Diva (Daisy Goodwin)

Diva is a novel about Maria Callas with a focus on the period when Maria met Aristotle Onassis and the time of that relationship until it ended.

Daisy Goodwin has based this book on a solid research background but she has chosen to write it as a novel to explore how it must have felt to be Maria Callas, to experience what she did and to sing like she did. Daisy Goodwin went as far as taking opera singing lessons to get a feel herself of what it takes to perform as an opera singer.

The result is an excellent novel which takes the reader into an empathetic journey through this period of the life of Maria Callas. It is a world of jet set, where Maria Callas, the singer, is at the top of her career and fame, travelling the world and performing in the most prestigious concert venues in the world. It is a time when Maria, as a woman, is going through a roller coaster in her relationships. She is married to Giovanni Meneghini when she meets Aristotle Onassis who is determined to win her heart. This led to her divorce and their relationship lasted many years, until Onassis married Jacqueline Kennedy. The novel also explores the relationship Maria had with her family and with other people in her entourage, as well as her physical condition, the weight loss she had been through and the issues she was gradually encountering with her voice. As any novel, it is an interpretation of the character of Maria Callas and, because it is so well researched, it is very immersive and as we read the novel, we feel compelled to read more about this extraordinary woman, singer and actress.

I liked the idea of going beyond the biographies, recordings and interviews and think how it felt to be Maria Callas. I really enjoyed this novel, beautifully written, evocative, interesting and full of admiration for the great diva.

To add to the experience of reading her book, Daisy Goodwin compiled a playlist of Callas performances. You will find it on Spotify, but you can also search for it on internet as it is available on other platforms too.

I also enjoyed listening to Daisy Goodwin talking about the novel with Anne Diamond at the Royal Opera House. Daisy Goodwin is generous with interviews so there are a few online.