The Red Necklace
Encyclopedia
The Red Necklace is a children's historical novel
by Sally Gardner
, published in 2007. It is a story of the French Revolution
, interwoven with gypsy magic.
between 1789 and 1792. Yann Margoza, the protagonist, is a young traveling entertainer with the ability to read minds and throw his voice. When he gets older he finds that he can move objects with his mind (telekinesis). He meets Sido, the unwanted daughter of the cruel and foolish Marquis de Villeduval, and she helps Yann escape from the murderous Count Kalliovski, a menacing nobleman who holds the majority of the French aristocrats
in the palm of his hand. He, too, has the power of telekinesis. After being educated in London, Yann returns years later to rescue Sido from the twin perils of the Terror and the Count's evil desire to have her as his bride.
of Count Kalliovski, who puts round the necks of all his murder victims a necklace of red garnets strung on a thin red ribbon. The effect of the necklace is to make it look as if the wearer's throat has been cut.
and is also the nickname of Yann in his Scarlet-Pimpernel
-like role.
Historical novel
According to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is-Development:An early example of historical prose fiction is Luó Guànzhōng's 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which covers one of the most important periods of Chinese history and left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.The...
by Sally Gardner
Sally Gardner
Sally Gardner is an English children's writer and illustrator. She lives in London.Her award-winning book, I, Coriander, is set in 17th-century London. It tells the story of Coriander, the unhappy daughter of a silk merchant....
, published in 2007. It is a story of the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, interwoven with gypsy magic.
Plot introduction
The story is principally set in and near ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
between 1789 and 1792. Yann Margoza, the protagonist, is a young traveling entertainer with the ability to read minds and throw his voice. When he gets older he finds that he can move objects with his mind (telekinesis). He meets Sido, the unwanted daughter of the cruel and foolish Marquis de Villeduval, and she helps Yann escape from the murderous Count Kalliovski, a menacing nobleman who holds the majority of the French aristocrats
Aristocracy (class)
The aristocracy are people considered to be in the highest social class in a society which has or once had a political system of Aristocracy. Aristocrats possess hereditary titles granted by a monarch, which once granted them feudal or legal privileges, or deriving, as in Ancient Greece and India,...
in the palm of his hand. He, too, has the power of telekinesis. After being educated in London, Yann returns years later to rescue Sido from the twin perils of the Terror and the Count's evil desire to have her as his bride.
Character List
- Yannick "Yann" Margoza - A young gypsy boy with telekinetic powers. An orphan he is raised on the road amongst travelling entertainers, but is forced to flee to England and be raised amongst a childless couple, after his band of roadsmen are murdered by Kalliovski. Due to his grief, he loses his powers, but later regains them when he returns to France, only to find that he cannot read any other mind except that of Sido, the girl he loves.
- Sidonie "Sido" de Villeduval - The neglected, unloved only daughter of the pompous, idiot Marquis de Villeduval. She is a brave, resourceful girl who simply wants to be loved. Despite her beauty, she has a limpLimpA limp is a type of asymmetric abnormality of the gait. Limping may be caused by pain, weakness, neuromuscular imbalance, or a skeletal deformity. The most common underlying cause of a painful limp is physical trauma however in the absence of trauma other serious causes such as septic arthritis,...
in her left leg due to an accident as a child, causing others to see her as "broken". She saves Yann from Kalliovski early in the novel and the two fall in love. - Count Kallivoski - An evil, murderous nobleman and the main antagonistAntagonistAn antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
of the novel. He frequently distributes vast loans to financially troubled aristocrats of France, asking them for their most incriminating secrets in return, and using these to blackmailBlackmailIn common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...
his debtors into obeying him. He joins the revolution as "Citizen Kalliovski", and uses his connections with the Marquis de Villeduval to intimidate him into giving the Count Sido for a wife. - The Marquis de Villeduval - Sido's callous, foppish father who has bankrupted himself due to his incessant squandering of the family fortune, and owes an immense sum to Count Kalliovski, who threatens to reveal the Marquis' darkest secrets to the police unless the Marquis relinquishes Sido to him. The Marquis, caring nothing for Sido, wants rid of her, but also wishes to claim the inheritance left to her by her late grandfather in order to clear his debts. He is later driven to insanity after a mob of revolutionaries burn down his manor, and he meets his end shortly after being arrested.
The title
The title refers to the murder signatureCalling card (crime)
A calling card is a particular object sometimes left behind by a criminal at a scene of a crime, often as a way of taunting police or obliquely claiming responsibility. The name is derived from the cards that people used to show they had been to visit someone's house when the resident was absent...
of Count Kalliovski, who puts round the necks of all his murder victims a necklace of red garnets strung on a thin red ribbon. The effect of the necklace is to make it look as if the wearer's throat has been cut.
Sequel
A sequel, The Silver Blade, was published in April 2009. It continues the story of Yann and Sido during the later days of the Terror where they face danger from the resurrected Count Kalliovski. The title refers to the guillotineGuillotine
The guillotine is a device used for carrying out :executions by decapitation. It consists of a tall upright frame from which an angled blade is suspended. This blade is raised with a rope and then allowed to drop, severing the head from the body...
and is also the nickname of Yann in his Scarlet-Pimpernel
The Scarlet Pimpernel
The Scarlet Pimpernel is a play and adventure novel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy, set during the Reign of Terror following the start of the French Revolution. The story is a precursor to the "disguised superhero" tales such as Zorro and Batman....
-like role.
External links
- Adele Geras's review from The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, February 23, 2008