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jodar's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-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? It's complicated
5.0
A wonderful novel.
A masterly tour de force of literary styles, an examination of the at-times petty academic life of literary criticism and an interweaving of interpersonal and familial relationships.
While threaded throughout is the uncovering of a literary puzzle, what to me was more enticing was the development of rich, complex and convincingly real relationships. The challenges in particular of man-woman relationships are brought to life, both of people in the past as well as of people in the narrative present.
The title Possession is very apt as facets of ‘possession’ are alluded to throughout: that of legal property, interpersonal (especially intimate) ‘ownership’, spiritualist ‘possession’ of 19th-century mediums, intellectual ‘possession’ by authors to write, the obsession of literary scholars to ‘possess’ the lives and writings of the authors they study, and ‘self-possession’ by a few to resist being ‘possessed’ by others. In the end, as Byatt shows, no object, no life story and no individual can be totally ‘possessed’ or fully comprehended.
CW: extramarital sex.
A masterly tour de force of literary styles, an examination of the at-times petty academic life of literary criticism and an interweaving of interpersonal and familial relationships.
While threaded throughout is the uncovering of a literary puzzle, what to me was more enticing was the development of rich, complex and convincingly real relationships. The challenges in particular of man-woman relationships are brought to life, both of people in the past as well as of people in the narrative present.
The title Possession is very apt as facets of ‘possession’ are alluded to throughout: that of legal property, interpersonal (especially intimate) ‘ownership’, spiritualist ‘possession’ of 19th-century mediums, intellectual ‘possession’ by authors to write, the obsession of literary scholars to ‘possess’ the lives and writings of the authors they study, and ‘self-possession’ by a few to resist being ‘possessed’ by others. In the end, as Byatt shows, no object, no life story and no individual can be totally ‘possessed’ or fully comprehended.
CW: extramarital sex.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Infidelity
Moderate: Suicide and Terminal illness
Minor: Sexism, Classism, and Toxic relationship
clarkg's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
When I first encountered this book, I was intimidated by its tome-like appearance. I am infinitely glad that I forged ahead because it ended up being one of the most rewarding reading experiences I have ever had. Playful and complex, "Possession" experiments with perspective, temporality, and genre. The result is a story with a heartbeat, or a pulse that can be felt at any point in the book. Reading it requires time and dedication but so do most things that matter.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child death, Slavery, Grief, Suicide, Pregnancy, Cursing, Death, Infidelity, and Sexual content
Minor: Sexism, Racism, Child death, Terminal illness, and Body shaming
directorpurry's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I felt this book in my soul.
This is not an easy novel to read. It's a decent length with a lot of words and letters and poems from the 1860s and onward. If I had read this three, maybe even two years ago, I probably would have deeply disliked it.
But I love it now. It's a deep dive into literary academia and the strange cutthroat actions all over some writing on pieces of paper. It truly captured the anxieties of universities.
While I enjoyed the entire novel, I would say the pacing is slow past page 400. But for the last 130 or so pages, it's suddenly an even wilder ride with a breakneck pace - at least until another diary interruption.
To anyone who likes poetry or literary fiction (which is not really me) I highly recommend this book.
And to anyone who likes reading about books and learning and enjoys a bit of mid-1800s scandal (which is definitely me), definitely read this book.
Personally, I think this novel may have a significant impact on my opinion of literary and historical fiction in the future.
This is not an easy novel to read. It's a decent length with a lot of words and letters and poems from the 1860s and onward. If I had read this three, maybe even two years ago, I probably would have deeply disliked it.
But I love it now. It's a deep dive into literary academia and the strange cutthroat actions all over some writing on pieces of paper. It truly captured the anxieties of universities.
While I enjoyed the entire novel, I would say the pacing is slow past page 400. But for the last 130 or so pages, it's suddenly an even wilder ride with a breakneck pace - at least until another diary interruption.
To anyone who likes poetry or literary fiction (which is not really me) I highly recommend this book.
And to anyone who likes reading about books and learning and enjoys a bit of mid-1800s scandal (which is definitely me), definitely read this book.
Personally, I think this novel may have a significant impact on my opinion of literary and historical fiction in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Pregnancy and Sexual content
Minor: Terminal illness
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