A.S. Byatt's Possession: A Reader's Guide

This is part of the "Continuum Contemporaries" series. It is a very useful resource for teaching/learning about A. S. Byatt's novel, POSSESSION, as well as about the author and the themes/issues in the novel. My only critique is that I wish it had a compendium that listed all of the different literary allusions in the book. Even without that, though, it is a helpful resource.

Reading A.S.Byatt's "Possession" can be a daunting task as the novel is not only interpersed with poetry and letters written by all the fictional historical characters, but is filled with allusions that only a lifetime afficiando of literature would understand. This little book by Ms Burgass will help the less erudite reader peel back the layers that comprise the entire work. The guide is broken down into various sections... Read Full Review

I'm the first to admit that 'Possession' is a complex novel, but it's also one of my favourites. This guidebook might seem like an odd idea (why do you need a guidebook to a novel??) - having just finished it, though, I'm left feeling even more impressed by the novel, and itching to read it again. Dr Burgass writes clearly and is deeply knowledgeable about her subject. There are so many levels to this novel, so many nuances,... Read Full Review