Historical fiction book · Curated
Possession
A. S. Byatt · historical fiction
In the London Library, researcher Roland Michell finds unsigned drafts of a letter from the Victorian poet Randolph Henry Ash, traces them to the poet Christabel LaMotte, and with Maud Bailey follows a correspondence from their secret affair that the academy has never seen. A. S. Byatt’s 1990 novel is Victorian time-slip historical fiction of that affair’s 1859 crisis, and of the late-1980s academics who cross London, Yorkshire, and Brittany to possess the proof.
Why read it: A widely searched dual-timeline novel—the Byatt title readers look up by name (Booker Prize, and the film), and a Victorian-poets counterpart to The French Lieutenant’s Woman already on the shelf.
About this historical novel
Possession by A. S. Byatt is historical fiction set around 1859 / late 1980s in the Victorian / Gilded Age / Late 20th century period with key settings including London, London Library, Yorkshire, Brittany. In the London Library, researcher Roland Michell finds unsigned drafts of a letter from the Victorian poet Randolph Henry Ash, traces them to the poet Christabel LaMotte, and with Maud Bailey follows a correspondence from their secret affair that the academy has never seen. A. S. Byatt’s 1990 novel is Victorian time-slip historical fiction of that affair’s 1859 crisis, and of the late-1980s academics who cross London, Yorkshire, and Brittany to possess the proof.
On HisFic we tag it under 8. Time-slip & dual timeline, 1. Literary historical fiction, and 3. Historical mystery & crime so you can pair it with similar story types. Recurring themes include scholarship, poetry, secrecy, love, and the past. A widely searched dual-timeline novel—the Byatt title readers look up by name (Booker Prize, and the film), and a Victorian-poets counterpart to The French Lieutenant’s Woman already on the shelf.
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Plot summary
In the London Library, researcher Roland Michell finds unsigned drafts of a letter from the Victorian poet Randolph Henry Ash, traces them to the poet Christabel LaMotte, and with Maud Bailey follows a correspondence from their secret affair that the academy has never seen. A. S. Byatt’s 1990 novel is Victorian time-slip historical fiction of that affair’s 1859 crisis, and of the late-1980s academics who cross London, Yorkshire, and Brittany to possess the proof. A widely searched dual-timeline novel—the Byatt title readers look up by name (Booker Prize, and the film), and a Victorian-poets counterpart to The French Lieutenant’s Woman already on the shelf.
Subgenres
Eras
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Regions & places
Britain & Ireland · Europe
London · London Library · Yorkshire · Brittany
Themes
- scholarship
- poetry
- secrecy
- love
- the past
Tags
time-slip · award-winner