Tag Archives: reviews

Possession

I first read this book for a college course on the 20th century British novel, many years ago. I’ve read it at least 4 more times since then.

Where to even start?

Well, I’ll start with the obvious–I love this book. It gives me the chills. It intrigues, entrances, and enchants me.

The story is this: two academics–the serious, professionally floundering Roland and the detached and haughty Maud–make a discovery. The two Victorian poets that they study appear to have had a secret correspondence which scholars had never guessed at. As they start following the rabbit trail of one unfinished letter, more documents emerge and pieces of the story start falling into place. Gripped by this unfolding story, Roland and Maud start unearthing clues and traveling together, determined to follow this 19th century drama to its conclusion. They travel through England, to a crumbling old estate, to the coast, to France, and finally to a graveyard, driven by that wonderful motivator: plot!

The book is composed of straight-up narrative, old journals by a variety of authors, letters, and the work of these two Victorian poets, Randolph Ash and Christabel LaMotte. The myriad points of view make the story rich and compelling. One of the things that astounds me is how much of a voice these two poets have. It’s a testament to the amazing skills of A.S. Byatt that after reading the novel for the first time, I thought these two poets really existed. I thought Byatt was just reproducing large swaths of their work, but no–she made them up. And then wrote the most beautiful poetry in each of their distinct (and distinctly Victorian) styles.

This book is a romance embedded in a romance, a mystery, and an adventure. There is some sex, but nothing insane. It’s beautifully written, the characters are painfully imperfect and gloriously alive, passionate and creative. Seriously, this book will grip you in the gut and hang on to your heart until the very end. Nab it from your library or on you e-reader! And a cup of Irish breakfast tea (with a little milk and sugar) is the perfect accompaniment to an afternoon immersed in these pages.

Jackaroo

One evening, when we were having drinks with our friends Julie and Zane, we started talking about good books we’ve read. I always take note of book recommendations, especially when they come from the mouths of old college buddies whose taste I trust. Julie mentioned a few–The Coast of Chicago (a fantastic collection of short stories), Sabriel, and finally Jackaroo by Cynthia Voigt. I immediately requested all of the above at my library.

As far as Jackaroo goes, at first I thought the title sounded kinda goofy. Then, when I picked it up from our library’s bookmobile, I thought the cover looked kind of creepy (I couldn’t find an image of that specific cover to share with you guys, but it shows a weirdly masked figure with possibly villainous eyes).

But the actual book is neither goofy nor creepy! A novel for young adults set in something like the Middle Ages in something resembling England, the book centers around the story of the Innkeeper’s daughter, Gwyn, a sensible and hard-working young woman. The innkeeper is the head of the most well-to-do and influential family in their small town, and as his eldest child, Gwyn shoulders a lot of responsibility. With a sickly and lazy younger brother (who is nonetheless destined to inherit the inn), Gwyn struggles with her place in the world. Should she marry? Publicly declare her intent to remain single and celibate? Stay in the service of her younger brother once he takes over the inn? There don’t seem to be any options that promise a fulfilling life for her.

Times are tough for the people–the yearly taxes collected by the Lords are always cause of great distress for those struggling to make ends meet, and as winter descends on the land, bands of thieves start targeting isolated holdings, stealing and killing. Amidst all the uncertainty of life, the people take comfort in legends of Jackaroo, the highwayman cum Robin Hood figure who protects the poor in their time of need. The old stories take on that much more significance as the people are hard pressed by the Lords and their soldiers.

One day, a  mysterious nobleman and his son come to stay at the inn, and after a winter storm, Gwyn is snowed into a shelter with the nobleman’s young son. As the two of them are forced to live in close quarters for a stretch of time, they begin to talk and learn about one anothers’ lives, circumstances, and struggles. An unlikely friendship and a certain degree of trust springs up between the two. As Gwyn tries to stay busy by cleaning out an old cupboard, she discovers a mysterious package–a pair of soft leather boots, a cloak, a mask, and a sword. She conceals the package again before the Lordling can see it, not knowing what to make of it. But she is determined to learn more, and as the story progresses, Gwyn makes some shocking discoveries concerning the fabled Jackaroo, and is caught up in the legend herself in unexpected ways. You’ll just have to read it to find out the details!

This is a great book for young readers–it’s clean, well-written, and packed with interesting twists. There’s a little love, a little mystery, and a good amount of adventure. It’s also a great book for . . . well, me. Though I have long ago ceased to be considered a ‘young reader.’ Hope you guys enjoy it too! I just picked up the next book in Voigt’s “Kingdom” series (which this book belongs to). It’s called “On Fortune’s Wheel,” and I can’t wait to dive in during my coffee break later on this afternoon!