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A review by jenmcmaynes
Angels & Insects by A.S. Byatt
3.0
A bit of a mixed bag. The first novella in this collection, Morpho Eugenia, is well-written and plotted. The story of a Victorian man of science and his ill-fated marriage in a well-bred house deals with the Victorian struggles of science vs. religion, classism, and morality (in a "what separates man from beasts?" type way). The metaphors are not subtle; the insects and angels are present on nearly every page. But the story itself cracks along and I couldn't put it down.
The second story, The Conjugial Angel, is much weaker. This one deals with the Victorians' obsession with spiritualism and death. Unlike the first novella, it features multiple narrators, and suffers for it; their voices are too similar. Also, the story revolves around Tennyson's younger sister and a doomed romance with another poet... which meant that A LOT of poetry was quoted. And I prefer my poetry in much smaller doses, and without lengthy digressions into its meaning and each character's reaction to it.
So, 4 stars for Morpho Eugenia and 2 for The Conjugial Angel for an average of 3.
The second story, The Conjugial Angel, is much weaker. This one deals with the Victorians' obsession with spiritualism and death. Unlike the first novella, it features multiple narrators, and suffers for it; their voices are too similar. Also, the story revolves around Tennyson's younger sister and a doomed romance with another poet... which meant that A LOT of poetry was quoted. And I prefer my poetry in much smaller doses, and without lengthy digressions into its meaning and each character's reaction to it.
So, 4 stars for Morpho Eugenia and 2 for The Conjugial Angel for an average of 3.