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serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Possession is a literary mystery in both subject and style. Roland Mitchell and Maud Bailey are two academics both researching Romantic poets from the Victorian era, Randolph Ash and Christabel La Motte, when the possibility of a previously unknown connection between them comes to light. The story follows the intricacies of the research and investigation as they seek to uncover the truth, and stop an American researcher from beating them to the punch - and spiriting some important documents out of the country. It took me a while to settle in to this story and I initially found it tough, slow, going. The plot is slow moving and the prose is dense. But once I was in I was all in, fully invested in the outcome of the research and the fate of all the characters.
I can fully see why this won the Booker Prize in 1990. Byatt is a master of her craft. Not only did she write an intricate layered story, but she created all the documents that her fictional scholars used to piece together the connections between their poets- lengthy romantic poetry that could easily pass for authentic, letters, diary entries, and extracts from academic publications. At times I found the literary analyses and critiques, the textual analysis, a bit too dry and academic. At other times I enjoyed playing literary sleuth myself. I also appreciated the varying tones Byatt incorporated. Much of the book felt dry and academic, especially if Victorian literature is not your thing. Yet the book is not all like this. In fact a chapter towards the end, a sort of showdown between the British academics and their unscrupulous American counterpart, was laugh out loud funny with cars ramming each other plus a spot of grave digging. And I also sniggered more than once at the fun Byatt poked at academics. The ending was satisfying, if a bit too convenient. I had reservations at the beginning of this book but I ended up liking it a lot more than I initially expected.
I can fully see why this won the Booker Prize in 1990. Byatt is a master of her craft. Not only did she write an intricate layered story, but she created all the documents that her fictional scholars used to piece together the connections between their poets- lengthy romantic poetry that could easily pass for authentic, letters, diary entries, and extracts from academic publications. At times I found the literary analyses and critiques, the textual analysis, a bit too dry and academic. At other times I enjoyed playing literary sleuth myself. I also appreciated the varying tones Byatt incorporated. Much of the book felt dry and academic, especially if Victorian literature is not your thing. Yet the book is not all like this. In fact a chapter towards the end, a sort of showdown between the British academics and their unscrupulous American counterpart, was laugh out loud funny with cars ramming each other plus a spot of grave digging. And I also sniggered more than once at the fun Byatt poked at academics. The ending was satisfying, if a bit too convenient. I had reservations at the beginning of this book but I ended up liking it a lot more than I initially expected.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Biphobia, Suicide, and Lesbophobia
adafrobinson's review against another edition
emotional
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I loved this, I really did, and it would have 5 stars were it not for the unexpected and pervasive undercurrent of lesbophobia! I found Leonora's character especially uncomfortable, both in the portrayal of her sexuality and race. But those scenes were short, and not especially important to the plot, so while I'm not overlooking it I still feel okay with giving it 4 stars. I'll be thinking about it for a while.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Lesbophobia and Sexual harassment
savvylit's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
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
2.5
At 550 pages, Possession is an absolute tome of a novel. Not only that, but it is a dense work of historical metafiction. In writing this book, A.S. Byatt created an entire oeuvre of poems by two distinct authors. Also included within the story of Possession is a plethora of letters and journals of yet even more characters of Byatt's own creation. I understand now why this book is considered to be a masterpiece. The skill and dedication it must have required to realistically portray the writings and emotions of multiple fictional people... Well, it is unfathomable to me.
All that being said, I did not actually enjoy reading Possession. Most characters were underdevolped stereotypes. The worst offender was feminist scholar Leonora Stern whose portrayal is frankly both bi- and lesbophobic. Additionally, I think that this novel was incorrectly marketed as a romance. It is not a romance in the typical sense. In fact, the actual expression of romantic love in Possession is few and far between. And, like the characters, what little there is falls flat. If anything this book is a love letter from Byatt to the scholarship of literature. Perhaps that is what was meant by the full title "Possession: A Romance."
Ultimately, though, what bothered me most was the disjointed flow of the book. This was due to the sheer amount of metatextual inserts into the overarching "mystery." Just when I began to feel invested in a character or storyline, I was dropped into a lengthy Victorian poem or a series of melancholic journal entries. I considered not finishing this book at only 200 pages into the story. However, I decided to continue out of some sense of needing to suffer at the expense of experiencing true art (TM). I will add Possession to the list of masterpieces that I read but will not revisit or recommend. (i.e. War & Peace and Infinite Jest).
All that being said, I did not actually enjoy reading Possession. Most characters were underdevolped stereotypes. The worst offender was feminist scholar Leonora Stern whose portrayal is frankly both bi- and lesbophobic. Additionally, I think that this novel was incorrectly marketed as a romance. It is not a romance in the typical sense. In fact, the actual expression of romantic love in Possession is few and far between. And, like the characters, what little there is falls flat. If anything this book is a love letter from Byatt to the scholarship of literature. Perhaps that is what was meant by the full title "Possession: A Romance."
Ultimately, though, what bothered me most was the disjointed flow of the book. This was due to the sheer amount of metatextual inserts into the overarching "mystery." Just when I began to feel invested in a character or storyline, I was dropped into a lengthy Victorian poem or a series of melancholic journal entries. I considered not finishing this book at only 200 pages into the story. However, I decided to continue out of some sense of needing to suffer at the expense of experiencing true art (TM). I will add Possession to the list of masterpieces that I read but will not revisit or recommend. (i.e. War & Peace and Infinite Jest).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Biphobia, Body shaming, Infidelity, Suicide, and Lesbophobia