Okay so here’s the hard truth up front – there are some things about the book Possession by A. S. Byatt that I don’t like. I have a genuine animosity toward books that romanticize affairs, and the character of Maud Bailey I find irritating, and not in a good way, about 90 percent of the time. (Really? You’re just too beautiful, smart, and privileged? What a cross to bear.)
However, I find myself rereading this book every few years, because in spite of the fact I don’t love it – I actually do – as a demonstration of what’s possible in fiction. Byatt created not only a story with two distinct plot lines, but readable and enjoyable poetry from two completely different voices. It’s literary fiction, a love story, and a mystery novel – and each piece clicks in like a perfect jigsaw puzzle to enhance the overall experience.
I learn about voice. I learn about pacing and plotting. I learn about how to make historical events feel connected to modern life (which is actually good for my other career as a history prof too) – reading this book is a writing class in and of itself.
Jenel Alan 