Synopses & Reviews
The day she became queen, there were lots of flowers, lots of noises, lots of blood, and lots of dead bodies, but she wasn't particularly surprised. During the ten seconds that followed the explosion, she wasn't even very agitated, not because she was in shock but because her mind was somewhere else. Three months earlier, she had read a book, or more precisely, only the first page of a book, since it had been taken away immediately, coming as it did from a shelf in the library forbidden to her; this book told the story of a music professor and his wife . . .
The Princess, The King and The Anarchist takes place on May 31, 1906, the wedding day of King Alphonso XIII of Spain to British Princess Maria Eugenia of Battenberg. As the royal procession snakes its way slowly through Madrid, the cheering of the crowd and the decorum and fanfare of the retinue masks the sinister assassination plot awaiting the young couple just before their gilded carriage enters the palace gates.
This true historic event inspired Robert Pagani's at times funny, always suspenseful, and poignant novel, which follows the story from the different points of view of the young bride, her husband the king, and the anarchist intent on their death. The narrative glides gracefully between the three protagonists, culminating in a dramatic, explosive finale. A heart-stopping, lyrical novel based on historical fact.
Robert Pagani, 74, has been an interpreter for the United Nations. He is the author of a number of plays performed or read on Radio Suisse Romande. The Princess, The King and The Anarchist was shortlisted for the distinguished Prix du Premier Roman.
Synopsis
Inspired by a true historic event, a suspenseful and poignant portrayal of a young princess contemplating her impending wedding night.
Synopsis
Fiction. Translated from the French by Helen Marx. Edited by Ruth Greenstein. Introduction by Caroline Weber. THE PRINCESS, THE KING AND THE ANARCHIST takes place on May 31, 1906, the wedding day of King Alphonso XIII of Spain to British Princess Maria Eugenia of Battenberg. As the royal procession snakes its way slowly through Madrid, the cheering of the crowd and the decorum and fanfare of the retinue masks the sinister assassination plot awaiting the young couple just before their gilded carriage enters the palace gates.
About the Author
Robert Pagani, seventy-four years old, has been an interpreter for the United Nations. He is the author of a number of plays performed or read on Radio Suisse Romande. THE PRINCESS, THE KING AND THE ANARCHIST was shortlisted for the distinguished Prix du Premier Roman.