Paperback: 576 pages
Publisher: Vintage; Movie-Tie In edition (October 1, 1991)
ISBN: 0679735909
Price: $17.95
My dad once told me that there was no such thing as a bad book, only bad readers. That was before I recommended that he read Possession. Granted, my dad's preference was for historical novels, being a retired Marine, but I was disappointed that he was unable to appreciate the beauty of Byatt's story and, more importantly, her prose in Possession.
Don't be fooled by the cover, which states that you hold in your hands a romance novel. Possession is indeed a romance novel, but not in the vein of Danielle Steel. Possession is much more than that. Where Steel writes formula romance, Byatt has perhaps created a sub-genre, and one that is far more sophisticated than those romance novels that one finds in airport gift shops. Gorgeously written, it is the story of two academic types turned sleuth, who themselves become romantically involved, and their efforts to piece together the love affair between two poets from the nineteenth century, largely from a number of letters they discover by chance.
The prose at times can be difficult, but rewarding nevertheless. A number of love letters are included in the text, and although they are beautifully written, this portion of the novel outstays its welcome; after a time they do little to move the story forward. Still, the end is worth the effort, and although I was surprised by the denouement, others have claimed to see it coming. Winner of the 1990 Booker Prize - the United Kingdom's highest literary award - I recommend Possession to all lovers of good literature.
No comments:
Post a Comment