We almost decided to read these. Ended up going in another direction.
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Possession | 
We almost decided to read these. Ended up going in another direction.
bailedMaybe I'll return to this someday, but I'm abandoning it for now. At nearly 50% in, I just didn't care enough to pick it back up, and I didn't want to slog through this as my last read of the year when better books are waiting. This was my December #bookspin @TheAromaofBooks
pickI have been in a massive (seriously, year long) reading slump. But Byatt's passing prompted me to finally pick this one up that has long been on my TBR. Y'all, I tore through this novel! It is so good! The narrative is great, the prose is great, the letters, diaries, poems are all great. It was a delight to read in every sense. The ending is a bit hasty and zany but it doesn't take away from how masterful the novel is overall.
I am so sad to see this. I read the tagged in college and loved it, and got to see Byatt speak while in grad school. She was engaging, and I was star struck meeting her to sign my book. Rest in Peace amongst all the great storytellers, AS Byatt.
pickI‘ve been meaning to read this for years and I was absolutely right about how much I‘d love it. Beautiful, labyrinthine, full of yearning and strange surreal mystery elements and I LOVED how it viewed the past and wrote about (obviously very romanticised and somewhat secret history-esque) academia. The ending was a bit predictable but I wasn‘t really in it for the solution to the mystery eh
My long weekend goal is to finish POSSESSION. As good as it is, I‘m now at the point where I‘ve spent way too much time with it and I‘m ready to move on to something else. The tiny typeface they‘ve used for all the letters, journals, poems, and academic excerpts is doing me in. It‘s not a vision issue; it‘s about how I read for long stretches and get through, like, thirty pages. It‘s a frustrating progress to effort ratio.
Back in the day, after I encountered some stuff that helped me break past the idea that all litfic writers mistake dispassion for sophistication, I read a whole ton of novels that I absolutely COULD NOT WAIT to reread so I could catch all the little moments that gave the endings so much power.
POSSESSION was one of those—but y‘all, it‘s been 18 years, and while I remember the historical ending, I don‘t remember what I wanted to watch for. 🤷♀️
I was swept away by this novel. Just a big, dramatic story about scholarly passion and obsession, Victorian poets and the making of art, and love, but I think its dry humour goes under the radar.
Other 5 ⭐ reads that come to mind for P are Jane Austen's Persuasion and Pride and Prejudice, and Susanna Clarke's Piranesi.
pickI listened to this as read by Samuel West who was the perfect narrator. Most people have heard of this, it won the 1990 Booker Prize. It‘s a deep dive into nineteenth century poetry and modern day (well 1980s!) literary academics, particularly a pair of researchers, Roland and Maud who discover some hidden letters. There‘s mystery, romance, academic politics, feminist theory and a lot of 19th century style poems. ⬇️
Two thirds through this audio #chunkster which I‘m thoroughly enjoying and 100% through the chocolate berry waffle that my daughter bought me for lunch 😂😂 As good as it looked!
Such a cool list of books! Added so many to my TBR
? "Best books about books"
https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/2021/august/best-books-about-books-reading-di...
#Two4Tuesday @TheSpineView
1. Possession was a good movie,if not as devastating as the book. I absolutely adore You've got mail too!
2. I think AJ Pearce's books, both Dear Mrs.Bird and Yours cheerfully would make for excellent movies!
pickBased on what I had heard and read about Possession before I was expecting to devour the book and absolutely love it. I did not. I liked it, sure, it was enjoyable, but I never reached that "I have to keep reading NOW" stage ? But still, a clear pick ?
so-soI expected to love this book. Everything I knew about the plot seemed directed straight toward me. A scholar finds mysterious letters from his favorite poet in the London Library, steals them, and proceeds to uncover mystery after mystery? Yes, please. But...it just didn't do it for me. Reading this novel is a LOT of work. Are there pieces of it that are fantastic? Yes. Are there MANY pieces of it that are absolute drudgery to get through? Yes.
I don't seem to have the concentration this book demands. So I'm going to put it back on my shelf for now.
This has been on my shelf for so long. I think I'm definitely in the mood for this kind of book.
pickOne of my favorite books! A comforting, escapist read in these times!
May reading wrap-up! I managed to finish 10 books this month, which I'm really happy about. I did 2 re-reads (Harry Potter #4 and Aurora Rising) and honestly thought everything I read this month was great. (I also dnf'd a few not-great ones not pictured here.) Faves were Possession, The Seas, and The Other World It Whispers.
Nothing better than a bit of outdoor reading ☀️🌳🌼 And what a gorgeous cover! 💚 #Byatt #bookclubreads
pickA lovely read. I'll admit that I found some of the academic politics a bit tedious, but oh the letters were just wonderful 💌
pickHave you already been tagged @Tamra ? Would you like to post a cover you love each day for seven days with no explanation?
#7days7covers #covercrush
pickI LOVED THIS BOOK. So very much.
Full review: http://sprainedbrain.blog/2019/09/07/another-1001book-review-possession-by-a-s-b...
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#1001books
#bookhaulchallenge Had to scroll back pretty far to get to this, posted three years ago! I couldn‘t figure out how to get litsy to tell me the actual post date. 🤨
I‘ve read Roadside Picnic and His Majesty‘s Dragon (and the first sequel to it) but not Possession. Hoping to get to that one by the end of the year.
Final getaway of the summer ☀️
Definitely ready for some fall weather after this!
pickTwo academics find surprising secrets about the subject of their studies —two Victorian poets — via discovered letters, diaries, and rereading their poetry. And meanwhile they learn more about each other and themselves. Add to this the other academics on the same trail and this is quite a story. I do admit to skimming, instead of thoroughly reading, the poetry and some of the discovered writings — in favor of the action and dialogue.
#1001Books
Current #1001Books read. About 1/3 through and I keep going back and forth thinking “this book is brilliant” and “this book goes on a bit too much”.
No power all morning — stormed through the night! Reading this by the window and may have to do a Starbucks run soon as I cannot make coffee here.
“I cannot let you burn me up, nor can I resist you. No mere human can stand in a fire and not be consumed.”
#LilithJuly | 12: #Possession
📷: Made with Typorama
Obvious choice for #possession #lilithjuly @Cinfhen @KarenUK
Four of my favorite books of the past year have involved a romantic relationship gone wrong in some way. #TaintedLove #AnglophileApril
@Mdargusch @emilyhaldi @Reviewsbylola @Cinfhen
I started reading this last year, and then life got very complicated for a while. Now that things are finally stating to calm down a bit, or rather that I have gotten used to the chaos, I am going to attempt to finally finish it. It is beautifully written, but can be a bit of a slog if you are exhausted.
pickA person could write essays about this book which is about two scholars who stumble upon new material about two Victorian poets. I mostly loved it as I am in love with everything Victorian including the literature/ subjects of that time. Byatt took on a huge project inventing characters and their poetry, journal entries, letters etc. That being said I didn‘t necessarily care about the characters except for two minor ones. I have much more to say.
pickByatt's intricate dual narrative is a masterful exploration of the meanings & themes of the title. Roland Michell & Maud Bailey, literary scholars who are self-aware, yet slightly dissatisfied, with their postmodernist era & values. Byatt often seems to be subtly debating the narrative uncertainty & lack of closure of pomo. The story of poets Randolph Ash & Christabel LaMotte is told via various uncovered sources (the discovery of said sources 👇
Maud Bailey is easily the best name of a character in a book I've recently read. Also, this book is fantastic.
so-soA thoroughly and detailed crafted piece of literature but maybe it was the wrong book for me right now - the sadness and lack of fulfillment from everyone in the story was painful. There was a time, when I was immersed in academia, that this might have sung to me, but ten years on from that, it's like a memory of a bad dream.
I scored really big at my library's used book sale today! I got all this for only $25! 😀📚💕 #bookhaul #librarylove
My AbeBooks order arrived this morning. Look at this stunning beauty!! 😍😍😍 #foliofreaks
I read this novel influenced by British Romanticism in college. I loved it. (Edited to reflect user objections to my use of the word ‘romance‘ as a misleading description that might persuade someone to believe they were about to read a book from the modern romance genre. It was never my intent when using a word with a bigger history. I wish the focus had been on the beautiful quote. 😪😠)
#ReadingResolutions | 23: #Sunshine
📷: Google Books
I listened to a lot of audio this month! Possession was a great read and one I only picked up thanks to the #1001books list. I also really loved the biography of Louisa May Alcott and her mother, the only nonfiction I completed this month.
#ReadingStats #monthlystats
pickThis book was fascinating, and I loved how the all the experiences of the characters were woven together with excerpts from poems, letters, and journals. The story was complex with layers of development as secrets were revealed.
I listened to the audio and enjoyed the narrator, but I also downloaded the ebook in order to see the poetry and reread sections as needed.
#Reading1001 Randomized List
#1001books #audiobook
This book is fascinating, but the different perspectives and all of the excerpts from journals, letters, and poems were a bit overwhelming to keep track of on audio. I listened during my drive and walk today, and then I skimmed through the same pages to reread and mark a few passages. I‘m just over halfway through and am definitely curious about where the story is headed.
#1001books #audiobook
I started this audiobook on my way to visit family for Easter weekend and listened to more of it on the longer drive back home due to snow. It has taken me a while to become interested in the story, but I think I'm getting there. The style with all of the poetry and letters is fascinating, although I think I'm going to need to cross reference the audio with print to fully appreciate it.
#audiobook #1001books #Reading1001 Randomized list
I‘ve been looking for books with themes on obsession - this was recced by lists. Got any recs for me?
#bookrecommendations #lists #fiction #lookingforrecs
