Historical fiction has always been a style that I have enjoyed reading, and learning about historical figures I have never heard of I truly find fascinating. This was another book where I was looking up pictures and information about the people involved in the book. As usual I didn't picture anyone to look as they actually did!
This is a novel that follows some of the life of Maria Callas, one of the best opera singers of her time. It goes over the time with her husband, as well as her time as Aristotle Onassis's mistress. There was also a small touch on her childhood and relationship with her family.
Before this novel I hadn't heard of her before that I can remember. I definitely heard of her love interest because of Jackie Kennedy, but other than that I didn't know anything about him. To think about how this all must have unfolded back at the time that it happened is insane to think about, as it was to think that Marilyn Monroe sang to Kennedy openly as she did in front of the world like she did as if it's not a big deal.
Overall, I felt terrible for Maria and all that she went through as she loved Aristotle so very much. It was clear from the book that he was a woman "collector." He wanted to conquer every woman he could, and he felt he could buy anyone and anything. I don't know whether he was truly this much of a jerk, for lack of a better word, or if the artistic liberties of the author got carried away, but he was not the most agreeable character. Definitely a great book for anyone interested in the life of Maria Callas.

Thank you NetGalley, Author and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!
I am a fan of Daisy Goodwin and Maria Callas individually. Goodwin definitely revitalized the interest in Queen Victoria with the show Victoria. She is very good at using historical events to interest the public of today. Maria Callas, while somewhat known by opera fans, is not very known today by younger generations. I was intrigued to see what Goodwin would do with the subject.
This novel is definitely a work of fiction but if you go into it understanding that then you should enjoy the rhythm and plot lines that Goodwin chose to highlight. First off women of today should appreciate Maria Callas for many things one of which for her determination and passion for her 'diva' status as the leading soprano of her time. We the reader also get a glimpse of the vulnerable woman underneath who still longed to be loved for herself and not just her voice.
Well done to Goodwin for an enjoyable read!

3.5 stars rounded up.

god do i love a story about a talented 20th century diva. this book was dishy in a guilty treat sort of way, and i ate it right up.

i know zilch about opera and honestly wasn't too familiar with maria callas aside from her name. while i'm sure this fictionalized account of her life took some liberties, it painted a clear picture of what maria might have been like. she was a difficult woman, and i was invested in the complex person she was behind the diva facade.

the story did have a few lulls and repetitive beats which kept it from being a full five stars for me, but otherwise super enjoyable.

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read and review Diva on NetGalley.

Published: 01/23/24

Stars: 2.5

Didn't meet my expectations.

Diva is centered around a real life opera singer with Aristotle Onassis playing a secondary role in her life, and as well as Jacqueline Kennedy as an outlier.

When I choose a book I want to be dropped into a story. Diva stayed in early book format, never coming close to storytelling. This reads like a cheap romance novel. Years ago they were called Harlequin Romance (vintage in my case). My knowledge of Onassis is limited to wealthy shipping tycoon who married Jackie Kennedy. Goodwin doesn't develop Onassis and if I didn't know a little bit about him, I could easily assume he was made up and Jackie fit the narrative. Herein lies my problem with historical fiction.

Callas did not have a Disney life. Her life was troubled. The book repeats itself in each phase of her life. Late in the book Goodwin adds profanity, had to get a couple Fs in.

This was a miss.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

This is a good story about an opera singer Maria Callas. Although I can honestly say I do not like opera at all, I decided to still continue and read on. I found it interesting to read. Marie Callas was a complicated women . She was so dedicated with the opera and that is probablly why she had a hard time finding love. I think the author Daisy Goodwin did a nice job helping you relate to the character and feel all the emotions.

Going into the book, I was very familiar with Maria Calla's musical career but not so much her personal life. I found it fascinating that the book is basically written chronologically backward and forward, showing the reader glimpses of Callas performing, traveling, meeting famous people, and embarking on an affair that would ultimately break her heart. At times the writing felt a little dramatic and a bit like a soap opera, but she was an opera star afterall. The book was also set up so richly against Maria's Greek heritage and the backdrop of WWII through the 50's and 60's. I just loved reading all about the life and loves of an opera star. As a singer myself, this was absolutely my cup of tea. Brava!

I really enjoyed this bold, glamourous novel "Diva" by Daisy Goodwin! The rise to fame, ambition, discipline, and highly dedicated life of Maria Callas to her art and career was fascinating and memorable. Loved reading about her strength, the events of her interesting life as well as her love and heartbreak. Very well written, gripping and enthralling. Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

World renowned Opera singer- Maria Callas seems to have it all, but her life is tossed upside down when she meets Aristotle Onassis, the famous shipping magnate.
She falls hopelessly in love with him … and we all know what happens next.
Onassis goes on to marry the most famous widow in the world, the beautiful Jacqueline Kennedy.

A world wind love affair, the story of Maria and Onassis kept me gripped.
I knew who Onassis was, only because he was married to Jackie O, and when I started this book I thought it was a touch odd that the author would use real people in this story.

It sounds so ignorant, but I had no idea that Maria Callas was a real person, that this was a story based on real people and real events until about half way through the book.
And then I was obsessed. Looking at every picture I could find, searching for the performances talked about in the book, reading articles about her, and trying to find as many interviews as I could.
I am completely fascinated by her.

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book very much. I found it to be rather boring and powered through it despite the temptation to DNF.

An interesting historical fiction read, but moved a little too slowly for me in the beginning. I did enjoy the main character's travels!

I know this is a fictional account of Maria Callas’s life, but my gosh it was hard to stop reading this one. It was absolutely fantastic. Full of excellent stories from the time period it was set in. I loved learning about Maria and in fact, looked her up after finishing the book. It’s a shame that so many people around her just used her for her voice. Her own husband stole money from her. Her friend was mean about her in the press. And her lover married someone else!! Argh! She wasn’t perfect, and her life was incredibly interesting. I would 100% recommend this and also - grab the audio. It is amazing!!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this book and the protagonist. Historical fiction at its finest. Daisy Goodwin's best yet!

I mean this in a good way- this book is a “this happened, then this happened, then this happened” type of historical fiction and sometimes that is exactly what I want! Maria Callas’ life story is jam-packed, and there was so much to keep me busy. I’m assuming that liberties have been taken with facts, but I’m also okay with that- I know little of her life other than the fact that she was an immensely talented opera singer, and this book fit with that. I also learned a lot about in general from this book, much of which was completely new to me!

There are a lot of morally grey characters in this book, and that made me keep reading/listening. I think that Goodwin did a fantastic job of showing that people and life are complicated, and that the choices we make are often quite not black or white. (Although I did come to quickly hate Aristotle Onasis despite knowing very little about him…) Anyone looking for a dramatic story to get lost in, or anyone interested in the performing arts will enjoy this novel!

Really enjoyable historical fiction. It was fascinating to read about the life and affair of Maria Callas and Aristotle Onassis. I didn't really know anything about them before I started, but while reading, I listened to Maria's singing and found many photos of the two of them online. It made the story so rich and full to listen to the songs that were referenced throughout, or to read a news article that was printed about her.

Like some other reviewers, I thought some of the sex scenes were a bit too much, but I think they were there as a means of showing how Aristotle controlled Maria. She was such a strong, successful woman, except where he was concerned. I got so angry at the way he treated her and controlled her. I guess that's good writing though - when it makes you feel something and want to seek out more knowledge.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

Interesting story and great read that pulls from history and tells the tale of Madame Callas. It goes through where she started, how she got into opera, and where she went with her career and her voice. It also showed the struggles she had with love and a fair partnership.

I loved this historical fiction story of Maria Callas, the famous opera singer. The story of her childhood and growing up years and then as an adult meeting people such as Elizabeth Taylor and RIchard Burton. The people who were so popular during my childhood! A relationship with Aristotle Onassis that ended when he took up with Jackie Kennedy. Again, this was during a period of my childhood that movie stars and famous people were so impressive. So great to read a story that puts human feelings to these people.

In her latest novel, Daisy Goodwin brings opera singer Maria Callas, lover of Aristotle Onassis, to life in this rich work of historical fiction. Maria, the primary narrator, is a complex heroine with complex relationships with her husband, mother, and sisters, but she knows her mind and her voice. Flashing back and forth to her childhood and to her relationship with Onassis in the 1950s and 1960s, readers see her reactions to Onassis’s affairs and his complicated, domineering personality. Readers also get a glimpse of her life before she was famous in New York City and in Greece during World War II and the challenges that these experiences left her with. Goodwin’s character development in this novel is stunning; Maria is incredibly lifelike and complex, and Goodwin clearly did her research into this fascinating historical woman’s life. As for the historical background and the many real people floating in and out of Maria’s life, these all add to the atmosphere of the novel and the larger narrative, enhancing and explaining Maria’s life without pulling away from her position as the protagonist. Goodwin’s latest novel is a triumphant exploration of one of history’s “other women” and the many challenges and obstacles she overcame.

I wanted to like this, and I did overall, but I found Maria…. Unbearable. She was entitled and whiney, and I could never relate to her. At least I learned a lot about opera and a historical figure that I’d have never heard of otherwise!

Goodwin brings Maria Callas to vivid life in this novel that tells of the famous opera singer and the man who jilted her. While this was fascinating, I realized I didn’t really like either of the main players in this - Maria or Aristotle Onassis - yet I find I do want to know more about what happened with the rest of her life, after Onassis married Jackie Kennedy. Overall, very interesting and the character development was on point!

One thing I struggled with is that Goodwin would interchangeably use last and first names, often on the same page, when talking about a character. This was very confusing, for me at least.

DNF at 20%. The writing just did not capture me from the start and the longer I tried to read the less interested I get. Only giving feedback to keep my ratio.