Something worth noting: A. S. Byatt's "Possession" has turned out to be a difficult novel to review for me mostly down to the fact that I fit into its target audience almost perfectly and so my enjoyment (and I REALLY enjoyed this book) might very well be coloured by that fact. Sure all reviews are basically just opinion and that is going to be true of anything I write to a certain extent but it's such a factor here that I thought it best to come clean from the get go. Suitably warned? Brilliant. Let's dive in then.
"Possession" is based in the world of literary academia with the discovery of an unfinished letter leading to a potential connection between two major (and fictional) poets of the Victorian era thought to previously be entirely at odds with one another due to their vastly different approaches to writing. As the two scholars involved attempt to unravel this previously unknown relationship they find their own dealings with each other coming to mirror the very events they are investigating. This treats us to two parallel story lines, each simultaneously complimenting and satirising the other.
Byatt has managed to capture the spirit of Victorian romance novels in the past of the two poets including all the melodrama and colourfully passionate language that you would expect from somebody like the Brontes with a smattering of D. H. Lawrence thrown in (though thankfully not too much). The contrast between this and the highly analytical approach in the modern sections is both what may intrigue and may put people off.
As with Umberto Eco, Byatt has no problem with going into detail about various literary theories and philosophical questions when the need arises so in places the prose can get quite dense. If that doesn't scare you though it really adds to the richness of the two narratives by engaging you directly with the kind of thought processes that are whipping through the character's minds. It is ultimately a novel about relationships, and the possessiveness that sometimes creeps in, both in romantic ones and the relationships between a scholar and their subject. Having the kind of detailed insight which Byatt provides makes a great deal of difference when attempting to understand the sometimes seemingly illogical steps the characters chose to make.
What "Possession" manages so well is the balance between the intellectual and the emotional elements of the stories. There are clearly criticisms being made of the academic world and its treatment of its subjects but never does this overshadow the importance of the characters and their development. All this is backed up by evocative language rich in sensuality and appropriately tweaked according to the varying effects Byatt is trying to create. I especially recommend this to anybody who has done an English degree because you'll definitely recognise some of the issues brought up.
Rating 9/10
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