Almost A Masterpiece : Too Bad for the Horrible Structure

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	• Possession : A Romance (Modern Library) A.S. Byatt, 2002 - 640 pages average customer review:based on 212 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A bold conception in a literally dense narrative

Possession is by no means a perfect novel. Any work that forces you to consult a dictionary or encyclopedia as often as this one does, surely can't be praised for it's simplicity or lucidity. The narrative is dense with arcane words, figurative language, historical and literary allusions. Ms. Byatt's erudition can at times be overpowering. I suppose that density can in part be explained by the fact that this novel is as much about the power and joy (not to mention sensuousness) of language, as it is about a Victorian romance, paralleled by one in the 20th century under the guise of an intriguing mystery and detective story. The modern protagonists are literary scholars and their subjects are poets whose intellect and language skills act as a powerful aphrodisiac in their affair.

What totally blew me away about this novel was that Ms. Byatt was able to synthesize all the critical and sundry elements into a coherent whole that not only had my attention riveted throughout it's wild temporal transitions between the Victorian era (through the correspondence of the poets and journals of their intimates) and modern English society through the inquiries and travels of Roland Michell, Maud Bailey, and their contemporaries, but also contained insights into the psychology of male and female relationships as it pertains not only to physical, but to intellectual and emotional needs.

What is even more amazing, is that Ms. Byatt herself, in the creation of Ash and LaMott, has proven herself to be a poet of outstanding ability and sensibility. She has breathed life into these characters and their poems, so much so, that when consulting my encyclopedia on the likes of Vigo, Swedenborg, Swammerdam, Wordsworth, and Donne, I would almost have expected to find articles on Byatt's 2 fictional Victorian poets as well.

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Almost A Masterpiece : Too Bad for the Horrible Structure

Re-reading this novel again, I was reminded of every reason why I didn't quite fall head over heels the first time out. And there is a reason for it. I find that "Possession" really, really stalls when it comes to a repeat reading. My first reading of the book took almost a month - this has got to be one of the toughest books to get through (Ian McEwans' latest "Atonement" is another of these types of books).

Fond as I am of exceeding detail to plot and character development, there is a point at which the writer is too good for the story he is creating. I am not saying this happened here, but Byatt's stunning use of language sometimes undoes the original intent. Readers of straight-forward novels could not possibly find it in them to sustain interest in this.

The primary problem is a very incoherent structure. Just when a plot is being developed or a discovery being made, Byatt kills the narrative by injecting ten pages of a poet's long lost work, or the maddeningly boring inclusion of a dead poets' diary. While everything IS pertinent and makes perfect sense considering the entire books' real heroes are the Victorian poets who are under scrutiny, I could not imagine anything possibly revelatory about the characters from these humdrum passages. Seriously, I found them tiresome and extremely non-essential, to say the least.

If you've watched the cinematic endeavor that this book spawned, you would well do to remind yourself that this holds more detail than the movie did. In fact, the main character here, who was essayed by Gwyneth Paltrow in the film, seems so unlike Paltrow in every way. Also, the two scholars seemed almost bipolar in their mood-swings, which seemed to affect their decisions and words every thirty pages or so. This was not a concern for me, just an observation.

The good part is that the entire novel is gorgeously written, and is a very symbol of the best we come to expect from the English language. Poetry and Prose combine beautifully and its no surprise this has become essential reading in some universities. And though I do love classics, I think I'm going to probably stick to my Whartons and Burneys for now, because either I do not 'get' Byatt, or her writing style is most definitely an acquired taste.

I would suggest reading a few more reviews before making an informed decision. Remember though - this is a book to invest yourself in completely, as it is most certainly not a fly-by-night experience.

Three Stars.

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A beautiful work

One thing that never ceases to amaze me is how much Byatt can pack into her work. So many allusions and references, but each is appropriate. I have to say that I'm a bigger fan of her short fiction, but this is by far the best of her novels. It can be a little slow at times due to all the information, but it really immerses you in the world of the novel. This is one I plan on re-reading more than once, and I'm sure I'll always find something I didn't see before. Great stuff.

stunning

Possession is one of the more remarkable novels I have read. Byatt not only creates two very human and believable Victorian Era poets but stunning and original work for each as well. While the book can be challenging(there is a lot of poetry that is far from simple) it is an enthralling read. The characters feel genuine and real and the tenative romance between Roland and Maud is wonderfully and tenderly done. Byatt even manages to find and ending of both simple beauty and one that is also emotionally satisfying.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

An exhilarating novel of wit and romance, an intellectual mystery, and a triumphant love story. This tale of a pair of young scholars researching the lives of two Victorian poets became a huge bookseller favorite, and then on to national bestellerdom.

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