Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
Savour this literary feast, 28 April 2005
I first acquired a copy of 'Possession' some fifteen years ago, and it remained on the bookshelf unread as a friend whose judgment I trust warned me that it contained reams of poetry and was generally hard work. I am now so glad that I have finally made the effort to read this wonderful book and cannot recommend it highly enough. Let me deal first with my friend's warnings... Yes, 'Possession' does contain large amounts of poetry. It is probably possible to read, comprehend and enjoy the novel whilst skipping over all or most of the poetry, although I tend to feel that the poems are an indispensable part of the overall magic of the work. At the other extreme, there may be avid poetry readers that devote a lot of time trying to fully interpret the poems. For the record, I took a middle path of reading the poetry without being overly concerned at the references and allusions that escaped me. Although the poems are not masterpieces in themselves, they do give insights into the character of the two poets, and references in the poems are sometimes tied into developments in the main prose narrative. And most of all, they are enjoyable reading - particularly for those of us that rarely make the effort to read poetry nowadays. With regard to the second warning, 'Possession' does make significant though not impossible demands on the reader, particularly in the early stages due to the multiple plotlines and range of new characters. I read the 500-odd pages in just under two days (rescheduling a couple of social activities!) and would recommend such intensive reading for those that can make the time; conversely, I suggest that this is not a book that can be approached as a casual read over a long period of time. The plotline to 'Possession: A Romance' is fairly straightforward: two academics, Roland Michell and Maud Bailey follow their interests in two Victorian poets, Randolph Henry Ash and Christabel LaMotte respectively, to discover, after much sleuthing and examination of the Victorians' letters and poems, that the two poets were lovers - and in the process allow themselves to fall in love themselves despite their anxieties over doing so in this post-modern world. However, A.S. Byatt's Booker-winning masterpiece is so much more than this précis suggests... The subtitle of 'Possession' is 'a Romance', and the novel commences with a quotation informing the reader that a romance allows a writer 'a certain lassitude, both as to its fashion and material'. A.S. Byatt certainly takes such liberties, leading the reader on all manner of journeys with an infectiously exuberant writing style that meant that I, for one, was willing to be transported anywhere her whim dictated... 'Possession: A Romance' defies simple pigeon-holing into a particular genre: it is a historical novel and a detective novel and a romantic novel rolled into one, with lots of insights into (and digs at the expense of) academia, postmodernism and feminism. To top it off, 'Possession' is a feast for lovers of language, and contains a cast of interesting, credible and fully developed characters. For those willing to devote the required time and effort, I cannot recommend this novel highly enough.
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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
A flawed masterpiece, 14 Oct 2000
By A Customer
There are some good novels which are technically perfect but somehow lack the quality that gives real greatness. This novel, I think, is the opposite - a great novel with deep flaws. It is strange, but entirely apt, that it is the Victorian characters, Ash and LaMotte, who come to life vividly and grow to an almost mythic stature whilst the 20C characters never quite convince and finally dwindle into a rather weak campus comedy. The point is that it's the Victorians this book is about. I know I'm not supposed to get into debates with other reviewers but... More than one has said 'skip the poetry' and even 'skip the letters'. Please give the poetry a go and certainly read the letters. Without these, the letters especially, you won't understand Ash and LaMotte properly. When you do this lifts the book way beyond a literary detective yarn. It does need patience, which is hardly a modern virtue, but the rewards are worth it.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
A major tour de force, 25 May 2001
By A Customer
Being a greedy reader, I feel confident to say that this is one of the best books I've read - ever! It has so many levels of interpretation and such a playful interweaving of detective novel with romantic novel with academic novel with gothic novel with historical novel with feminist novel with... that I think it can appeal to almost any reader! I found the past love story deeply moving - and you can only grasp it thoroughly if you read Ash and LaMotte's letters. I enjoyed the rendering of this love affair so much that I can't help saying with Roland and Maude Bailey, the contemporary scholars that have unearthed this relationship and will re-live it, that in our postmodern times we are deeply suspicious of love and desire. I also loved one of the long poems, «Melusina», especially the part that mentions how women's power was ultimately undermined through men's fear. I can't help feeling that this is still true in our time! I recommend this book to anyone who is patient enough to appreciate taking the time to discover things by themselves and not being told right out. It's worth the effort, because, as one of the characters says, there are readings by which you can know what has been there all the time and make you understand it, see it, in a different light. This is certainly the case!
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