Possession: A Romance (1990)

I really enjoyed the way A.S. Byatt's novel "Possession" slowly unfolded the story of two Victorian-era poets -- Christabel LaMotte and Randolph Ash.

Two scholars who have taken a deep look at the poet's work in the 1980's and try to prove a link between the two.

The story was completely up my alley and I always enjoy the way that Byatt's writing and phrasing paints a scene. This a fun read for me, though I can see that it might not appeal to everyone. ( )

3.5 stars. I can see why this was the elitist novel of its day. Personally... I admire the work and the knowledgeability of Byatt. But I'm not a huge fan of the sex. It's kinda everywhere and doesn't need to be. Oh- it's handled very delicately-- but if it doesn't need to be so front page explicit then why does it need to be there at all? But then... I don't think like everyone else does.

Also- I skipped the poetry. But it was admirable nonetheless. ( )

4.5 stars
Going into this book having only watched the 2002 movie adaptation I thought it would be a simple story about two couples from different centuries falling in love and a bunch of letters that were exchanged by the couple in Victorian England (Christabel LaMotte and Randolph Ash) and then discovered by the couple of scholars living in 1980's London (Maud Bailey and Roland Michell). I was, however, pleasantly surprised by the detail that was put into the story and how the author included poetry, letters and several character's points of view, each with a very characteristic voice.
The end was perfect and it was worth the time I invested in this book (I'm a slow reader, though).

Christabel and Randolph

Maud and Roland
( )

I just turned the last page and closed the book. I’m stunned by the achievement of this and don’t know if I can write anything so dispassionate as a review.
This is a long, convoluted novel in the way that nineteenth-century novels were, and yet juggles several levels of plot. The two main threads take place 150 years apart, but these two worlds intersect; in a sense, they trespass upon each other. The author does a virtuoso turn of writing in varying styles to accord with these two levels and adopts a variety of voices to write a series of poems by two of the protagonists, as well as the prose of several other characters. In this and other features, she shows that this is also a novel of the late twentieth century.
Along the way, Byatt demonstrates that the world of scholarship is not dry and airless. The men and women who pursue these studies are a varied lot, each with their own passions and frigidities, ambitions, and fears. Skulduggery abounds. The title word, Possession, takes on a range of nuances and applications in the course of this adventure. Yes, the book recounts an adventure — a quest. It also has elements of romance and mystery. And it’s about the enduring power of myth.
The author has also worked in many small insets, some of which land striking blows, as when the sleek television presenter responds to a remark of her guest, “Sorry, I don’t understand.” Or the description of the dissection of a plate of seafood by one of the characters (the nemesis of the plot) as a metaphor for instruments of torture.
There are further aspects of the author’s style that impressed me. The book abounds in careful, exact observations, as well as in a cascade of recurring motifs. Color plays a prominent role in these. All in all, both in conception and execution, this book enthralled me. ( )

Intellectual, lyrical, with one of the most perfect endings of any novel I've ever read. ( )