Description
'A novel with oodles of charm' The Times
'Elegant, decadent, vulgar, clever, enchanting and dark' Sarah Perry, author of Enlightenment
Versailles, 1682: a city of the rich, a living fairy-tale, Louis XIV's fever dream. It's a place of opulence, beauty, and power. But strip back the lavish exterior of polite society, and you'll find a dark undercurrent of sexual intrigue and vicious gossip. Nobody is safe here - no matter how highly born they are.
No one knows this better than Madame Marie d'Aulnoy. Each week, a rogue group of intellectuals gather at her Parisian home to debate, flirt and perform Contes de Fees - fairy tales - that challenge the status quo, at a salon that will change the course of literature forever. But while they weave tales of glass slippers, enchanted beasts and long-haired princesses, a wolf is lurking, who threatens to destroy the members of the salon one by one.
Brilliant and bawdy, romantic and provocative, The Modern Fairies is a dazzling novel inspired by real events, about the delights and dangers of storytelling in dark times.
'Funny, filthy, dancingly clever ... A delectable confection of many-layered pleasures ... I gobbled it all up, Joanna Quinn, author of The Whalebone Theatre
'The sentences sing on the page with wit and intelligence ... Reminds the reader of the enduring power of storytelling to transform and even save lives, then and now' The New York Times
About the Author
Clare Pollard is an award-winning poet and playwright based in London. She is the author of five poetry collections and the former Editor of the Modern Poetry in Translation magazine. Her first novel, Delphi , was published by Fig Tree in 2022. The Modern Fairies is her second novel.
Reviews
Elegant and decadent, vulgar and clever, enchanting and dark. The love child of Angela Carter and Anais Nin - the book I really really needed * Sarah Perry, author of ENLIGHTENMENT *
Compelling ... Vibrant ...The author's sentences sing on the page with wit and intelligence ... This memorable novel reminds the reader of the enduring power of storytelling to transform and even save lives, then and now * The New York Times *
Funny, filthy, dancingly clever ... A delectable confection of many-layered pleasures. A story of stories, storytellers, and the lurking dangers of fairytales, set against the lavish decadence of 1600s Versailles. I gobbled it all up * Joanna Quinn, author of THE WHALEBONE THEATRE *
Original, fantastical, historical, and unputdownable * Karen Joy Fowler, Booker Prize-shortlisted author of WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY BESIDE OURSELVES *
Pollard evokes the intrigue, sophistication, scandal and danger of 17th-century France in this bawdy, brilliant book, as dark and delicious as the chocolate served at the modern fairies' salons * The Irish Times *
Pollard [has a] sure touch, seamlessly blending humour and disgust ... a novel with oodles of charm * John Self, The Times *
Lush and gossipy, rich and wonderfully indulgent. The Modern Fairies is wickedly playful yet lingers, with emotional truth, long after reading. A feast of a novel. I dare you to read it! * Molly Aitken, author of THE ISLAND CHILD *
Those in search of a bawdy fairy tale should look no further * LA Times, Books to Read This Summer *
A delightfully raunchy romp ... This magnetic revisionist historical deserves a wide readership * Publishers Weekly *
A captivating work of historical fiction from a poet with an imagination perfect for the job ... Riotous ... Pollard, known for her evocative verse, brings a fresh perspective to age-old myths and legends with her inimitable wit. The prose is as luxurious as the subject matter, with the politics of the day and underlying tensions used to brilliant effect * Glamour *
The Modern Fairies gives us intimate access to the most prestigious of private Parisian salons. In a novel both aching and cruel, sumptuous and tender, Pollard's beautiful writing leads us along winding pathways. Through its prickling branches to exquisite clearings of hope, this book consumed me. * Katie Hale, author of MY NAME IS MONSTER *
Pollard vividly and powerfully evokes the tumult, passion, and creativity of this bygone era, crafting a tale that's both timeless and timely * Booklist *
Cold, clever, and glittering, this beautiful novel resembles both the court and the stories it depicts * Kirkus *
Pollard's future, as a novelist, is very bright indeed * The i, praise for DELPHI *
'Brilliant ... Born of searing eloquence and sinister wit' * Jackie Polzin, author of BROOD, praise for DELPHI *
This feels impressive ... What good fiction is meant to do * New York Times, praise for DELPHI *
Vivid as fireworks ... Both terrifying and exhilarating * Doireann Ni Ghriofa, author of A GHOST IN THE THROAT, praise for DELPHI *
[A] luxuriously told romantic comedy * The Idler *
Freewheeling and ingenious ... I was captivated * Marina Warner, New Statesman Books of the Year *
Book Information
ISBN 9780241672464
Author Clare Pollard
Format Paperback
Page Count 176
Imprint Penguin Books Ltd
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 200g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 15mm
Details
Imprint: |
Penguin Books Ltd |
