Zelda's Cut

By: Philippa Gregory

Narrated by: Emilia Fox

For years, Isobel Latimer has composed serious novels for serious people, but to dwindling acclaim and ever-more dwindling gain. Now her husband is ill and she must carry their financial burden alone, and in secret.

But if the public don’t want careful moral fables any longer, why not provide an outrageous tale of sex and satanism, and an author to match? The incomparable, uncontrollable Zelda de Vere is born.

What began with the best of intentions snowballs into a disorienting blur of passion, gender-bending, loss of innocence, to betrayal and beyond. Isobel Latimer might feel she’s on the brink of losing everything, but what would Zelda do?

©2000 Philippa Gregory Ltd (P)2024 Bolinda Publishing

Critic reviews

'Insidiously gripping.' (The Independent)

'This brilliant psychological chiller ... is utterly, nail-nibblingly plausible. You will relish its explosive climax and be gripped through to its final, superb, double-twist finish.' (Daily Mail)

Not her Best

Very disappointed in the ending. I hung in there waiting to see how the troubles would be solved. Ugh!

the narration was seamless, the story suspensefully captivating

I've always loved the lipa Gregory's work since the very first time I picked up one of her books. different times different subject matter and yet women's lives just the same, they're sacrifices for causes they feel dear to them. then the decisions that they make and how they choose to live. the shocking and surprising and yet completely, yes, completely justified ends.

brilliantly written, perfectly paired with transcendent narration. I had completely forgotten it was a book and that I wasn't just listening in on a life that was unfolding in the mind's eye. I missed meals and sleep and I couldn't get enough of this masterpiece of a novel with the insight of a scholar.

read it. read it now! save it to your bookshelf to read again, and again, and again. Share with all your friends. start a book club even just so you can share and talk about this book 💖

Disappointed

I love Philippa Gregory‘s historical fiction, but I thought this book was really boring and depressing. The characters were not very likable.

You could see it coming a mile away!

I felt like yelling out to the main character, DON’T let this happen. I was really hoping for a revenge story, that could have been interesting. I still liked the ending. A very satisfying book all around.

Bizarre

What have they done with the real Philippa Gregory?
This book is a drastic departure from her other works, all of which I have read and enjoyed.
It's as if Ms. Gregory is behaving just like the main character in the book and is writing something completely other and substantively apart from her existing body of work.
Totally bizarre plot and strange undercurrent of a ticking and growing unwellness throughout.
I am deleting.
I don't even want it in my library emanating its strange vibes.