I was amused to see another reader compare Byatt unfavourably with the likes of Iain Banks and Irvine Welsh because her work is 'of the past' and not 'relevant'(Relevant to whom, I wonder?). The irony is that both Banks and Welsh are already irreleva... (more)

I was amused to see another reader compare Byatt unfavourably with the likes of Iain Banks and Irvine Welsh because her work is 'of the past' and not 'relevant'(Relevant to whom, I wonder?). The irony is that both Banks and Welsh are already irrelevant; their moment of ephemeral glory passed several years ago. Shocking as it may seem to some, novels do not have to be concerned with the here and now to be worthwhile, or else past masters like Eliot, Hardy and Dickens would be long forgotten. There's no question that Byatt can be terribly self-indulgent at times, but on the plus side her prose is often exquisite. This is the third book of the Frederica Quartet, and probably the best. The story of Frederica's escape from her violent husband, intertwined with the growing unrest of the 'Sixties and the obscenity trial of the book Babeltower (passages of which punctuate the text), add up to an enthralling novel, which I would recommend to anyone looking for an erudite and entertaining read. (less)

No review.