Specify Based On Books Still Life (The Frederica Quartet #2)
| Title | : | Still Life (The Frederica Quartet #2) |
| Author | : | A.S. Byatt |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Deluxe Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 384 pages |
| Published | : | 1996 by Scribner (first published May 18th 1985) |
| Categories | : | Fiction. European Literature. British Literature. Literature. Historical. Historical Fiction. Literary Fiction. Novels. Contemporary |
A.S. Byatt
Paperback | Pages: 384 pages Rating: 3.86 | 2134 Users | 135 Reviews
Narrative In Pursuance Of Books Still Life (The Frederica Quartet #2)
From the author of The New York Times bestseller Possession, comes a highly acclaimed novel which captures in brilliant detail the life of one extended English family--and illuminates the choices they must make between domesticity and ambition, life and art. Toni Morrison, author of Beloved, writes of Byatt: "When it comes to probing characters her scalpel is sure but gentle. She is a loving surgeon".Details Books During Still Life (The Frederica Quartet #2)
| Original Title: | Still Life |
| ISBN: | 0684835037 (ISBN13: 9780684835037) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Series: | The Frederica Quartet #2 |
| Characters: | Frederica Potter |
| Literary Awards: | PEN/Macmillan Silver Pen Award (1986) |
Rating Based On Books Still Life (The Frederica Quartet #2)
Ratings: 3.86 From 2134 Users | 135 ReviewsJudge Based On Books Still Life (The Frederica Quartet #2)
A. S. Byatt write gorgeous, thoroughly uncomfortable novels that I feel unable to review. There is a lot going on in this book about art, including the inherent limitedness of any artistic depiction and the arrogant, human desire to categorize and describe the world. Most of that went over my head, though, and, instead, it was the conflict women face between family and career that drew me in. I sympathized strongly between both Frederica and Stephanie and the inability of either of them balanceNot quite as strong as The Virgin in the Garden, but not-quite-as-strong Byatt still outranks most authors at full strength, in my book. Stephanie's storyline was the most compelling for me, as she searches for her sense of self after leaving a world of letters for the role of mother and clergy wife. Alexander seems to be included mostly for thematic purposes, at this point - the comparative ease with which he is able to pursue his art and compartmentalize his personal life is striking.
As much Stephanie's or Alexander's story as Frederica's, this is just as complex, uncompromising and fascinating as the first entry in the quartet; in fact, I enjoyed this more because the major theme was a deep academic and literary study of colour rather than a flustered, fumbling, melodramatic study of the world as scientifically God-created through the eyes of two extremely strange individuals, ie Marcus and his teacher.All Byatt's work is complex and intense, but no less enjoyable for the
For the record, I love A.S. Byatt. And I'm a firm believer of reading several books by the same author to get a feel for their style. I was hoping that if I read this book soon after "The Virgin in the Garden" it would go better. But it didn't. While I felt slightly more invested in the characters, there was nothing that made me need to turn the page. I don't really like Frederica. She's just... I don't know what it is, but I can't bring myself to like her. And this needs to be said. I hate it
The disadvantage to coming to this series having started with the third book is that when you get near the end of the second book you are waiting for an event that heavily influences what happens in the book you started on. Then you become overly attached to particular settings and situations...The authorial voice is very strong here; there are numerous expositional interruptions. Not the sort we get in the other books, where you get glimpses of a character's future, but full-blown digressions
A. S. Byatt is one of those vintage authors who gets better and better with each of their books. In this earlier works, I feel partly disconcerted, and delighted for finding out some of the sources which she later used in Possession and The Children's book. The mention and description of the Boggle Hole is just one example. The plot itself is not very cohesive. At least, one cannot make a coherent summary of it unless one reads it through, after The Virgin in the Garden. She said: "This is a
This is a very fit title for this book. It isn't really a sequel as much as a continuation. It now contrasts the artist Van Gogh's failed relationships with those of the book. We can see the bumps ahead for Federica, we can see how unconnected Marcus is. The death at the center throws everything into relief. A Still Life is a painting where the artist tries to show as much of real life as possible while still being an artist. In other words, control life as an artist. But life, as this book says
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.