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| Topics | | messages | Last message | | | 75 Books Challenge for 2009 : legxleg's 2009 reading part 2 | | 45 | legxleg, Today 1:43pm |  |
| 75 Books Challenge for 2009 : flissp 2: The New Batch | | 261 | blackdogbooks, Today 12:29pm | |
| 50 Book Challenge : Shinyone's 50 for 2009 | | 88 | shinyone, Today 8:58am | |
| The Prizes : Man Booker Prize 2009 | | 108 | teelgee, Today 2:42am | |
| Geology : Book List Thing. | | 46 | dchaikin, Yesterday 11:43pm | |
| Literary Snobs : What are you reading NOW November 09? | | 103 | Medellia, Yesterday 1:53pm | |
| 75 Books Challenge for 2009 : Staci426 tries for 75 in 2009 | | 37 | staci426, Wednesday 10:03pm | |
| The Europe Endless Challenge : Where are you now? | | 48 | RidgewayGirl, Wednesday 1:43pm | |
| 1010 Category Challenge : dreamlikecheese's 1010 Challenge | | 66 | divinenanny, Wednesday 1:42am | |
| Alphabet Challenges : RidgewayGirl's Abecedary | | 30 | RidgewayGirl, Tuesday 2:14pm | |
| Book talk : Another Silly Game Part 33 | | 305 | DonaldandMaryHyde, Monday 11:40pm | |
| 1010 Category Challenge : Ellie's 1010 challenge | | 15 | NeverStopTrying, Monday 1:04pm | |
| 1010 Category Challenge : bk04011's 2010 10 x 10 Category Challenge | | 46 | elliepotten, Saturday 11:34am | |
| What Are You Reading Now? : What Are You Reading the Week of October 31, 2009? | | 201 | teelgee, Saturday 12:44am | |
| Folio Society devotees : Renewed... and very happy! | | 214 | spacmann, November 6 | |
| Club Read 2009 : RidgewayGirl's 2009 Reading | | 98 | rebeccanyc, November 3 | |
| What Are You Reading Now? : Books Brought Home - October 2009 | | 180 | momom248, November 1 | |
| The Green Dragon : October 2009 stuff bought | | 68 | katylit, November 1 | |
| Club Read 2009 : Medellia's 2009 Reading | | 245 | Medellia, October 27 | |
| 1001 Books to read before you die : Sara's 1001, with Opinions | | 23 | Sarasamsara, October 25 | |
| Book talk : Books made into movies | | 107 | Ape, October 25 | |
| 1010 Category Challenge : teelgee Tries Ten Ten | | 30 | cmt, October 23 | |
| 999 Challenge : bk04011 's | | 75 | NeverStopTrying, October 16 | |
| 1010 Category Challenge : kimb 1010 list for 2010 | | 23 | KimB, October 14 | |
| 1010 Category Challenge : Rosemeria's 1010 Challenge | | 14 | rosemeria, October 8 | |
| 75 Books Challenge for 2009 : cameling's reading list for 2009 | | 264 | cameling, September 25 | |
| Australian LibraryThingers : Dymocks Top 101 Books | | 31 | shawjonathan, September 21 | |
| 100 Books Challenge for 2009 : Tanenbaum's list for 2009 | | 22 | tanenbaum, September 21 | |
| Virago Modern Classics : Duplicate Copies (VII) | | 219 | laytonwoman3rd, September 14 | |
| 999 Challenge : Remember to tag your books! | | 59 | stephmo, September 7 | |
| 1001 Books to read before you die : Dave's 1001 List | | 15 | dczapka, September 4 | |
| 50-Something Library Thingers : What are You Reading in 2009? | | 178 | megwaiteclayton, September 2 | |
| 2009 Genre Challenge : May Genre -- Literary Fiction | | 16 | readeron, September 1 | |
| 999 Challenge : What are you reading, August 2009? | | 63 | AnnieMod, August 31 | |
| What Are You Reading Now? : WHAT ARE YOU READING NOW? Where? Why? How? What? Is it? What? | | 141 | callmejacx, August 25 | |
| Literary Snobs : People Who Believe Books are a Waste of Time and Money | | 300 | holcombjmarie, August 24 | |
| Folio Society devotees : The New Membership Year has started | | 163 | chase.donaldson, August 20 | |
| Birds, Birding & Books : Birds and Birders in fiction | | 11 | subarcticmike, August 16 | |
| 999 Challenge : Another group read? | | 19 | RidgewayGirl, August 4 | |
| What Are You Reading Now? : Books Brought Home - July 2009 | | 228 | rolandperkins, August 1 | |
| Reading Globally : Recommendations for British Women Writers | | 22 | Luder, August 1 | |
| 1001 Books to read before you die : How many have you read? | | 263 | BekkaJo, July 12 | |
| 75 Books Challenge for 2009 : judylou is still reading in 2009 | | 265 | judylou, June 28 | |
| Librarians who LibraryThing : Literary Classics & Popular Fiction Assistance | | 36 | goydaeh, June 27 | |
| Group Reads - Literature : The next book after 'Pale Fire' and 'The Forsyte Saga' | | 94 | kjellika, June 3 | |
| Book talk : Books about books... | | 19 | Sandydog1, May 9 | |
| Girlybooks : The Books by Women that Every Woman Should Read and Why | | 37 | ElizabethPotter, May 4 | |
| 75 Books Challenge for 2009 : BritAnnia's 2009 books | | 14 | Carmenere, April 23 | |
| What Are You Reading Now? : What You Are Reading the Week of 21 March 2009 | | 224 | Storeetllr, April 3 | |
| Book talk : Looking for a great book that is not depressing. | | 25 | CarolynSchroeder, March 31 | |
| What Are You Reading Now? : What You Are Reading the Week of 14 March 2009 | | 196 | porchsitter55, March 24 | |
| Literary Snobs : Best books by GENRE | | 342 | kswolff, March 23 | |
| 999 Challenge : Neverwithoutabook and the 999 challenge | | 34 | Neverwithoutabook, March 14 | |
| What Are You Reading Now? : Favorite 5 Fiction Reads of 2008 | | 109 | pm11, March 2 | |
| Book Addicts Anonymous : Book to Film Adaptations | | 7 | LadyViolet, March 1 | |
| BookCrossing Australia! : Group Reading Log: February 2009 | | 83 | wookiebender, February 28 | |
| 999 Challenge : Eurydice's | | 75 | Eurydice, February 27 | |
| Girlybooks : Valentine's Day thread : Best Love Stories Written by Women | | 30 | nohrt4me, February 25 | |
| 999 Challenge : rarm's 999 challenge | | 14 | rarm, February 4 | |
| Girlybooks : What Books by Women are You Reading Now? January 2009 | | 102 | Nickelini, January 30 | |
| What Are You Reading Now? : Your BEST BOOKS of 2008 | | 174 | MissTeacher, January 18 | |
| LT's list of great books you should read : Action thread | | 62 | kjellika, January 8 | |
| 50 Book Challenge : jfetting's 50 book challenge - 2008 | | 176 | jfetting, January 1 | |
| 50 Book Challenge : heatherlynn85's 2008 challenge | | 56 | heatherlynn85, December 2008 | |
| 888 Challenge : Zero's 888 | | 73 | ReneeMarie, December 2008 | |
| 50 Book Challenge : AMQS | | 50 | AMQS, December 2008 | |
| Geeks who love the Classics : Which contemporary books will/should become classics? | | 33 | Esta1923, December 2008 | |
| TBR Challenge : Medellia12 2009: I'm going to do something I should've done a long time ago | | 4 | Medellia, December 2008 | |
| Book talk : What's better: Reading the book first before watching the movie, or vice versa? | | 52 | LA12Hernandez, November 2008 | |
| BookCrossing Australia! : Group Reading Log: November 2008 | | 40 | wookiebender, November 2008 | |
| Historical Fiction : Victorian England | | 35 | margad, November 2008 | |
| Anglophiles : Modern Victorian novels | | 27 | Booksloth, November 2008 | |
| 1001 Books to read before you die : Best 1001 Books Alphabetically | | 199 | Nickelini, November 2008 | |
| What Are You Reading Now? : What Are You Reading The Week of 1 November 2008 | | 163 | Sean191, November 2008 | |
| 888 Challenge : shootingstarr7's | | 66 | shootingstarr7, November 2008 | |
| Girlybooks : THEME READ FOR SEPT/OCT: women and historical fiction | | 56 | Cariola, November 2008 | |
| BookCrossing Australia! : Group Reading Log: October 2008 | | 73 | wookiebender, November 2008 | |
| 50 Book Challenge : Lisa's | | 1 | littlebear514, October 2008 | |
| The Prizes : The Booker | | 210 | Nickelini, October 2008 | |
| 1001 Books to read before you die : Which of the 1001 are you currently reading? | | 344 | hemlokgang, September 2008 | |
| What Are You Reading Now? : Books with Dual Time Periods | | 44 | Carol_M_in_NJ, September 2008 | |
| Virago Modern Classics : What Virago are you reading? (Part II) | | 204 | urania1, September 2008 | |
| 1001 Books to read before you die : August 2008: Which Book from the 1001 List are You Reading? | | 113 | ktleyed, August 2008 | |
| Girlybooks : What books by and/or about women are you reading May-August 08? | | 253 | TerrierGirl, August 2008 | |
| Reading Globally : Where in the World Are You Now? July 2008 | | 107 | rebeccanyc, August 2008 | |
| What Are You Reading Now? : What You're Reading the Week of 12 July 2008 | | 315 | cameling, July 2008 | |
| What Are You Reading Now? : What You're Reading the Week of 5 July 2008 | | 264 | Whicker, July 2008 | |
| 1001 Books to read before you die : June 2008: Which Book from the 1001 List are You Reading? | | 104 | billiejean, July 2008 | |
| The Prizes : The Best of the Booker | | 36 | Cariola, July 2008 | |
| Reading Globally : Welcome & Group information | | 52 | lindsacl, July 2008 | |
| What Are You Reading Now? : Top Five Books first quarter of 2008 | | 119 | rachbxl, July 2008 | |
| 50 Book Challenge : Favorites for first half of 2008 | | 3 | karspeak, June 2008 | |
| Go Review That Book! : Game Thread 2 | | 253 | ireed110, June 2008 | |
| 50 Book Challenge : Belinda's attempt at 50 | | 3 | Belinda79, June 2008 | |
| 1001 Books to read before you die : The 1001 "I've Read That" chain game | | 300 | BKieras, June 2008 | |
| Book talk : Guess the Book Ver 2.0 | | 308 | thorold, June 2008 | |
| 1001 Books to read before you die : Romance on the list? | | 17 | VivianeoftheLake, May 2008 | |
| What Are You Reading Now? : What You're Reading the Week of 19 April 2008 | | 165 | sandragon, May 2008 | |
| 50 Book Challenge : karenwardill's list 2008 | | 76 | kiwidoc, May 2008 | |
| next |
... much EXACTLY like the movie. His spare writing style worked very well to be turned into a film.
86-88: I also loved Possession and was also not interested in seeing the film! Finished Possession last night. I enjoyed it an awful lot and because of my enjoyment of ridiculous Victorian fiction I was able to grant Byatt the necessary leeway in terms of coincidences in scholarship. Great fun though. ... love the listing of favorite books read for each year. Mine for 2009 is almost certainly going to be A.S. Byatt's Possession. Have fun in 2010. ... read. 3 1/2 stars
56. The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt
OK, to sound much like my last comment, it's no Possession, but it's quite good. My only criticism: She gets bogged down in giving us history lessons every once in a while, interrupting the flow of the story. 4 stars
... ... that's weird, I just bought Babe's collected stories last week. Reading the poetry of John Donne befor starting on Posession Sean191: do read Possession its one of my favorite books of all time. It is really an experience, the feel of the period, the poetry, the love story. ahh I have to read it again...
Meanwhile
We finally started the group read for People of the Book loving it so far. The Virgin in the Garden by A.S. Byatt
read in the late 90s but coming off Possession: A romance, i was a bit disappointed. it might be better read than listened to. ... Parody, and loved it. Surprisingly funny and not the usual take on Twilight satire.
Next I'm going to start reading Possession, because I've been carting an old copy around with me for the last three moves. It's time. ... even though I like Butler. And you're the first one to really tempt me re: The Children's Book. I only liked Posession once I started skipping all the poetry, plus I didn't like the male character that much for how he treated the girlfriend he had been living with. 177. Possession -- This novel is about literary research on a pair of fictional Victorian poets. Their poetry is included in the book as well. Byatt creates an entire body of non-existent literature, so in a way this is multiple works, and the literary criticism of those works. Normally, I would ... ... and would love to see your response to. Two of my favorites that you are suggesting to yourself are Song of Solomon and Possession: A Romance. ... Unsworth
B. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
C. True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey
D. Possession: A Romance by A.S. Byatt
E. The Bone People by Keri Hulme ... fantasy; somehow I missed this one!).
Charity shop purchases (These three are potential reads in my 1010 categories) : Possession: A Romance by A. S. Byatt (an author I have never read);
Chocolat and Blackberry Wine both by Joanne Harris (I just read her Runemarks, a fantasy for ... ... fantasy; somehow I missed this one!).
Charity shop purchases (These three are potential reads in my 1010 categories) : Possession: A Romance by A. S. Byatt (an author I have never read);
Chocolat and Blackberry Wine both by Joanne Harris (I just read her Runemarks, a fantasy for ... 8. They Did What?!?!?
Books read:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Possible candidates:
Possession by A S Byatt
Monkey by Wu Cheng'en
Lust Caution by Eileen Chang
The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles
My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin
Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier
M ... ...
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
The Wasp Factory by Iain M Banks
The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
Possession by A S Byatt
A Passage To India by E M Forster
Slaughterhouse-5 by Kurt Vonnegut ... at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley and
The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt (haven't read anything of hers since Possession)
And my boyfriend bought Michael Chabon's Manhood for Amateurs, which I also look forward to reading. ... Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell
* ? by Virginia Woolf
* The mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
* Possession: A Romance by A.S. Byatt ... shelf--lokks like I'd better put them on my "short shelf" of upcoming TBRs. As I aid before, youv'e encouraged me to give Possession another try--and stick with it longer, this time!
I finished my 999 reading on Monday and hope to find time today to review the last book and and bring it ... ... Like a Writer. The worst of the lot was a book I still gave four stars to, but took me over 200 pages to fall into: Possession A Romance.
Shortlisted was enjoyable and almost entirely without a bad book. The best was What Was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn, but it was hard to ... ... was offered £85 of books I could choose in lieu of the renewal offer.
got oscar and lucinda, riddle of the sands and possession as my renewal pack and chose tinker tailor soldier spy, human factor, to kill a mockingbird and good soldier as the 4 books I needed to renew ... very ... ... from page 14 of my Catalog
2. The Conservationist by Nadine Gordimer from Booker Prize Winners
3. Possession: A Romance by A. S. Byatt from Booker Prize Winners
4. Master Detective by John Reisinger from True Crime
5. Jack the Ripper by Rick ... I finally finished Possession: A Romance with a few interruptions thanks to Library Renewal Roulette sneaking in...I've updated the CK for the book as well. I won't be adding to the 99 reviews.
I will say that the book and story were compelling and I'm in awe of the work that Byatt did for ... It took me exactly 225 pages to get drawn into A.S. Byatt's Booker Prize winning novel, but Possession A Romance did eventually beguile me. Well, using great determination (also called "stubborness"), I have finished Possession by A.S. Byatt. This book has been staring at me resentfully from the bottom of my TBR, and I had avoided it because it seemed much more worthy than intriguing. And it did start slowly. I ... So, I did it. I finished Possession and found it to be excellent although it took me 225 pages to start liking the book.
Three books to go! I've been steadily reading Possession: A Romance, but I just noticed that I do have Night's Edge due at the library soon. Not super-soon, but soon enough. This is a collection of short stories that includes a Sookie Stackhouse in-between (remember, I promised to take a break from these? This ... I'm back in England, which is just useless for the purposes of this challenge, but I may change my English book to Possession as it is much, much better than the book I have there now. ... have listed you and Eliza in my 'posting giants' list too.
Theresa, I'm interested that you had a similar reaction to Posession. It's praised so highly elsewhere that I thought it would be quite different. Thanks for your perspective!
Wisewoman, yes!! If I had a middle name like that ... ... Not that I don't have others coming up, but I can breathe a bit easier now.
I'm actually going to finally start Possession: A Romance by A.S. Byatt. Although if I find myself in the reading rut again, I do reserve the right to put it down and read something easier for a bit. :) I have The Red Queen sitting here, unread to date, and have never knowingly read any Drabble. I loved Possession by Byatt but, again, haven't read anything else by her. I wonder why they (reportedly) hate each other? ... The Trial - Franz Kafka *** msg48
Ongoing: Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
Lined up: Possession - A. S. Byatt
3) TBR: 5/9
i) The Uncommon Reader - Alan Bennett *** msg19
ii) 84 Charing Cross Road - Helene Hanff ** ... ... book tonight - I think I'm feeling The Solitaire Mystery by Gaarder Jostein. As promised, though, I am moving both Possession: A Romance and The Conservationist to my TBR pile this month. This will keep me on track for getting done with my Booker Prize category by the end of the year. ... ...
What are the next three books you want to buy?
Cities of the Plain - Cormac McCarthy
Small Wars - Sadie Jones
Possession - A. S. Byatt
Which book would you most like as a gift from someone?
Lucy Maud Montgomery: The Gift of Wings - Mary Henley Rubio
Which book ... ... and (as the title of this thread suggests) I'm very happy. I went for Midnight's Children, Oscar and Lucinda and Possession for my freebies - and they kindly threw in the diary too.
For my renewal books I took My Family And Other Animals, which is wonderfully whimsical, and Lord ... Ooh, I'm a big Byatt fan, so The Children's Book is going right up my wishlist! I agree with everyone who's recommended Possession, and I have to recommend some of my personal favorites, The Frederica Quartet: The Virgin in the Garden, Still Life, Babel Tower, and A Whistling Woman. ... ****
28. Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold (sci fi) ****
29. War for the Oaks by Emma Bull (fantasy) ***1/2
30. Possession by A. S. Byatt (fiction) ***
31. Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift (fiction) **
32. The Serpent’s Tale by Ariana Franklin (mystery) ****1/2
33. ... Your review of The Children's Book is great, and I'm adding it to my list. I too strongly recommend Possession, and I also liked her Matisse Stories very much. Hey everyone - I hope you all get to The Children's Book sometime in the future! I guess I have to read Possession now, since it has received a lot of recommendations. Thanks for pointing out the Hot Review, Tymfos!
I am currently reading The Quickening Maze by Adam Foulds, ... ... seems very generous. reckon I'll try and get as many of the Bookers as I can with that and the 4 books to continue ... possession / oscar and lucinda and siege of krishnapur seem most likely for that price. Love the review, Cait! I think I'll read The Children's Book in early September.
From the above recommendations, Possession goes on my wish list. It won the Booker Prize, I think in 1990. I am millioning the recommendation of Possession! I fourth the suggestion to read Possession and thank you very much for your review of The Children's Book because I've been debating about ordering it. ... A Novel
5. The Inheritance of Loss
6. The Line of Beauty
7. Middlemarch
8. The Moor's Last Sigh
9. Possession: A Romance
10. A Prayer for Owen Meany
10 prizes (recent)
1. Breath Miles Franklin winner of 2009
2. Wanting shortlisted for Miles Franklin 2009
... I read Possession for my 999 challenge and was amazed and delighted. Then a friend of my sister's passed my a copy of The Matisse Stories and I was again astounded, and that even though I tend not to be a fan of the short story form. So here I go, trying to play catch up on the other fiction ... ... for my book group, I Am a Cat for an online group, and I'm trying to get folks in this group to do a group read for Possession.
I have over 45 books checked out from the library, so I'm buried under an avalanche of Mount TBR. The ones I hope to read this month are: Iron Kissed, To ... So it looks like we have 2 votes for Possession.
Anyone else? ... reviews and ratings here on LT are outstanding. I'm throwing caution to the wind on that one! First, though, I want to read Possession. ... what was happening. The fairy tales that appear throughout the book was a very nice addition
and also reminded me of Possession by A.S. Byatt. Two longer ones I have to read in my categories:
Possession by A.S. Byatt
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
I do have The Book Thief on my list, but that's one I need to get from the library, and there's a bit of a wait on that one at the moment with a guaranteed line after ... ... Tower
Still Life
The Virgin in The Garden
.............all by A S Byatt...never think that all she wrote was Possession
also....
Saffron Skies and Sundowners...by Lesley Lokko....never read her work but the exotica intrigues me....
yep! ... want to investigate for myself)
- Middlesex: Jeffrey Eugenides - favourite book of a mate, who gave this to me.
- Possession: A. S. Byatt - I began this last summer, but was distracted by other books and drifted off course.
- The Little Friend: Donna Tartt - another ... ... dylou,
Your review of the children's book is interesting - I'm not sure if I will like reading about pottery either.
Possession was an interesting book. It had a lot of poetry and folklore which I have heard other readers moan about but I loved it... pottery on the other hand... ... I've been eyeing that one off in the bookshops myself! (Yes, I'm shallow and it's a beautiful cover.) I've only read her Possession: A Romance and The Virgin in the Garden, neither of which were simple reads (although "Possession" is an all-time favourite of mine, and I revisit it fairly ... >109 I'm glad to see that Possession zips along - it makes me feel better for the thicker books. I'm looking forward to starting the group read in a few days.
Of course, it would help if I also wasn't sneaking in other books - I need to get through Tattoo Machine for ER, and then I just ... #8 Judylou I bought The Children's Book yesterday hoping it would be as good as Possession... Have you read possession and are able to compare the two?
I am reading The Outlander by Gil Adamson
1. I got the book from the public library
2. I chose to read the book now because it's a ... ... A Clockwork Orange will stay in print longer)
The Innocent, Ian McEwan (his best book)
The Road, Cormac McCarthy
Possession, AS Byatt
The English Patient, Michael Ondaatje
Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie
The Raj Quartet, Paul Scott ... not sure if you'd see Marley and Me appearing again if they ran this again in a few year's time! But I do take heart that Possession appeared at all!
Of the top 10, the only one I hadn't read was the Australian one. Oh dear. A.S.Byatt, especially Possession comes to mind, but I must agree with thorold: the choice is way too vast. ... With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (5)
New Moon by Stephenie Meyer (5)
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett (5)
Possession: A Romance by A. S. Byatt (5)
Atonement by Ian McEwan (5)
Chocolat by Joanne Harris (5)
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen (5)
The Woman in White by Wilk ... ... I've heard from friends and everywhere else says it's really good - I believe I read 3 page of it at one point!
I have Posession on my list as well, and that's another longer one as well. I'll be getting The Book Thief from the library, but I've also heard it reads fast, so I'm not ... I'd never heard of the Borges either, and have added it to the tbr list.
I'll second Cariola's recommendation of Possession--it's a great read. Oh, Possession is the best! I also loved Angels and Insects. ... I thought her atmosphere in the 19th Century was effective, too. But I was disappointed in her next two.
I haven't read Possession: A Romance yet, so I would feel guilty launching into her next book first. ... Woman in White (4)
Madame Bovary (4)
Buddenbrooks (3)
The Idiot (3)
Tristram Shandy (3)
Don Quixote (3)
Possession (3)
The Brothers Karamazov (2)
Martin Chuzzlewit (2)
Tom Jones (2)
The Sound and the Fury (2)
Invisible Cities (2) ... based on.
Catch 22
I'm a bit late though - your Historical Fiction category seems to be full.
Also recommending Possession - Victorian. ...
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (5)
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (5)
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen (5)
Possession: A Romance by A. S. Byatt (5)
Again, the top three are the same, although it appears that Mrs. Dalloway and the Brothers Karamazov both lost a reader.
T ... ... the 999 Challenge, so some of my reading has been pretty various. The two big experiences were The Name of the Rose and Possession: A Romance. I just now finished some Byatt short stories, The Matisse Stories. She boggles my mind, she is that good and that accessible, at least to me. I ... I liked your review of Possession, it sat on my bookshelves for several years before I read it last December and I really enjoyed it too. I haven't read anything else by Byatt yet but will. I also just read Dracula for my Bloodlust category, I thought I should read a classic to counter all the ... ... and Atonement! Both have been lingering on my TBR list for years.
Morphidae, from your list I fell in love with Possession last month: just the usual postmodern style and themes I can never resist, plus I have it!:) (Btw, the touchstone there took me to some totally different book.)
... ... hope I find the time to read!):
The Master and Margarita
Doctor Zhivago
The Sound and the Fury
Don Quixote
Possession
(Is that too many?)
(edited to fix touchstone) ... also like to read Bolano at some point - but not necessarily 2666 - I want to decompress after Ulysses.
I have read Possession - I enjoyed it very much. I did not like the Blind Assassin. As I mentioned earlier I would be up for the Plague. I am reading the Great Gatsby right now ... May I suggest if you are going to recommend a non-English book that you recommend a translation, too.
Possession
Suttree
... a dust jacket, and an Everyman's Library edition of the short stories of Raymond Chandler, as well as very nice copies of Possession and The Road. ... you... A Passion for Books, The Book on the Bookshelf, books by Nick Hornby and Nicholas A. Basbanes...
ETA: Possession: A Romance is about discovering a romance between two (fictional) historical authors, and probably qualifies. ... which will always be a black mark against him, in my book.
The John Crowley novel sounds very intriguing, if a bit Possession derived.
btw, have you seen Ken Russel's movie about the infamous night when Byron, Shelley, Mary Shelley and Byron's doctor (whose name escapes me right now) ... I've been avoiding Possession for years; your review has me determined to read it, and soon! Book 9 of 81
Category: Historical Fiction
Item: Possession: A Romance by A.S. Byatt
This is an epistolary novel about two Victorian poets embedded in a standard narrative about two late 20th century academics, with imitation period poetry and traditional fairy tales embedded in ... Richard and Caroline--
Thanks for the nudge to pass Possession off my shelf and out of my life. I need the space for things I love!
Carolyn ... romp through Russia ... I can see this written into a screenplay for a Denzel Washington movie.
Suffered through Possession by A.S. Byatt ... and suffering may be an understatement. It felt like I was wading through clay, so thick and dreary was this book. I think I'm going to keep a ... ... if I'm reading a novel rather than a short story--she should have more room to tell a story in the longer form. I do have Possession: A Romance in my future, and I still look forward to it, whatever my misgivings about this collection.
I picked up Lois Lowry's The Giver on a whim at Strand ... ... Swim Parties by Jessica Anya Blau
40.Brooklyn by Colm Toibin
41.The Secret Speech by Tom Rob Hall
42.Possession A Romance by A.S. Byatt
43.A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
44.Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance by Atul Gawande
45.Bird by Bird ... If you haven't already done it, I'd recommend Possession by A. S. Byatt. #97 cameling - I'm afraid I never got into Possession, though I loved the movie. I think part of it was that I am so not into Victorian poetry. I just skipped over all those parts in the book. The story itself was good but kind of dull, I just did not see what everyone was raving about over it. ... ... Eye on my wish list for a long time but can never find it in book stores. I think I'll just order it on line. I enjoyed Possession all though it's kind of slow at times. ... heard of The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye by Byatt, so I am going to have to look for that one. I did read and enjoy Possession. Thanks for the mention of the other book. # 43 Cameling, keep trying with Possession; it's one of my all-time favorite books. Not an easy read, I'll agree, but truly a wonderful book. An especially wonderful book for former English majors and would-be graduate students in English, like me! (I became a lawyer instead, and I've ... I had to put down Possession by A.S. Byatt after 20 pages. I know alot of LTers have loved the book, but I just couldn't get into it. Maybe just my mood, so I've put it aside and maybe I'll pick it up some time later. ... I have a soft spot for the 'fake marriage' silly romance trope, and Heyer did it very well. A lot of fun.
Book 40 is Possession by A.S. Byatt. I'm afraid I didn't like this book as well as The Djinn in the Nightngale's Eye, but I think that's probably my fault. The book follows Rolan ... Just finished Dog On It and will start Possession by A.S. Byatt today. Just what I think I need to read for the weekend. ... by Fyodor Dostoevsky (8)
3. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (8)
4. American Gods by Neil Gaiman (6)
5. Possession: A Romance by A. S. Byatt (5)
6. Watchmen by Alan Moore (5)
7. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (5)
8. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood ... I am nearly halfway through AS Byatt's Possession for my historical novel category and am loving it. I recently finished Carmilla, which was interesting and Land of Little Rain, which I also loved. Write ups this weekend. Next up will be A History of Reading. ... of Love by Nicole Krauss,Atonement by Ian McEwan I enjoyed once I got into it! A Thousand Splendid Suns by Hosseini, Possession by A.S Byatt, The Plague by Albert Camus, anything by Tim Winton, Remains of the Day by Ishiguro and interesting that you mentioned The Interpreter of Ma ... Cool, 2 of mine on the list - Northanger Abbey and The Book Thief. Nice to see Possession here, a fantastic book. ... Poison by Kathryn Harrison, In the Fall by Jeffrey Lent, Pope Joan by Donna Cross, Martha Peake by Patrick McGrath, Possession and The French Lieutenant's Woman by Byatt and Fowles respectively (both have dual timelines) and finally, the trilogy written by Jane Stevenson which begins ... ... Dostoevsky (8)
3. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (6)
4. The Pillars of The Earth by Ken Follett (5)
5. Possession: A Romance by A. S. Byatt (5)
6. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (5)
7. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (5)
8. The Heretic's Daughter: A Novel by ... I loved Possession. You have a lot of books here that are on my TBR. ... Violet, I was very dissapointed in the movie adaptaion of The Other Boelyn Girl, it was so far off from the book.
Now, Possession written by A.S. Byatt was made in to a good movie. I liked that one. It stayed close to the book's story line.
So, let me ask you girls this, do you like ... The Lace Reader
A Coney Island of the Mind
Possession
are listed in your memes as Hardback/paperback duplicates. You also have two books listed as hardcover duplicates, (but one of them is Cutting for Stone) and two English/French duplicates. I have a hardcover and paperback of several books- Possession- read the paperback originally, got it signed, then years later bought a first-edition hardcover; Cutting for Stone- got a galley and later bought a hardcover at a reading. And I think there's one other but I can't remember it right ... ... is on high rotation on my reading schedule, and I'd also like to throw in a Jane Austen or two (or three...), the dreaded Possession by AS Byatt, maybe a Graham Greene or two (or three...), and lots of books I haven't read yet. ;)
Got through part 2 of Anna Karenina. Still wonderful stuff, ... ... books away, though I may one day start to BM, but the ones I'd never part with are
Box set of The Chronicles of Narnia
Posession
Holy Bible given by my parents
set of Winnie the Pooh given by my sister
all my Robertson Davies books
The day's play and other journalism by AA Milne ... ... Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky (6)
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (5)
The Watchmen by Alan Moore (5)
Possession: A Romance by A. S. Byatt (5)
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen (5)
John Adams by David McCullough (4)
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (4)
... ... do mean to fill in some of the other categories, soon. Shorter messages will make it less overwhelming.
As to beginning Possession, tomorrow seemed a suitable day. ;) Planning something specially enjoyable for my evening struck me as fun and sensible, with a boyfriend some distance away, ... Eurydice
You have a lot of great selections--I'm looking forward to the comments as you read. I'm considering Possession this year since I own it already. I want to find Return of the Soldier and The Professors House. I own all but one Barbara Pym and have read only a few of them--Less ... ... of Kindness, Elizabeth Taylor
The Old Man and Me, Elaine Dundy
Good Behaviour, Molly Keane
Possession: A Romance, A.S. Byatt - a Valentine's pick (on hold)
Less Than Angels, Barbara Pym
The Misses Mallett, E.H. Young
After the Death of Don ... ... of a trip, but about to be taken up, again
This qualifies somewhat less than others, perhaps, but genuinely enough: Possession: A Romance, A.S. Byatt - a Valentine's pick, currently reading
I keep failing to make a definitive list, perhaps out of further shame? :) But here ... ... Suicides -- Jeffrey Eugenides
21) Black Dogs — Ian McEwan
22) American Psycho -- Bret Easton Ellis
23) Possession: A Romance -- A. S. Byatt
24) The Remains of the Day -- Kazuo Ishiguro
25) The New York Trilogy -- Paul Auster
I second Possession: A Romance AND The Time Traveler's Wife!
Not having read the book but knowing the film, Leaving Las Vegas (I think) is one of the most profound love stories of time. Two individuals whose destiny has been so defined, each with self-destructive tendencies, find the ... Just peeking in. Persuasion is an absolute favorite. I only just, finally, bought a copy of Possession. Not sure why it took me so long, but I had fairly well decided, in honor of this thread, to read it on Valentine's Day - before Paola posted her seal of approval! Now it is ... I totally agree with Persuasion, as avaland suggested, and I would add Possession by A.S. Byatt. ... contrivances strung between them, sorry).
If you consider literary love stories as "romance" you can call things like Posession or anything by Jane Austen "romance". It's all about definition. (I note that A.S. Byatt actually calls Possession a romance.)
(I had to spell "Possession ... Lord of the Rings of course
Anna Karenina - several adaptations
The French Lieutenant's Woman
Possession
Wide Sargasso Sea
Love in the Time of Cholera
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Frankenstein - several adaptations
Rebecca
to name a few in the classic category. Plus it ... >36 Carolyn, I tried to read Possession but it just didn't...well.... possess me!
- TT ... finished 9/11
6. Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie finished 10/23
7. Possession: A Romance by A. S. Byatt finished 9/24
8. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
9. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
NOTES:
- ... ... and The Matisse Stories is by far the collection I enjoyed the most. I also definely agree with the recommendation re Possession: A Romance, and I'll be checking out A Whistling Woman. I'd def recommend A.S. Byatt, she's brilliant. Possession: A Romance is very good, but my favorite of hers is A Whistling Woman. I'm actually thinking of reading one of her short story collections, probably The Matisse Stories for my 999 Challenge Short Stories Category. #34 ronincats
A.S. Byatt is a prize winning British author best known for her novel Possession: A Romance which has been on my TBR since it came out about 1990 or '91. She has written other novels and I believe maybe some short stories and is very popular. Someone who know more about ... Just finished People of the Book - definitely recommend!
I'm about to start Possession by A. S. Byatt! ... Hawthorne - B
57. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer - D+
58. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson - A
59. Possession: A Romance by AS Byatt - B+
60. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by CS Lewis - B
61. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer - D
62. The Fall of the House of Usher ... ... I am. Nominees and winners are:
Best fiction book: Perfume: the story of a murderer, A Dance to the Music of Time, Possession: a romance, Ulysses, If On a Winters Night a Traveler, An Artist of the Floating World
Winner: An Artist of the Floating World
The "Bonf ... ... 1
iii. Summers at Castle Auburn Finished Mar 27
iv. Fevre Dream Finished Apr 13
v. Half-Life Finished May 31
vi. Possession Finished June 8
vii. Never Let Me Go Finished June 24
viii. Firebird Finished August 1
ix. An Arsonist's Guide To Writers' Homes In New England Finished ... ... Powell
The Alexandria Quartet by Lawrence Durrell
If On a Winters Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino
Possession: A Romance by A.S. Byatt ... my Best Of 2008 list down to 10. In the order I read them:
Perfume: the story of a murderer by Patrick Suskind
Possession: a romance by A.S. Byatt
A Dance to the Music of Time by Anthony Powell
An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro
If On a Winters Nigh ... ... Sense of Snow by Peter Hoeg
2. Goldbug Variations by Richard Powers
3. Black Swan Green by David Mitchell
4. Possession: A Romance by A.S. Byatt
5. The Unconsoled by Kazuo Ishiguro
6. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
7. Gate of the Sun by Elias Khoury
8. Our Mutual Fri ... #24 avatiakh: I loved Possession, it's one of my favourtie books. I gave it to my mum to read, and she hated it and thought it was slow. But I was grabbed instantly by the story. Each to their own, I guess.
#57 judylou: I read the Unknown Terrorist earlier this year and liked it. Have you ... Possession by A S Byatt - I need to finish this as I put it aside after a few chapters a couple of weeks ago. ... (is Extension 2 like the old 3 Unit we used to be offered way back in the dark ages?), I just keep on coming back to Possession with all that Victorian/William Morris style poetry. You probably didn't want to hear that. ;) Did Jeanette Winterson write anything that would suit? I'm ... ... Awakening - Kate Chopin (10/24/09)
8. The House of the Seven Gables - Nathaniel Hawthorne (9/26/09)
9. Possession: A Romance - AS Byatt (10/7/09) ... 08)
5. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte (pp. 552)
6. The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett (pp. 983)
7. Possession: A Romance - AS Byatt (pp. 576)
8. The Book of Lost Things - John Connolly (pp. 480)
9. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson (pp.59 ... agreed. I read it in a day whilst feverish, though, so that MIGHT have influenced me a bit. Have you read AS Byatt's 'Possession'. Enjoyed that a lot more. At the moment, I'm reading Chapter 6 of A.S. Byatt's Possession: A Romance, and going through Huis clos for the second time. ... to Cross the Mersey myself. It sounds good, tho.
I didn't see Colin Firth listed on the cover as being in the movie Possession: A Romance, so checked it out on IMDB. I'm sorry to say he wasn't in this movie. I'm sure he would have been good in it, tho, as he's been good in everything I've ... ...
Love the movie-tie in category though mostly if I've read the book first I find the movie disappointing. I do remember Possession: A Romance being a great book and pretty good movie. With Colin Firth as the leading male, how can you go wrong? ...
Love the movie-tie in category though mostly if I've read the book first I find the movie disappointing. I do remember Possession: A Romance being a great book and pretty good movie. With Colin Firth as the leading male, how can you go wrong? # 13 - Billiejean - Yes, Possession: A Romance is a movie also. It stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Aaron Eckhart, Jeremy Northam and Jennifer Ehle. I haven't see it yet, but I usually like to read the book first before seeing the movie. I have, on the other hand, seen Not Without My Daughter which is ... ... be interested in reading that book. I can't wait to hear what you think of it. Also, I had been thinking about that book Possession: A Romance. I did not realize that there was a movie for that. I also have a Book to Screen category, so I might pick these to read for it. Thanks for the ... ... the Vampire by Anne Rice
5. Sing to Me of Dreams by Kathryn Lynn Davis
6. Robin Hood by Paul Creswick
7. Possession: A Romance by A. S. Byatt
8. Ham on Rye by Charles Bukowski
9. Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
10. The Proud Breed by Celeste De Blasis
11 ... #40: interesting thoughts about Possession, nohrt. I really enjoyed the book but as I worked at a university for umpteen years, just took Maud & Roland as typical academics (fairly self-absorbed and tunnel visioned).
Music & Silence by Rose Tremain was very good as a historical fiction. I ... ... Things by Seamus Heaney (whose name I can't spell to save my life. >>)
Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
Possession by A.S. Byatt
and Low Red Moon by Caitlín R. Kiernan. Half of them are even books I'm supposed to be reading for next semester, so I don't feel too guilty ... Historical Novels
1. The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
2. Possession by AS Byatt
3. Katherine by Anya Seton
4. King Hereafter by Dorothy Dunnett
5. A Glastonbury Romance by John Cowper Powys
6. Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir
7. When Christ ... ... going on, than Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier, though they have been compared. It has also been likened to A.S. Byatt's Possession and that seems more accurate. Sandra Gulland recently wrote a glowing review of Conceit on Amazon and given Gulland's own reputation, that says a ... ... And even then, I'm still yet to read Mansfield Park. I just tell her I'm saving that one up for a special occasion. ;) Possession just wonderfully fit the bill for us, and it's a favourite for my mum and my sister as well (who has read all of Austen!).
Derrida! Baudrillard! Barthes! Run ... My hat's off to you, wookiebender - I didn't find Possession at all an easy read! On the other hand, I'm laughing at your Foucault reference because, before I adopted my current democratic policy, I actually chose Postmodernism as my elective for Extension this past year. We didn't touch Foucault ... ... to read to Mr Bear after we finish Prince Caspian...? Oh gosh darn, another trip to the bookshop...
Miss-Owl, I love Possession - it's one of the very few books I do actually get around to re-reading. Not sure if I'd have liked it when I was 17 though, I first read it when I was in my ... ... from the syllabus to teach my students, and I've narrowed it down to Austen, Bronte, Coleridge and Keats. A.S. Byatt's Possession is on there, but there's no way I'm touching that. I basically love Wuthering Heights, Kubla Khan, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, La Belle Dame Sans Merci ... ... in a Blue Dress
The House at Riverton
Kept
Lady's Maid
The Meaning of Night
Mr. Timothy
One Last Look
Possession
The Quincunx
The Sealed Letter
The Secret Adventures of Charlotte Bronte
Silent in the Grave
Silent in the Sanctuary
The Tea Rose
The Victoria ... More people who love Possession....HURRAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! primlil: I have just read Possession I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
#19 and 22 I read Hotel du Lac last night - it was a fast read and very enjoyable.
Just about to start In Custody by Anita Desai. 103. Just finished Possession by A.S.Byatt - what a wonderful book. Loved it. >24 Thanks lindsacl. I did hang in there with Possession and I'm glad I did. Not reading a 1001 at the moment. Thanks, christiguc and aluvalibri, for your feedback. I have heard such good things about Possession - I really can't believe I haven't read it already! =) This will be my first Girlybooks Themed read! So many choices but I am leaning toward Possession by A.S. Byatt, but I reserve the right to change my mind. LOL. =) I'm reading Possession: A Romance. I'm halfway through and it's still not grabbing me hugely. Finding all the Victorian stuff a bit turgid. But I'll persist. ... - after A Fairly Honorable Defeat
Muriel Spark - after The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
A.S. Byatt - after Possession
Patrick Suskind - after Perfume:The Story of a Murderer
... "Possession" before I'd even heard of A.S. Byatt (I can't believe I'm admitting this here). But then I found the book Possession, read it, and loved it. I wouldn't have read any of Byatt's work if it wasn't for the movie. I'm really glad I saw the movie first because I'd probably be ... I just finished Possession by A.S. Byatt, which was a wonderful book, but it took me way too long to read it... probably spending too much time on LT and not enough time actually reading...
Next up I think will be Double Negative by David Carkeet. After that probably Bad Blood: A Memoir ... It took a long time, but I finally finished
23. Possession by A.S. Byatt
I really enjoyed it. Like somebody else in this group I just left the academic world of England and the literary world of Victorian England in Possession and the Italian world of Aurelio Zen in And Then You Die and Back to Bologna. Now I am slipping the surly bonds of Earth in Epic Rivalry and traveling into ... I recently returned from vacation; I didn't have tons of time to read, but I did enjoy An Equal Music and start Possession. I'm more than halfway through it and it's quite enjoyable. ... vacation in Florida, I spent my literary vacation in England, mostly London. I read An Equal Music and am still reading Possession. A couple of very nice reads ... I meant to also say ... I'm reading A.S. Byatt's Possession. This has come highly recommended by many LTers, plus it won the Booker Prize. It took me a while to get into it, but now (just over halfway through) I'm finding the parallel story lines really interesting. I like the way the lives of ... ... I am back in the thick of May Sinclair's Three Sisters which I am enjoying thoroughly. I second all the affection for Possession. It is a remarkable book and I have not ever reread it. I wonder how what I would discover in it now. ... my top 5 of the quarter! My favorites of the year so far (the ones that come to mind first) are (in no particular order)
Possession: A Romance by A.S. Byatt
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind
An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro
If On A Winter' ... Juliette07, Possession ranks very high among my favourite books of all times, if not at the top of the list. The memory of the feelings it stirred when I read it is always present in my mind. I loved every minute of it, and was sorry to reach the end.
I will definitely read it again. >#32 Possession is one of my favourite books. I love the way both stories unfold like a flower. I'm leaving on vacation today, and am taking with me:
1 - An Equal Music, by Vikram Seth
2 - Possession, by A. S. Byatt
Both of these are books I've been looking forward to, and so were specifically selected for my vacation. I have some other great books on tap for July, like Out Stealing ... Possession:A Romance by A.S. Byatt
The Godfather by Mario Puzo ... Return of the Soldier, which is quite short and the writing is lovely.
>71: Elee, I've heard lots of good things about Posession and am planning to read it in July. Can't wait!
>73: hemlokgang, hope you enjoy it! I did ... I just finished Possession: A Romance while on holiday and loved it. I've now started on Infinite Jest and I can't quite decide what to make of it yet. I'm enjoying it at the moment simply because it's weird. possession: A Romance looks great.
Has anyone ever heard about Loving Frank: A Novel by N. Horan?
... 5. Ci penso ormai da una settimana e sono giunta a questo:il dolore perfetto,,suite francese,l'anima e il suo destino,possessione,siddharta. Sono d'accordo, cinque sono troppo pochi ma, dovendo per forza scegliere.....
La Divina Commedia
Possession di A.S. Byatt
Il Giornalino di Gian Burrasca
Pinocchio
The Song of the Lark di Willa Cather I second the recommendations of Possession : A Romance, the Jane Stevenson trilogy, and anything by Sarah Waters. I would also add some of my favorites:
The Good Men : A novel of Heresy by Charmaine Craig (13th century France)
The Jump off Creek by Molly Gloss (late 19th century, Oregon ... ... Chaise-Longue by Marghanita Laski. But I can think of many more possibilities - some of my favourites would be Possession by A S Byatt, The Winter Queen and its sequels by Jane Stevenson, The Voyage Of The Narwhal by Andrea Barrett ... so many to choose from! I'm definitely caught between Pale Fire and Possession: A Romance -- both completely incredible books! ... so I'm not even going to try. Here, in no particular order, are the P books I love so very much:
Pride and Prejudice
Possession: A Romance
Perfume: the story of a murderer
Pale Fire
A Pale View of Hills
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
See? Too many good P books. ... you realized and got out of it.
Jody don't worry there are plenty of us that are not in out 20s here.
LG did you read Posession by A.S. Byatt. I was trying to think if there were any books that described what it was like to love someone and want to maintain your own identity. That one came ... Seems like we're stuck again... How about one of my favs Possession? ... great big book fair in my neck of the woods this morning, spent $30 and got quite a haul. The ones I can remember are:
Possession: A Romance by A.S. Byatt (yay!)
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton (also yay!)
The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde
At Swim, Two Boys ... to #48
I am listening to Possession: A Romance and really like it. I have had it on my TBR list for ever and finally got around to it because I bought a cassette tape recording at a second hand book store. I find myself sitting in the car listening to it long after I have stopped driving. Th ... From my local Value Village:
Possession by A.S. Byatt
The Club Dumas by Reverte
The Orkney Scroll by Lyn Hamilton
The Curse of the Pharaohs by Elizabeth Peters
Shoes to Die For by Laura Levine
Like that is not enough for one day, I then went to the library to ... ... read several really great books so far this year (and some terrible ones) but the best book I've read so far this year is Possession: A Romance. I loved the jumping back-and-forth in time, and the letters, and just about everything about it. ... by Heinrich Boll, The Book of Laughter and Forgetting by Milan Kundera, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle and Possession by A.S. Byatt. Clearly I'm going to have to keep reading because I really need to add more female authors to that list. 6 Possession: a Romance by A.S. Byatt
Another winner! Byatt is a wonderful writer, even the poetry in the book (her own) is not to be missed. I really loved this novel. I need to go buy it now. Wow, lots of people reading lots of great books. #86 lisacharlotte18, Possession is one of my favorite books of all time. Please don't skip over the poetry!
#79hoopmanjh, I loved Dusk, but haven't gotten to Dawn yet -- I'm looking forward to it. I reviewed Dusk for Rick Kleffel's Agony ... Finished The Mill on The Floss and I'm now reading Possession by A.S. Byatt. Paid a visit to the local used bookstore and got:
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - Lisa See
Possession: A Romance - A.S. Byatt
Baudolino - Umberto Eco
Only $7 and two are hardcover, they're all just a little beaten up though. My top 5 (both fiction and non) for the first quarter:
Possession: A Romance by A.S. Byatt
Perfume: the Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind
Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark
Marie Antoinette: the Journey by Antoni ... Possession? ... and distant and Mistry's Fine Balance (admittedly somewhat less complex) was full of heart. I actually wanted to compare Possession (a very complex book with heart) to something comparable that is brilliant but doesn't move the reader -- but couldn't think of anything that compares to Possessi ... ... Suicides -- Jeffrey Eugenides
21) Black Dogs — Ian McEwan
22) American Psycho -- Bret Easton Ellis
23) Possession: A Romance -- A. S. Byatt
24) The Remains of the Day -- Kazuo Ishiguro
25) The New York Trilogy -- Paul Auster
26) Beloved -- Toni Morrison
... Possession by A.S.Byatt is a romance - and my favorite book to boot! Bittersweet, but it's a great read if you haven't already read it. 8 Novels by Women {complete}
1. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton ***½
2. Possession: A Romance by A.S. Byatt ***
3. The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing **½
4. The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton *****
5. White Teeth by Zadie Smith ***½
6. The Awakening by Kate Chopin ... ... shot at a top 10, although this was tough, and probably will change everytime I revisit... no particular order on this.
Possession by A. S. Byatt
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Persuasion by Jane Austen
The Road by Cormac Mc ... ... and South; also Author, author and Henry James (even Small world and Spenser, if you want to get fancy)
Byatt's Possession and Robert Browning
Bradbury's To the Hermitage and Diderot
@2, Oh I love Possession!
I'm reading The Geographer's Library right now, and it intersperses each present-day chapter with a story from sometime in the past, but I haven't yet figured out what the connections are. I'm not too far in yet, so we'll see where it is all leading! Possession by A.S. Byatt is the first that comes to mind. Oh, and The Map of Love by Ahdaf Soueif. ... A Biography of Nora Joyce, Brenda Maddox (biography, Ireland/France)
Pembroke, Mary E. Wilkins Freeman (novel, US)
Possession, A.S. Byatt (novel, England)
The Princess of Cleves, Madame de Layfayette (novel, France, trans from French)
Ramona, Helen Hunt Jackson (novel, US)
The Ri ... ...
02/25/08
The Lover ***½
by Marguerite Duras
02/25/08
The Ghost Sonata **½
by August Strindberg
02/26/08
Possession: a Romance ***
by A.S. Byatt
02/28/08
Unforgivably indulgent to the detriment of a promising (albeit unfulfilled) narrative. My favorites would probably be The Blind Assassin, The Famished Road and Possession, although I really enjoyed both Peter Carey novels also.
The Booker winner is not something I've felt compelled to read over the years, so I'm basing my favorites on the dozen or so off the list I have ... This should prove to be a fun way to add a little variety to this years reading.
{Original Challenge completed June, 24th}
{Original Challenge doubled November, 18th}
Categories now start at Message ... Book #3 - (unread)
Possession : A Romance by A. S. Byatt I think you must mean Possession: a romance. ... Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
5. Silk by Alessandro Baricco
6. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
7. Possession by AS Byatt
8. For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway ... received universally bad reviews. Too bad because I loved the book.
I did not really care for the movie versions of Possession -- not bad, just lacked emotion. I imagine if you hadn't read the book, it was even worse. And also The French Lieutenan't Woman -- I understand why they ... Not in order
The Time Traveler's wife
Bel Canto
Possession
The Road
Truth & Beauty
Because of all the talke on LT, I read Possession by A. S. Byatt & also The shadow of the Sun & The Virgin in the garden. I now seem to be on a roll with UK authors, Ian McEwan Iris Murcoch Edna O'Brien Rumer Godden & all the Jane Austen's I hadn't read yet. ... is my review for The Patron Saint of Red Chevys
tjsjohanna - Welcome! Please read and review Possession by A.S. Byatt as I've been thinking of buying it. I did my best to select something that it looks like you've not previously reviewed. Let me know if there ... Aemilys--I LOVED Possession. Couldn't put it down, but I knew that it was a book that would be difficult to recommend to others. I think only a small amount of people would like it. ... shopping and grabbed a couple for ME that I've wanted for awhile:
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard
Possession by A.S. Byatt
Plus a couple more Viragos I found lolling about on the shelves just begging to be sent far and wide! Tiffin, just wanted to let you know that I picked up A.S. Byatt's Possession at a library book sale today, entirely on the strength of your recommendation as the top read of 2007! ... In a show of remarkable restraint (well actually I was short on time), I came away with only two: A.S. Byatt's Possession, and The Dew Breaker by Edwidge Danticat. ... known to look at a book I want to buy and leave it until I find an edition with better cover art. That's why I never bought Possession until it came out in the Vintage Classics series recently. The other cover was just too awful to contemplate...very cheap and nasty. Plus, the Vintage Classics ... Have to third? fourth? the nomination of Possession. Also one of my favorites.
As mentioned elsewhere on LT today...I am reminded of The Dress Lodger by Sheri Holman. I thought this quite good also. I agree with lilithcat and pamelad on The Quincunx, which I read years ago and thoroughly enjoyed.
Again, since Possession is one of my favourite books ever, I cannot but agree with pamelad (once again).
:-)) ... Fingersmith but it's an entertaining read all the same. I second lilithcat's recommendation of Quincunx
How about Possession? Victorian in parts and well worth reading if you've missed it. ... should be a classic but not so much the rest of her work. I agree with Sergio about Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Perhaps Possession by A.S. Byatt? That book is just so literary! ... in Wonderland and The Wind-up Bird Chronicle
Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales and The Bloody Chamber
Middlemarch and Possession
Tom Jones and The Rachel Papers
Frankenstein and sexing the Cherry
Gulliver's Travels and Atomised
The Inferno and Sabbath's Theatre
Oliver ... ... (74)
To kill a mockingbird by Harper Lee (119)
One hundred years of solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (107)
Possession : a romance by A.S. Byatt (78)
The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov (77)
Crime and punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (100)
I didn't ... #6 There was an interesting bit in Possession about a piece of jewelry acquired during the tryst carved from stone that was unique to a certain area of England that I believe was Blackpool. Anybody remember this and the type of stone? ... of them.
1 I Capture the Castle
2 Le Grand Meaulnes
3 A Room With A view
4 Catch 22
5 Persuasion
6 Posession
7 The Myth of Sisyphus and other essays
8 The Man Who Was Thursday
9 Flame Trees of Thika
10 A Room of One's Own
Honorable mention The Country of P ... ... Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Honorable mentions:
100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Possession by A.S. Byatt
The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead
Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters
Independent People by Haldor Laxness
Kushiel's Dart by Jacquelin ... ... enjoyed Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell as well - and it IS a perfect read for a snowy January. Aluva, I also loved Possession and would highly recommend it. Also loved Ex Libris, Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman.
I am currently reading Mrs. Woolf & the Servants and ... ... Winter
These Happy Golden Years
By Michelle West:
Hunter's Oath
Hunter's Death
By A.S. Byatt:
Possession
The Virgin in the Garden
By Jane Austen:
Sense and Sensibility
Persuasion
By J.D. Salinger:
Franny and Zooey
Nine Stories
Teh ... ... Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
(6) Experimental or "Weird"
The Cement Garden by Ian McEwan
(7) Romance
Possession by A.S Byatt
(8) Fantasy
Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
(9) Classic (or "author is dead")
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
(10) Contemporary ... I can also highly recommend Possession by Byatt, as well as The Game, which I just read and is considerably shorter, though not as artfully written.
Edited to say:
I keep meaning to read Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, but I haven't yet. Perhaps this winter. It seems like a ... I keep recommending Possession by A.S.Byatt.
Clever story, beautiful prose. Not really light reading, even though it is fiction, but totally captivating and worth the time it takes. It is probably my favourite book, and definitely one of the best I have ever read.
Phlox72, I really ... Possession is a wonderful novel, one which I really enjoyed despite (or perhaps because of) the density. ... which I'm loving and am annoyed at myself for not having read long ago. I'm going up to Leeds for the weekend, so I've got Possession and Regeneration in my bag for the journey and any little pockets of time I might get on Saturday and Sunday. Despite the chunkiness of Possession, there's ... I totally agree with you, tiffin, regarding Possession. I still have to find a novel that will leave me with the same sense of fulfilment. Have you read anything else by A. S. Byatt? I read Babel Tower and loved it just as much as Possession. JULY 2007
24. Possession by A.S. Byatt (and into August)
This is my top read for 2007. I don’t see how it can be beaten, at this point. Here’s the review I posted at my profile:
Multi-layered and at times dense with its poems written in a 19th century style, this book demands a ... Just finished Possession by A.S. Byatt. Excellent! Before that, Uncommon Arrangements by Katie Roiphe. A little drier than I expected but a fascinating look into both an era and the relationships involved. ... on the way. (Its hard to find something that me, the husband and the teenage boys will all be interested in). I've also got Possession, Benang and The Fog Garden to read when I get there. Just finished Notes From a Small Island by Bill Bryson which I really enjoyed. Next up is Possession: A Romance by A.S. Byatt. ... Conjurer's Bird and I was so disappointed I could have thrown the book. It's got multiple plots in multiple eras, like Possession. Unfortunately, the main character in the present-day plot was so selfish and dull that I wanted to punch him - I'd have far rather read the story from his ex's ... ...
"We become consistent and orderly too late, on insufficient grounds, and perhaps in the wrong direction." A.S. Byatt in Possession, A Romance
and
"Don't say shit in front of the b-a-b-y." Kurt Vonnegut in Timequake ... be taken at face value. Or, it might be that the author created works within the work which could be deemed literary (like Possession by A.S. Byatt). It would be this kind of thing that I would think of as "literary" fiction...I have no source to support this; this is simply my own ... ... The Babes in the Woods by Ruth Rendell
17. The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin
18. Deep Storm by Lincoln Child
19. Possession by A.S. Byatt
20. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
21. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
22. Heart-Shaped Box ... ... it -- but an instant favorite. All you Austenites and George Eliot fans, and people who have raved about Byatt's Possession MUST read it, if you haven't already.
I guess I will start my Early Reviewer's novel -- Gifted. Here's hoping it is better than the last one they sent me. ... it was developed from a book because I liked the movie so much I want to read the book too. That was how I came to read possession: a romance. Also in that instance the movie helped me keep a sense of the plot while reading the book as those who have read it will know that it has a lot of ... #10 - aluvalibri - I'll second you on Possession. Definitely my favorite. Although I am just finishing up The Road, and it is going to be way up on my list as well. Possession and The Gates of Ivory were two of my all time favorite books and until I read this thread I would never have dreamed they were sisters. What is the family history that they should churn out two such fabulous writers? One of my favourite (if not my favourite) is Possession by A.S.Byatt. Late last night I finished Possession What a great read. It's like I spent the last few days living in England. So now I need to start something completely different. I try to follow fiction with non-fiction so this morning while doing laundry I started the 3rd. of Bob Woodward's Bush at War ... Yesterday I started Possession by A.S.Byatt. From the first sentence I realized it is one of those books that I can just disappear into. It's not so much the plot or the characters, it's the atmosphere. I finished Possession by Byatt -- good but not great. Faux scholarship drives me crazy a la Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. And the poetry -- most of it was truly dreadful IMHO.
I just started The Woman in White per some recommendations on the 1001 novels group. It's a pretty thick book ... I just finished Possession by A.S. Byatt. Pretty good; very original -- but way too much poetry for me.
I have recently bought The Woman in White, too. Maybe I'll have to start that next. #146; 158 -- thanks for the encouragement re Possession -- I am getting into it more, now ~1/2 way. The poetry aspect is just "OK" for me; but the story and the intrigue is picking up. I guess I just got a little bogged down in the erudition of some of those letters. I'm kinda dumb and wasn't a ... ... I was disappointed. Although, I've heard from many people they thought the end redeemed it.
jhowell--When I was reading Possession I got completly lost in that world; however, I realized that it was a book I couldn't recommend without really knowing someone's taste. I hope you can stick ... ... the Floss by George Eliot
A Mirror for Witches by Esther Forbes
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind
Possession: A Romance by A. S. Byatt
Shield of Three Lions by Pamela Kaufman
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
I'm actually surprised by the number of books I've ... ... I ignored that they were fictional. I loved the poetry, how it reflected the characters feelings at the time. I loved how Possession was a mystery and a love story. I also had seen the movie first so I knew where the story was going and didn't get lost.
I was really impressed that A.S.Byatt ... ... into it. Maybe it is the satirical doomsday type genre that I didn't like.
I fear I may be having a similar issue with Possession by A.S. Byatt -- I felt as if I would love this novel from everything I had heard, but I am having a hard time with it. How does one get interested in ... For me it is almost impossible to tell, but one of my favourite is Possession by A.S. Byatt. #80 jhowell & #87 Demiguise
I also watched the movie Possession first which prompted me to read the book. Before that I had never heard of A. S. Byatt. I loved the movie and I loved the book more. #80- I read Possession ages ago. I adore the film and have been thinking about going back to read the book again. Hope you enjoy it. I finally read To Kill a Mockingbird this weekend. As good as advertised. Just started Possession by A.S. Byatt. Possession by A.S. Byatt
Nightmares and Dreamscapes by Stephen King
Dreamtime:Aboriginal Stories by Bronwyn Bancroft
Burning Dreams by Margaret Wander Bonanno
Visions in Death by Nora Roberts
... Pamela, Richardson,
4 A Sentimental Journey, Sterne
5 Captain Singleton, Defoe
6 the Tain, Thomas Kinsella,
7 Possession, Byatt, (2 times)
8 Wintering, Moses,
9 Viriconium, Harrison,
10 Voices, Le Guin,
11 the Complete Poems, Sexton
Winter 2007:
12 Aspern Papers ... ... good books that have both an historical story and a contemporary story that parallel each other? I thinking of things like Possession by A.S. Byatt, The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier or Labyrinth by Kate Mosse. I find I really enjoy this type of story, particularly when there is a mystery ... ... to funny or clever details, well-crafted dialogue, or (as I like to call them) the florid bits.
The first time I read Possession by A.S. Byatt I even skipped the poetry parts, because I wanted to know what happened next. It made the next reading all the more enjoyable, because the ... I have tried since Byatt's Possession came out to read it. I have tried three times and can't get all the way through. I didn't care for the movie much either. I know I'm in the minority with this! Unlike other above posts, I really enjoyed The Historian and consider The Shadow of the Wind ... ... named by Granta as one of the 20 best young novelists working today.
And for librarians/archivists: A. S. Byatt’s Possession (also subtitled a romance) where two solitary scholars meet while each is researching one of two Victorian poets who might have been lovers. All the archives, ... aluvalibri -
Yeah, I agree with you. I feel like I could read Possession again and again (this was my third reading) and pick up more each time. Possession is probably my favourite book, ever.
Much as I enjoyed The Historian, I think it cannot be compared to Possession. As far as I am concerned, the book must be categorized as literature, not fiction. It is a masterpiece. April
36. Possession by A.S. Byatt - I am just bowled over by this author's writing ability. This book reminded me somewhat of The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, but I think Byatt surpassed Kostova in every aspect where the two books were similar.
37. A Trip to the Stars by Nicholas Chr ... um maybe Writers & Artists Yearbook 2007
or Writers' Yearbook 2007
... already mentioned. Great book. I think someone mentioned Reading Lolita in Teheran. And, yes, who could ever forget Possession.
Do books that stand on the shoulders of other books count? On Beauty, a novel shadowing Howards End or Ahab's Wife Moby Dick or the parody of Gone ... More to do with poetry than geology, but as a geology undergrad I rather enjoyed Possession by AS Byatt. She paints a great picture of her hero (a Victorian gentleman poet) who also has a thing for palaeontology and Charles Lyell. ... mind, though, are (not in order of preference) Dickens's David Copperfield, Austen's Pride and Prejudice, and Possession by A.S.Byatt. I would say Possession by A.S.Byatt.
It is one of my favourite books, and I recommend it.
The plot is very interesting, with its flashbacks into the past and the love story of Randolph Ash (fictional Victorian poet) and Crystabel LaMotte (writer). I was really enthralled by the depiction ... ... read Rules yet, but intend to as soon as I finish all these library books. It would have to be truly great to beat out By Possession. I don't expect it to be that good.
I think one of the things that disappoints me are the hurried, over-the-top endings. The story will be going along ... katylit: I loved Possession! One of my faves. It is, IMO, way above The Historian which, apart from the cool history stuff, is a pretty mundane story.
I'm about halfway through Alex Brett's Cold Dark Matter. Not bad, although the editor in me would cut a couple of gratuitous scenes. Thi ... ... and enjoying it tremendously so far. I like reading about academic endeavours which lead to adventure or discovery - like Possession.
I finished Angels in the Gloom last night. I'm so glad the next one in the series is coming out in March - won't be too long to wait. GeorgiaDawn, all you have to do is just skip all the poetry in A.S.Byatt's Possession, and then it becomes a pretty good book. I finished Boy Meets Boy and The Unvanquished. I am now trying to read Possession by A.S. Byatt and I'm having a very difficult time. I'm not even to page 100 and I'm already depressed. Is there any need to keep going? Help! I am trying to read Possession by A.S. Byatt and I'm really struggling. I'm already depressed and I haven't even gotten a good start. Is there any reason for me to continue past page 100 or so? ... veggies, so that isn't a tough thing to change.
I hate Tolkein too. I find Strange and Norrell to be more like Possession, except most of the history is made up.
For Greek stuff- have you read Steven Pressfield? I found a book by him The War of Art and decided he looked ... ... her stuff.
I also forgot to say that since I'm trying to finish up Freedom's Challenge right now, I won't be reading Possession anytime soon. That's the problem when you've got a long ole reading list that probably extends to 2009... re: 67 & 69:
Possession was excellent. The only thing that put me off was the long stretches of faux-early-19th-century epic poetry. I'm sure they were as well-done as the rest of the book, but I have a long-standing and unrelenting dislike for early 19th century epic poetry. The rest of ... ... have a strong background in neuroscience, I would probably be lost too.
I'll give Powers a shot later.
RhiGirl 67#: Possession is supposed to be a very good novel. I've also meant to read Byatt. Last Friday I bought:
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
Possession by A.S. Byatt
Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle Possession by A.S. Byatt and L'isola di Arturo by Elsa Morante for me. I am sorry the last one does not touchstone, even if I have it in my catalogue, but it probably is due to the fact that it is in Italian....who knows.... That would explain it; I have it in my head as being more like Possession in arrangement. Like I said, it's a very long time! (Nearly three-quarters of my life ago...). Definitely Possession by A.S.Byatt and Pride and Prejudice. Possession by A.S.Byatt or Istanbul: memories and the city by Orhan Pamuk
:-)) How right you are, littlegeek!!! I should feel ashamed, as Possession happens to be one of my favourite books....:-(( Hard to believe that no one has yet mentioned Possession by A.S. Byatt. Possession by A.S.Byatt
My name is Red by Orhan Pamuk
The meaning of night by Michael Cox ... get almost nothing out of them. I try them from time to time, but the only one I can think of that I actually enjoyed was Possession. Even there, though, there was a little too much faux-19th century epic poetry for me. ... Especially when they don't look like the author's description. It's been a while since I read it, but didn't Byatt's Possession's heroine have full, curly red hair? I think The Blind Assassin by Atwood was one of the best books I've ever read. I started reading Possession a few years ago, but lost interest with it. I may have just been at a restless point in my life. I do, however, plan on attacking it again. I love all the covers for the old Angela Thirkell's books, and also the cover for Possession by A.S.Byatt, which I believe is a painting by Sir Edward Burne Jones (who, incidentally, was Angela Thirkell's grandfather!) Jonesy, some great epistolary novels are Les Liaisons Dangereuses, by Choderlos de Laclos; Possession, by A.S. Byatt; Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley; and The Color Purple, by Alice Walker.
I've never read Evelina, by Fanny Burney, or Buffalo Girls, by Larry McMurtry, but I believe ... I'm not sure why the touchstone markers didn't work, but I'll try again:
A. S. Byatt
Possession: A Romance Now that everything is illuminated, what do I win? Possibly possession of a sphere of chocolat. Or maybe all the pretty horses in the world according to garp.
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