Later in the book, Byatt does a much better job of giving us background and inviting us into the characters' inner life. That poem is quoted liberally throughout the text, which is nice because it’s a lovely piece of work. S. Byatt’s Booker Prize-winning novel, Possession , these two mesmerising novellas are set in the nineteenth century. At the house and surrounding estate, William works to sort through Lord Alabaster’s collection of scientific specimens – though the old man does not leave the house himself, still he has his passions and interests.

I do not want to go into the details of “The Conjugial Angel” – it has an even weaker plot than “Morpho Eugenia”, and the themes do not come together quite so well. Byatt includes a story, written by Matty Crompton, alongside scientific descriptions written by William himself.My heart aches, too, for her little brother, for my husband, for myself, all who are caught up and left trampled in the wake of her rage. What weakness there is in the novel is in the somewhat cursory manner many of the human relationships are explored.

Emily Tennyson’s story is the most interesting, and with less of the trimmings and lengthy descriptions, it could have been even more effective. Byatt perfectly blends laughter and sympathy [with] extraordinary sensuality" ("San Francisco Examiner). I’ll show her how she can echo those promises someday for herself, if she chooses, at her Confirmation. Critical reception was very strong, with the performances and production values being particularly praised. But William is ultimately only annoyed by these suggestions, based as they are not on reason at all.I’d rather my children be who God created them to be, encompassing not only their unique gifts and talents and personhoods, but where and when they were born, and yes, who their parents are. the costumes, design, music and camerawork steer clear of naturalism, highlighting both the modernity of the approach and the notions of humans as creatures to be observed dispassionately. Authors regularly use real figures in their stories – after all, it is part of the appeal of historical fiction. As Antonia welcomed questions from the floor, the scope of the discussion reflected the impressive diversity of her audience. William’s madness never goes anywhere, meaning that we just have to read repeated unpleasant descriptions of women as egg-laying ants and vice versa without there being anything at stake.

Lord and Lady Alabaster have a great many children, and William finds himself falling in love with the eldest daughter, Eugenia. Adamson is invited to stay as a guest at the Alabasters' country house, and organize Sir Harald's insect collection. The above is dialogue from the book's first novella, Morpho Eugenia, and eerily echoes a recent read of mine, which eerily echoed another novel I read not too long ago. Nature, in these times, is still something of a mystery, and while there are glimpses of its brute truth these aren't always clearly observed or understood.Adamson also finally comes across Eugenia's secret, and quite a dramatic one that is (though well foreshadowed throughout the book -- both the what and the who). Yet all the Angels and Insects collects two provocative and interesting examples of the novella genre, and it is a book well worth trying. Byatt’s intelligence is unmissable – she clearly did her reading, whether it be on mediums or on entomology.