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A review by claritybear
The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt
5.0
A deeply detailed and descriptive book. Stories within stories and fictions within histories. The era A.S. Byatt chooses to write about the 1860's through 1810's is a transformative time in England and Germany (her main geographic locations) and it in many ways mirrors our current time. The return to land, vegetarianism, reflection upon children and education, liberal ideas-they were all embraced by most of the characters of Byatt's novel.
I spent the first section of the book trying to decide if I was enjoying myself and reminding myself to keep reading. I spent the rest of the book wishing it would continue onwards. It has the feel of a Russian novel with the many layers of family, characters and interweavings of relationships but with a different tracking method altogether.
Byatt combines good storytelling(faries and lost shadows and underground worlds) with honest and clear reality (unwanted pregnancy, lost loves and untimely deaths) and ties it all up with insight, humour and lovely descriptions.
My first Byatt book and I look forward to reading back into her writings.
I spent the first section of the book trying to decide if I was enjoying myself and reminding myself to keep reading. I spent the rest of the book wishing it would continue onwards. It has the feel of a Russian novel with the many layers of family, characters and interweavings of relationships but with a different tracking method altogether.
Byatt combines good storytelling(faries and lost shadows and underground worlds) with honest and clear reality (unwanted pregnancy, lost loves and untimely deaths) and ties it all up with insight, humour and lovely descriptions.
My first Byatt book and I look forward to reading back into her writings.