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What are readers saying about Possession A Romance?
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A Reader posted a review at 2011-07-31 08:27:29.
(Language: English)
 
A modern romance tied up with a literary mystery tied up with an historical romance punctuated by touching poetry. The author not only weaves all of these plots together with skill, but she creates two distinct bodies of poetry in very different styles. This is a book that should be listened to, then read, then listened to again!
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A Reader posted a review at 2011-03-06 06:36:19.
(Language: English)
I found Byatt's portrayal of feminist critics incredibly biased and offensive, and overall I believe this is a very conservative book. However it is asking interesting questions and worth a read.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-09-04 06:23:01.
(Language: English)
All of the poems and letters, while reflective of Byatt's intelligence and skill, can be difficult to get through. Very beautifully written. A must-read for lovers of Victorian Lit., scholarly research and "treasure-hunt" mystery books.The movie version (Gwyneth as Maud Bailey and Aaron Eckhart as a more confident and sexier-than-in-the-book Roland Mitchell) do a good job of chick-flick-izing the novel... if that's what your into. Also, the film cuts through the characteristic Victorian subtlety in matters such as LaMotte and Glover's relationship in order to expedite the story (I guess). Not thoroughly loyal to the novel, but what movie-versions ever are?
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John posted a review at 2009-02-05 11:09:37.
(Language: English)
I liked this book a lot. I like everything I've read by A.S. Byatt. I like that she is so interested in stories, writing, language, and symbolism, and she crafts her fiction to mix these elements in a natural way. She reminds me of Jane Austin in how she fits a story together and how she treats her characters. She gives dimension to heroes and villians, allowing you to identify with their triumphs and tragedies. Possession is a rich story with several interesting dimensions woven together, examining the idea of different kinds of possession in her characters interconnected stories. It is titled as a romance, but it is also a detective story, and equally uses devices from both genres, the story remains fresh 'till the end with several twists, and doesn't take the cheap way out. All in all, great work. Worth reading and re-reading.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-03-18 05:06:13.
(Language: English)
I heard great things about Possession. I first learned about it from a reviewer who was commenting on another book. I was intrigued with his description and came here and found more raving reviews. The idea of two scholars sleuthing around university libraries and reading love letters connecting two Victorian poets sounded like a book that would go down as one of my favorites of all time. Unfortunately, I gave up on it after just two chapters. Giving up on a book is not something I usually do. I have only ever tossed one book aside, but that was a self-published book that was a complete and utter mess. I really tried to love this book, and in theory there is no reason why I shouldn't love it, but I hated it so much I could not bring myself to even make an attempt to like it. I can't really pinpoint what is so horrible about Possession since i only read two chapters, but I really could not read one more sentence. The first two chapters bored me to tears. I had zero interest in the plot or the characters (dead or alive), and all I could think about was putting this book away and never opening it again.
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Andrea posted a review at 2010-03-16 08:46:57.
(Language: English)
It took me a while to get into the book. I had a very hard time with the modern characters; they seemed rather two-dimensional. I felt more for the Victorian characters, and so I didn't begin to really get into the novel until about the half-way mark. If this book was a musical composition, I'd say half of it was typical bad pop song, while the other half was a well-composed classical piece.
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Babak posted a review at 2009-12-02 09:53:13.
(Language: English)
I really enjoyed this book. It is intricate, layered, and rich. Under a lesser author, it would have been a confusing jumble. However, Byatt brilliantly unfolds the story through prose and poetry (it's about Victorian era poets). There are many different themes skillfully explored, in the course of the author's narrative. The position of women in society in the last 150 years, and how it relates/defines love, is just one. It also gives very interesting glimpse into the life of modern literary scholars, and how they are affected by their work.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-11-29 12:35:35.
(Language: English)
As I am making my way through the novel on my yearly pilgrimage to Lincoln, UK and beyond, I am again struck by the beauty of the language of this book. The characters are wonderful and full and they speak with such clear voices, the desire for an absence of the cynical nature of a textual critic (a cynicism that seems to belong to the masses of young people more than to the academy these days) is almost palpable. It is a joy to re-read the poetry and to watch Roland and Maud move into their own lives. It is sitting on my desk, and I am fighting reading the end, knowing that I will be much better served waiting until I am home with dinner and tea and the time to spend on the words.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-11-15 03:54:00.
(Language: English)
I'm not sure just what it is about this book, but it involved me more deeply than any other I've come across in a long time. Byatt is a wonderful prose stylist, and she has a talent for revealing her characters through telling details, knowing just what to show and what to imply. Not only that, but the intercalary poems she's written in the voices of her characters are actually good poems. The ending seems a bit contrived, but to harp on that would be to miss the point. Don't waste any more time reading this, just go and read Byatt -- if your tastes are anything like mine, you will be amply rewarded.
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Anntonette posted a review at 2011-07-08 07:12:46.
(Language: English)
Brilliant layered mystery -- It seems to me much of the tricksiness and mystery of The DaVinci Code was stolen from this most original and gorgeous earlier work. Can be a challenging read in places, but the story and the story telling is compelling. LOOOOVED it.
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A Reader posted a review at 2011-12-15 05:36:09.
(Language: English)
Superb. This is a slow starter, but it builds into one of the cleverest, most well thought out books I've ever read. I loved The Childrens Book, but this is just astounding.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-11-02 05:17:43.
(Language: English)
This is probably one of the most ambiguous books you'll ever read. It takes a really long time before you can get comfortable with it's language and use of prose. I find the build up to Ash and LaMotte's relationship tedious although I'm sure the author intended it to enhance the feeling of expectation.Often I also have to re-read sentences to make sure of who is speaking.However, I do enjoy the more modern outlook on the Victorain mind especially with thoughts concerning love, sexuality and intercourse-much more outspoken than what you would expect if you were reading for instance a Jane Austen novel.Try it, I don't know if you'll like it. I'm about half-way throught it and I still haven't made up my mind if it's gripping or boring...
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-10-18 08:17:23.
(Language: English)
It's been a while since I have deferred reading this novel.I had seen the movie first , a total faux pas,I have realized.It's always the book first and then the movie..I regret not doing that. This piece of literature which won the Booker Prize in 1990,is every literature student's dream quest.Of unearthing the life and times,and getting into the minds of their favourite poets and writers!How many times have we read Sonnet XVIII or LVI and wondered who is it that Shakespeare was referring to?Or Elizabeth Barret Browning in "How do I love thee". I think for every lover of literature, this is what's utmost on our minds..The muse who has inspired such literary/artistic imagery in the writer/poet!Byatt has delved into all this and more.Amazing literary scholarship, meticulous detail,the scholastic approach to solving the mystery,and most of all the beautiful poetry interpersed with prose of the 2 Victorian poets, is what sets this novel apart.My sincere thanks to Dino and Amel.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-02-11 05:21:32.
(Language: English)
As I described it to several friends: Possession is porn for English majors. The book (and even the movie) helped solidify my interest in research/archiving. I also developed a fondness for Roland as sort of a mousy character who eventually comes into his own due to a random bold action that sets off the whole paper chase (literally, there's quite a bit of chasing around of paper). Not to mention the correspondence between Christabel and Ash acts as a subtle cover that only hints at the heat between them. Even so, the letters are pretty hot... in the way only an English major could get pervy about. The various idiosyncrasies about academic politics and interpersonal issues also amused me; particularly Blackadder's insistence that Ash's things should stay in England contrasting with Cropper's smug obsession with getting a hold of all things Ash and Maud's recollections of her former relationship with Fergus Wolff (his insistence that she grow her hair out, randomly quoting Freud while walking around naked in Maud's apartment). At any rate, I'm reading this book again because I'm single and Valentine's day is coming up and I need a suitable diversion while all my friends are off with their significant others.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-06-06 07:40:07.
(Language: English)
Wow. A wondrous book. AS Byatt more than deserved the Booker Prize for this. It's just so wonderful. How wonderful? It's a 550 page novel that felt like it was 200 pages too short, not because anything was missing, but because I just wanted more and more and more. Where to begin when discussing its wonders? The parallel romance is so subtle and academic and clever that even though you see it happening, it's still moving, surprising, and illuminating. The academics are so vivid in their brittle, deeply intelligent, trapped selves. The landscapes, both external and internal are beautiful, tangible, and necessary. The themes/motifs of the poets studied by the academics are present everywhere in the book in layers upon layers upon layers; some are subtle, some are in your face, and all resonate. The constructions and limitations of lives devoted to art, understanding, and expression are explored both kindly and critically. The difficulties for women in academia, but also for thinking women desiring independence and freedom of self and expression are spot on, bruising, and loving. Then there's the remarkable literature within literature of the poems, letters, journals, and the academic writing about them that Byatt created to base the literary detective story/romance/meditation around are extraordinarily detailed, in a way that reminds me of someone like Tolkien who spent all those years inventing forms of elvish and establishing a full world and mythos that was then reported on in his novels. Byatt's not a fantasy writer, but she, like Borges, and like Atwood, create meticulous worlds within worlds, and the pay off is remarkable. The last thing I want to say is that all the strands came together in a mad dash towards the end (perhaps the only problem with the book is that pacing in the last 40 pages, but it could also be because I simply wanted more, as previously stated...) The last 15 pages, however, were so simple, and necessary, and surprising and generous to the reader, that this reader cried continuously all the way through them, with happiness. ps - one last note. This book has everything which should make it boring and stilted - academics, Victorian poetry, literary theory, etc., but on top of everything it's a GREAT READ!!! A miracle really.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-08-09 06:23:55.
(Language: English)
A delightful romp through a very slightly alternative history, full of tour-de-force inventions of remarkably convincing 19th century romantic poetry, journals, letters and stories. While some familiarity with 19th century English literature and 20th century academic politics helps, the form is basically a detective novel, which manages to keep its plot twists fresh and surprising till the very end. The characters both contemporary and Victorian are engaging, fully drawn and likable. Beautifully written; indeed, one of the most enjoyable reads of recent fiction and a compelling page turner.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-08-20 03:31:54.
(Language: English)
Possession was good, but I was a little disappointed. I expected to be possessed by it, forgive the pun, but wasn't really sucked in until the latter 1/3 of the novel. It wasn't that it wasn't interesting, because it was. I think the hardest part was that some of the language was frustrating and as another reviewer pointed out, there was underlying pretension that was hard to ignore. That being said, I have to give A.S. Byatt amazing props for creating two completely fictional poets that seem very realistic. She obviously did a lot of research and work on writing the poetry. There is a definite difference in tone with each poet and how it sounds and works. It's very neat. In fact, I did wonder if they were actual poets at first. So yeah, that's pretty cool. : ) Of course the story of the romance and how they end up together is great. I love how our two main characters come about finding all of the information. I think the only thing I didn't like with Roland and Maud was their relationship was a bit hard to follow, which I suppose is just as well since they seem to have difficulty with it as well. The end was a tad rushed, I felt, and I wish there was a bit more. Overall, however, great read!
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-12-07 09:27:52.
(Language: English)
***SPOILER ALERT***This novel combines prose, poetry, journals and correspondence to tell the stories of a Victorian love affair and a present - day one. The story begins with the discovery of a love note written by Randolph Ash to Christabel LaMotte - both Victorian poets by Roland a literary scholar. He steals them from the London library and begins searching for the recipient which leads him to Maud a scholar specializing in LaMotte's work. She is also a descendant of LaMotte's sister. They find the entire correspondence in the home of LaMotte's family confirming the letter exchange. Roland hypothesizes that the two poets may have spent a month together near Yorkshire. LaMotte was living with her Lesbian partner and Ash was married at the time. Through further clandestine means they discover that LaMotte traveled to Brittany and gave birth to a child there. At this point their quest is discovered and other scholars take up the chase of Ash/LaMotte and Roland/Maud. Slowly through immersing themselves in their search because the other fulfills the limited involvement they both need in a lover. With help from the other scholars they determine that the child did survive and was raised as the daughter of LaMotte's sister - Maud therefore is a direct descendent of Ash and LaMotte, she really is the princess. The real strength of this novel is the attention that it requires to follow it and the immediate need I felt to reread it to see the hidden meaning in the verses early in the novel. An entire universe as seen through one novelist writing as two poets. The energy in the correspondence is also hard to imagine. We have so much freedom to express ourselves but we seldom use it.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-07-25 07:59:09.
(Language: English)
A wonderful book about two romances; one takes place between 2 19th century English poets, which completely alters the conventional understanding of their lives and poetry. The two researches who discover their affair also slowly begin to fall in love.The title is perfect because the book explores the themes of possession. Each of the characters fear being possessed by another person, and have difficulty really giving themselves up to love. Also, some of them are possessed by various ideas or creeds, also making a relationship difficult.I also like it because I first read it when I was a graduate student in art history. This is about graduate students/professors of English literature. They are similar fields in many ways, both humanities, and I really related to that.There is quite a bit of poetry, supposed to be by the 2 19th century poets. Byatt is amazingly accurate at capturing that type of voice, but sometimes it can get a little bit long. But the book is worth it.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-08-11 02:38:19.
(Language: English)
I don't know how anybody who claims to love English literature could not see the genius of this book. It is an homage to every possible form of the written word in English executed as fiction wrapped in an utterly engaging mystery genre plot. It is novel, essay, epic poetry, critical theory. Byatt creates an entire academia around these two fictional Victorian poets whose poetry -- distinctly original, distinctly different from each other, distinctly misogynistic masculine and lesbian feminist, respectively -- and it's all her own, Byatt's own that is, creation. Her character development is as strong as her plot development. Her narrative can only be described as lucid and intelligent. Call it pretentious, if you want to. I say Byatt pretends to NOTHING. Her artistic powers are staggering. She is a teacher who CAN and DOES. That said, I do think this is her magnum opus. I couldn't get through The Virgin in the Garden. Maybe I should take another stab at it...
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-11-08 08:07:32.
(Language: English)
Unfortunately, the brilliant beauty of this story (and some of the prose) is hidden in a thickly wrapped package of classical references few modern readers understand, word choices so obscure that advanced readers won't have even seen them used before, and show-offy intellectualism. In other words, the beauty is lost amidst heaps and mounds of slow-moving, look-at-me-I'm-so-well-educated-and-smart writing. And gobs of dull poetry. Lastly, the 2 female leads are updated versions of that annoying woman in Ayn Rand's "Fountainhead" - not likeable, not sympathetic, with outdated issues around female independence. Still, if you can force yourself through the book you find moments of exquisitely beautiful prose and for that I am glad I read it. I don't wish to be subjected to so much hard work again, however, so I won't read any more of this writer, A.S. Byatt. I prefer simplicity over style.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-05-13 09:12:20.
(Language: English)
/This was a difficult book for me to read. The premise was interesting to me--scholars discovering something new about a Victorian poet, but I found all the Victorian poetry tedious and have to admit that I skipped over some of it. But I did find the characters interesting and what they found out about themselves while delving into the mistery of the poet interesting. Might recommend it to someone who likes more literary books.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-10-30 06:28:29.
(Language: English)
This book contains a rich, organic world of different times, places and personalities that are weaved together into an exciting and poignant whole. In a way, it does seem to be a product of its time: the intellectual arguments and theories that inform at least its peripheral themes, both explicitly and implicitly, might be more preoccupations of twenty years ago. Or then, it would be as much a product - informed by, and also possibly ironically critiquing - the academic industry of textual and cultural studies. But it approaches this intellectual structure and confronts it, while also relegating it to the secondary place it deserves, behind human suffering and feeling. Through the jumps in person, time and medium, the story weaves together in a quiet, honest and moving experience. A humble one too, with its ironic sense of humour and morphing of a thriller/mystery/crime plot into one of academic rivalries and intrigues. The little things really do count. Maybe the only thing that I would question, though, would be the length of the book, which, with its deep and involved nature, was a long 500 pages. With such intensity, a work of such length can seem to be laboured when it seems you have reached the stage of the book where all the strands need to be tied together.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-08-10 05:50:33.
(Language: English)
Possession describes two love stories, an affair between two Victorian-era poets and a burgeoning interest between two modern scholars researching the poets. The tales are interwoven and finally connect more fully toward the end of the book. This book is extremely well written. While I did appreciate the author’s ability to invent poetry and prose in multiple styles, I can’t say that I just loved it. The book is dense and requires the reader to concentrate on every word. I found the book and writing to be somewhat pretentious with an annoying amount of literary name- and reference-dropping. If you can work through that, this book is worth the effort.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-10-16 07:22:03.
(Language: English)
The excellent writing and the fact that I couldn't wait until I could get home to read it everyday attests to the fantastic quality of this book. I found that the inter-dispersed poetry and anecdotes were a bit anti-climatic at times, especially given the amount of mystery and intrigue that Byatt builds up throughout. I found myself rather impatient and unwilling to trawl through the poetry, but I think an informed second reading would do the writing more justice. Given that the myriad of information, original poetry, and voices that are heard throughout the novel is so varied, I'm amazed by this feat, and I would definitely recommend it. The novel is deeply heart-felt and rich, with a true sense of victoriana and the musk of scholarly life. I was impressed and amused by how tense that scholarly interest actually was, that in a strange guise, it was actually a real mystery novel. So if these elements are things that appeal to you, I most definitely say that you should read this book.
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