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| Plot Summary of Possession |
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"Like many unique works, this award-winning 1990 novel defies categories. I couldn't define a "main character" or "time period," because the story gives equal weight to a pair of obscure English poets (male and female) in the 19th century and a pair of English academics (male and female) tracking them down in the late 20th. This romance/historical novel also transcends genres: Byatt concocts original poetry by each of the 19th century characters, and presents a lot of their delicate, personal correspondence for the modern couple to study. The latter are in turn warily drawn to each other as well. It's a dramatic tour-de-force presented in rich and allusive language."
David Loftus, Resident Scholar
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"This book is an incredible interweaving of two romances- one, which is revealed through uncovered letters and poems, is of an illicit affair between two 19th century poets, the other is the growing love between the 20th century scholars researching the lives of their predecessors. The author writes poems for the dead lovers (in the style of Browning for the man and Christina Rosseti for the woman) that provide clues to the nature of the relationship in a very unusual and creative way. As the past is uncovered there is a certain amount of mystery interwoven which adds an interesting and unique element of suspense to the book. The characters are myriad and the overall development is exceptional. This book is well deserving of the awards and attention it has received."
Wendy Reilly, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Possession |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book?
- upbeat
- thoughtful
Romance/Romance Problems
Yes
Kind of romance:
- GENERAL--no other subplots apply
- love triangle/polygon
- seduction (yum!)
- playing footsy while inconveniently married
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Main Character
Gender
- Female
Profession/status:
- scholar
Age:
- 20's-30's
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- almost none
Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings?
- 3 ()
Europe
Yes
European country:
- England/UK
- France
City?
Yes
Small town?
Yes
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- no torture/death
Sex in book?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references
- descript of kissing
Unusual Style:
- a lot of flashback and forwards
- No single main character?
Amount of dialog
- significantly more descript than dialog
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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