing on Sido, then one on Yann, then one on Sido, then two on Yann. That's awkward, Ms. Gardner, pick a style and stick with it. Either you do alternating chapters or you don't it's that simple. If you've read my reviews before, you know that characterization is very important to me. The Red Necklace was pretty disappointing in the way of characters. Sido and Yann were fairly flat, they were cliched good guys. Sido's father, the marquis was a douche with zero redeeming features. The bad guy, Count Villovski was just a bad guy with no humanity. I mean, if you really want me to care about your characters, make them human, make them relatable. Honestly, Sido's main defect/life problem was that she walked with a limp. Are you serious? Gardner is writing about the French Revolution and the worst flaw she can come up with is a limp? Ahhh, seriously people are rioting over goddamn bread,and we are expected to care about an aristocrat with a limp? This wasn't the worst book I've ever read, not by a long shot. But it's in my top 10 awkward books!
    • 4/5
      I usually am a very big fan of historical fiction---if it is done right. Ann Rinaldi is probably my top historical fiction writer--she happens to write stuff geared more towards kids, and to me that is an awesome balance. Sally Gardner is perhaps just a hair under her-- throughout the entire story (and it is quite a lengthy story) I was completely captivated. The setting is 1789-1792 France, with a brief switch over to England. I saw similarites to The Scarlet Pimpernel and A Tale of Two Cities both, not only in the setting and plot but also in the story's more intricate details.Sally Gardner is a perfect author for young readers because she has such a natural gift for using literary elements-- The Red Necklace is full of clever metaphors, allusions and personifications as 18th century France is brought to life. In response to opinions that Gardner "overexaggerates" in her story - both with respect to characters and situations - I humbly remind people that the French Revolution was one major exaggeration after another. Aristocrats were extremely foppish and out-of-touch with reality, and poor, wretched, put-upon peasants turned out-of-control savage. The time of this age swung from one extreme to another. And the two main villains of the novel--a foppish (that's my word of the day, I guess) Marquis and the sinister Count Kalliovski --are entertainingly one-sided. JUST BECAUSE A CHARACTER IS ONE-SIDED DOES NOT MEAN HE IS FLAT! Sometimes the best villains - especially in childrens/YA literature - are the ones who are just downright bad. That being said, the narration didnt really show Kalliovski's POV until the very last of the story, and I would have liked more of a window into his behavior throughout the story. I'm totally okay with evil characters doing evil things, but I'd like to know why they do evil things or what their purpose is for doing evil things. I'm still a bit confused, in fact, about Kalliovski's reasons for doing anything. While I love the story's two protagonists - a mysterious gypsy boy named Yann and a longsuffering aristocrat-with-a-heart-of-gold Sido, I feel a bit disappointed by their relationship. Reading reviews of The Red Necklace, I was under the impression that the book would spend a great deal of time - or at least SOME time - on their romantic development, but actually, they only have a few conversations together. Yes, they're in love and all that, but why? Sally Gardner is such a talented author and she really has a gift for words, so I wish she could have given their relationship a bit more detail. - My one main criticism of the book comes out of this: Her beginning and end segments are clearly the strength of the book, and the middle drags. That being said, the last half of the book, I'd say (beginning when the book flashes forward to 1792) at times feels really rushed, and her once descriptive narrative voice gets choppy and sloppy. For example, when Yann first sees Sido after a 3-year-absence, they just start talking like "oh, whatever. there you are." And then ending...? It should have been better explained. I knew it was coming, but still... an author really needs to expand on the great "WHY's" of their books. And one more nitpicky thing: In historical fiction (particularly kids/YA) you cant just throw out characters without taking the time to explain who they are. The "Big Three" of the Revolution--Robespierre, Marat, and Danton, are all mentioned, but in a very random "name-dropping" sort of way. I knew who they were just because I'd just taken a class talking about the Revolution, but kids will have no idea who they are, so they might as well not have been mentioned. - I will admit that my little issue could stem totally from the fact that I am a college-age history major. MS and HS kids will love this, and I certainly see this as a book I could read aloud to my future students. NOW ON TO THE NEXT!
    • 4/5
      In France at the time of the revolution, Sido is the unloved daughter of an aristocrat in debt to a manipulative man. Yann is a magician's assistant. When the revolution starts, they find themselves threatened by the same evil man.
    • 4/5
      What truly got me interested in the book was the cover and the bio on the back, but after reading it the bio isn't good enough to explains how beautiful and and amazing this book is. I don't think any bio could. The words are smooth and wonderfully described. You feel as if you really there in Paris or London during the French Revolution. The book has everything from Murder, Magic, romances, history.The things I absolutely adored with this book is the characters and how they're developed. I mean Count Kalliovski is truly evil and Marquis De Villeduval is totally oblivious and greedy. My favorite characters were Sido and Yann. For some reason they reminded me a lot of Romeo and Juliet.The words were written with care and love because you feel a lot of emotion towards this book and could see every minute of it in your mind. Some of the plot twists were predicable but that didn't stop the beating in my heart as all the adventure scenes and exciting moments came along.Some of the disappointing things in the book is some chapters are slow to read and that some of things happening in the book are predicable. Also I've seen numerous covers of this book and I must say that this book is aimed at both girls and boys. Don't judge the cover nor the bio by this extraordinary book.
    • 5/5
      This book tells the story of Sido, a girl with a mysterious pastand Yann Margoza a gypsie boy with a strange ability and a frightening future. Absolutely the best book i have ever read!! A mysterious, action-packed romance!
    • 5/5
      This is an engrossing, exciting, and well written novel that blends together history, fantasy, adventure, and a dash of romance. It takes place at the beginning of the French Revolution, and the main characters are Yann Margoza, a Gypsy boy who can read minds, and Sido, the neglected daughter of a selfish marquis. An evil man named Count (and, later, Citizen) Kalliovski is the mysterious villain. To say much more about the plot would take better summarizing skills than I have, and would ruin much of the experience of the novel. Gardner does a brilliant job of creating unique, likable characters in Yann and Sido, and she sets a wonderfully exciting historical scene, incorporating magic in a way that never seems forced. The depictions of the Revolution are brutal and heartbreaking, but there is kindness and love, too. The ending is left open, leaving me hoping for a sequel. Highly recommended!
    • 5/5
      France 1789, change is in the wind. Yann, Gypsy orphan raised by a talented dwarf, has the mysterious ability to throw his voice and read men’s minds. He is content to act his part in the magician Topolain’s show and learn magic from his surrogate father. But Yann’s life is altered forever when his master is summoned to perform at a powerful noble’s home. By the end of the evening a secret is discovered, a man is murdered and Yann must flee France. As he escapes Yann is only dimly aware of the change barreling down on a nation and the part he will play, but destiny will not be denied. Fabulous! I love this book. All of the characters, even secondary ones come to life through Ms. Gardner’s pen. The reader is immersed in the excitement, thrill and eventual horror of the French Revolution. Using characters from different stations, Ms. Gardner is able to view the Revolution through more than one perspective which helps the reader understand the actions of the “third estate”. While centered around and effected by the Revolution, The Red Necklace is about people: Yann, Tetu, Sido, the Marquis and the Count, and how their actions (past and present) affect their future. Deep and detailed, any reader should love this novel.