Princess Diana's Revenge
Encyclopedia
Princess Diana's Revenge is a novel written by the English
writer Michael de Larrabeiti
and published in 2006 by Tallis House. In the context of de Larrabeiti's other works, it is perhaps closest in tone to his thrillers The Bunce
and The Hollywood Takes
, dealing with conspiracy theories and partly featuring the documentary film business in which de Larrabeiti's earlier novels were set. Despite de Larrabeiti being an established author of thirty years standing, Princess Diana's Revenge was turned down by his literary agents, Curtis Brown
. The novel was then turned down by over thirty publishers in the United Kingdom. In response to this de Larrabeiti decided to self-publish under his own imprint, "Tallis House". He is one of the first established authors to self-publish, along with the Canadian writer Jim Munroe
.
The book tells the story of Joe Rapps, a director
and cameraman who slips into the surreal world of Milton Magna, an Oxfordshire
village which is based on the real village of Great Milton
where de Larrabeiti has lived for over thirty years. Rapps is drawn into various conspiracies revolving around the Friends of Diana, a cult which has grown up around the memory of Diana, Princess of Wales
and is determined to avenge her death in a car crash
in Paris
on 31 August 1997. Although the book is not as explicitly anti-authoritarian as de Larrabeiti's most famous work, The Borrible Trilogy
, its satire of members of the Royal Family
ensure that the book is run-through with the anti-authoritarianism that is present in all of de Larrabeiti's work.
-cameraman. At the start of the novel, Rapps is released from Wandsworth prison
, where he was imprisoned for accidentally killing two children while driving drunk. The novel is a thriller featuring a plot involving a mysterious woman in white who shoots canines, an atheist bishop, an academic suspected of having sex with a slew of Norland nannies then burying them in churchyard graves, a Russian countess hellbent on avenging death of Princess Diana
and a stand-in who takes Prince Charles
' place without anyone becoming the wiser.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
writer Michael de Larrabeiti
Michael de Larrabeiti
Michael de Larrabeiti was an English novelist and travel writer. He is best known for writing The Borrible Trilogy, which has been cited as an influence by writers in the New Weird movement.-Early life:...
and published in 2006 by Tallis House. In the context of de Larrabeiti's other works, it is perhaps closest in tone to his thrillers The Bunce
The Bunce
The Bunce is a novel written by Michael de Larrabeiti and published in the United Kingdom in 1980 by Michael Joseph....
and The Hollywood Takes
The Hollywood Takes
The Hollywood Takes is a novel written by the English author Michael de Larrabeiti and published in the United States by Doubleday in 1988....
, dealing with conspiracy theories and partly featuring the documentary film business in which de Larrabeiti's earlier novels were set. Despite de Larrabeiti being an established author of thirty years standing, Princess Diana's Revenge was turned down by his literary agents, Curtis Brown
Curtis Brown
Curtis Lee "Curt" Brown, Jr. is an engineer, former NASA astronaut and retired United States Air Force Colonel.Colonel Brown graduated from East Bladen High School in Elizabethtown, North Carolina in 1974 and received a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the United States...
. The novel was then turned down by over thirty publishers in the United Kingdom. In response to this de Larrabeiti decided to self-publish under his own imprint, "Tallis House". He is one of the first established authors to self-publish, along with the Canadian writer Jim Munroe
Jim Munroe
Jim Munroe is a Canadian science fiction author, who publishes his works independently under the imprint No Media Kings.Munroe was managing editor at the magazine Adbusters in the 1990s, before publishing his debut novel Flyboy Action Figure Comes With Gasmask in 1999...
.
The book tells the story of Joe Rapps, a director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and cameraman who slips into the surreal world of Milton Magna, an Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
village which is based on the real village of Great Milton
Great Milton
Great Milton is a village and civil parish in Oxfordshire, about east of Oxford.-History:The toponym appears to refer to the "Middle Town" of a group....
where de Larrabeiti has lived for over thirty years. Rapps is drawn into various conspiracies revolving around the Friends of Diana, a cult which has grown up around the memory of Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
and is determined to avenge her death in a car crash
Death of Diana, Princess of Wales
On 31 August 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, died as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident in the Pont de l'Alma road tunnel in Paris, France. Her companion, Dodi Fayed, and the driver of the Mercedes-Benz W140, Henri Paul, were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Fayed's...
in Paris
Paris
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...
on 31 August 1997. Although the book is not as explicitly anti-authoritarian as de Larrabeiti's most famous work, The Borrible Trilogy
The Borrible Trilogy
The Borrible Trilogy is a series of young adult books written by English writer Michael de Larrabeiti. The three volumes in the trilogy are The Borribles, The Borribles Go For Broke, and The Borribles: Across the Dark Metropolis. Each book contains a separate story but together they form an...
, its satire of members of the Royal Family
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
ensure that the book is run-through with the anti-authoritarianism that is present in all of de Larrabeiti's work.
Premise
The novel's central character is Joe Rapps, a directorFilm director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
-cameraman. At the start of the novel, Rapps is released from Wandsworth prison
Wandsworth (HM Prison)
HM Prison Wandsworth is a Category B men's prison at Wandsworth in the London Borough of Wandsworth, south west London, England. It is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service and is the largest prison in London and one of the largest in western Europe, with similar capacity to Liverpool...
, where he was imprisoned for accidentally killing two children while driving drunk. The novel is a thriller featuring a plot involving a mysterious woman in white who shoots canines, an atheist bishop, an academic suspected of having sex with a slew of Norland nannies then burying them in churchyard graves, a Russian countess hellbent on avenging death of Princess Diana
Death of Diana, Princess of Wales
On 31 August 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, died as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident in the Pont de l'Alma road tunnel in Paris, France. Her companion, Dodi Fayed, and the driver of the Mercedes-Benz W140, Henri Paul, were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Fayed's...
and a stand-in who takes Prince Charles
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
' place without anyone becoming the wiser.