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roulan's review against another edition
4.0
This novel exhibits pacing and language similar to a Victorian novel. I enjoyed it highly!
aleruuu's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
kakesandtea's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
bharat_ravi's review against another edition
5.0
I liked this book for three main reasons: the idea, the language and for opening me up to a new domain of knowledge. AS Byatt is marvellous. I certainly feel that I have to revisit the book again; I know I have deliberately skipped some sections due to my impatience (or perhaps my ineptitude towards appreciating descriptive language). I am not sure when I'll get back but am certain that I would and the next read is likely to be a different experience altogether, for now I shall focus my attention on the language. I skipped a day's work to finish the book and now, having finished it, I feel quite lost (the surroundings feel so empty). A better methodology, for those whom it suits, would be to read slowly and enjoy each word.
I do try to avoid long verbose poems and I shamefully skipped some in this book (I'll try my best to savour them in my second reading). However, there were some small ones that I felt really moving. These are a couple of them:
"Men may be martyred anywhere,
in desert, cathedral or public square.
In no rush of action, this is our doom,
to drag a long life, in a dark room
-Christabel LaMotte"
"But we, by a love so much refined,
that ourselves know not what it is,
inter-assured of the mind,
care less, eyes, lips and hands to miss.
-Christabel LaMotte"
I do try to avoid long verbose poems and I shamefully skipped some in this book (I'll try my best to savour them in my second reading). However, there were some small ones that I felt really moving. These are a couple of them:
"Men may be martyred anywhere,
in desert, cathedral or public square.
In no rush of action, this is our doom,
to drag a long life, in a dark room
-Christabel LaMotte"
"But we, by a love so much refined,
that ourselves know not what it is,
inter-assured of the mind,
care less, eyes, lips and hands to miss.
-Christabel LaMotte"
rapini's review against another edition
I read about a third to a half. I didn't like these characters.
dreamsoffolly's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
jkpanda's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
badatusernames's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
hadeanstars's review against another edition
4.0
A fantastic read with some caveats.
A very engaging story, extremely well written, part romance, part detective story, part historical fiction, put it all together and it does work although it takes some perseverance to really get into the literary groove of this novel which contains a great many literary references. This referential bent - which if you haven't read the quoted works(ironically Faust especially, which I have just completed also) - comes off perhaps as marginally pompous twaddle. Sometimes, this novel does suffer from a pompous tone perhaps, it's very highbrow in places and that is occasionally off-putting.
The major flaw - for me - is the invention of two Victorian poets: Christabel LaMotte and Randolph Henry Ash who are supposedly based upon Robert Browning and Christina Rossetti. The narrative tension is good, the story works, but what rings false for me is the poetry. It seems a rather audacious move to write your own 'classic' pre-Raphaelite poetry as though it were the real deal. This is the entire problem, AS Byatt is a decent writer, but she is not a pre-eminent Victorian poet. Her poetry is decent but not magnificent, so it is a hollow thing in the text, and fails to convince.
But if you can get past that, some of her writing is sublime nonetheless, and I really enjoyed this very much.
A very engaging story, extremely well written, part romance, part detective story, part historical fiction, put it all together and it does work although it takes some perseverance to really get into the literary groove of this novel which contains a great many literary references. This referential bent - which if you haven't read the quoted works(ironically Faust especially, which I have just completed also) - comes off perhaps as marginally pompous twaddle. Sometimes, this novel does suffer from a pompous tone perhaps, it's very highbrow in places and that is occasionally off-putting.
The major flaw - for me - is the invention of two Victorian poets: Christabel LaMotte and Randolph Henry Ash who are supposedly based upon Robert Browning and Christina Rossetti. The narrative tension is good, the story works, but what rings false for me is the poetry. It seems a rather audacious move to write your own 'classic' pre-Raphaelite poetry as though it were the real deal. This is the entire problem, AS Byatt is a decent writer, but she is not a pre-eminent Victorian poet. Her poetry is decent but not magnificent, so it is a hollow thing in the text, and fails to convince.
But if you can get past that, some of her writing is sublime nonetheless, and I really enjoyed this very much.