ByattBuddyRead

The Life of the Mind: A Novel | Christine Smallwood

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What is the point of being an academic during late stage capitalism? What's the point of teaching classes, working on articles, attending conferences when the dream of life in the ivory tower is long dead? That's what Dorothy is struggling to figure out as she sees two therapists, copes with a unexpected miscarriage, and interacts with friends & colleagues who seem better prepared for life.
As a former academic, this book was HIGHLY relatable👇

merelybookish And it might have been triggering, but enough time has passed and I'm on the other side. It was actually affirming to read this now. Sure, I miss aspects of the life, but like Dorothy, the dream never quite could become reality. Objectively, it's a solid character study of a disillusioned woman with a somewhat unsatisfying ending. But highly recommend to any other recovering academics! 3mo

merelybookish This is the antidote to Possession for anyone in the #byattbuddyread who wished they were a literary scholar. 😆 @Graywacke 3mo

Graywacke Oh boy 🙈 No discovered private letters around every corner?! 3mo

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merelybookish @Graywacke Sadly no. 🤣 3mo

sarahbarnes 😆😆😆 3mo

vivastory Haven't really said “Hi“ in a bit. Hope you are well! 3mo

merelybookish @vivastory Hey Scott! 👋 I'm good. I've been working a lot which is good/ bad. Two of my kids are moving out at the end of the month which also feels good/bad. So that's what's going on with me. How are you? 3mo

vivastory That is a lot of changes for you! Hope that everything goes smoothly for your family. Not much new here, Work is work, Looking to transition soon to a different position. Looking at taking some time off towards the end of August. Otherwise, not much. Reading, watching movies etc 3mo

kspenmoll @merelybookish 😂😂 3mo

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Librarybelle

Untitled | Unknown

I had a few great completions last week. Possession has been on my tbr for quite some time, so I was thrilled to read it with #byattbuddyread .

This week, I have Nancy Drew on the top of the list; I‘ll see where the rest of the reading takes me!

Happy Reading!

42 likes

Graywacke

Possession | A. S. Byatt

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It's little hard for me to adequately explain how much I enjoyed this book, was obsessed by it (possessed), and was so unrelentingly curious. I was aware of this while reading, from about page 7 when it fully struck that I wanted to be involved. And that feeling never spoiled. I adored this book. I think this might be best book written in my lifetime. 🙂 Really. #byattbuddyread

kspenmoll Thank you for articulating what i feel!!!! 3mo

Palimpsest One of my favorite books 3mo

merelybookish You're making me want to re-read it! (I read it back in the late 90s and loved it then.) 3mo

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Graywacke @kspenmoll 💙 3mo

Graywacke @Palimpsest now for me too! 🙂 3mo

Graywacke @merelybookish another Byatt fan! Thanks. Back in 1990…I was just learning I actually like reading. ☺️ (i wasn‘t _that_ young either. A late comer) 3mo

Suet624 I‘m so happy to see how much you liked this one, especially after seeing you just finished 2 so-so books. 3mo

59 likes7 comments

Graywacke

Possession | A. S. Byatt

Possession - chapters 22-28 - the end }#byattbuddyread

So those letters - didn‘t everyone, even us readers, desperately want them, at any cost? Is that bad? 🙂😇

So, apologies if I‘m a little overgushing, but this was an unparalleled amazing reading experience for me. I was possessed (how long before you realized the title has 2 meanings?). Have you finished? What was your take? What are your thoughts?

Graywacke @sarahbarnes @slategreyskies @LibraryBelle @LapReader @KathyWheeler @Currey @jewright @Deblovestoread 3mo

KathyWheeler I really wanted those letters, but I can‘t decide if that‘s bad or not. 3mo

Currey @Graywacke Yes, yes, yes!!! I wanted to read those letters. What a wonderful reading experience. My book buddy thought the ending too sentimental but I thought it was just right. 3mo

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Librarybelle I too wanted the letters, haha! I loved the repetition of “possessed” and its meanings mentioned by the characters—such a good way to further tie the book title to the story. As I mentioned in my review, this will probably be one I will reread at some point to look at the layers in the story even more. It‘s the type of story that I think readers will find more things, more clues, with each rereading. A great buddy read! 3mo

Currey @Graywacky @KathyWheeler @Librarybelle All the characters were so fully written. I particularly liked that the stereotypical secondary characters like Val (the jilted one), and Beatrice Nest (the inept academic) bloomed in these final pages. We get a glimpse of the fullness of Ash and are left with the mystery of Blanche. 3mo

Graywacke @KathyWheeler oh, very bad. 🤣 3mo

Graywacke @Currey i loved the ending. I think she pressed a lot to make the story work and the past and present echo. All the sudden romance. I loved it. But also, for me, she could do no wrong at the end. I‘m so happy you enjoyed it too! 3mo

Graywacke @Librarybelle there is so much going on. I‘m mainly tempted to reread the poetry, now that I know what‘s behind it and I look for references. 3mo

Graywacke @Currey i loved Val. But even Cropper becomes a necessary evil. Without him we lose so much. And, yeah, Blanche remains a mystery. Our Morgan le Fay, maybe. Or maybe our Merlin. 3mo

Graywacke Any thoughts on the reflections of the Persephone myth? I thought about the role of the seasons and Roland‘s coming Amsterdam (?) post and the coming long distance relationship with icy Maud. But i‘m having trouble tying it into cristabel, except perhaps her pregnancy echoes the pomegranate seed. 3mo

Currey @Graywacke The cyclical metaphor - not so much the seasons but the falling in and out of creativity and the destruction of creativity. Also a lot of leaning on the need for answers, i.e knowledge and how that plays with the myth of the garden. 3mo

KathyWheeler @Graywacke Probably so. 😄 3mo

KathyWheeler @Currey Yes! I remember thinking, the first time I read this, that both Val and Beatrice were unnecessary, but they weren‘t at all. 3mo

sarahbarnes Just weighing in here to say I absolutely loved reading this - thank you for this buddy read to finally bring it off my shelf! I was pulled along in the current of the ending too - needing to know what was in those letters. I loved the beauty and pain of it - Ellen‘s and Ash‘s and Cristabel‘s. The letters never read. And that postscript. I‘m happy for Roland, Val and Maud in the end, too. 3mo

Graywacke @sarahbarnes ❤️ 3mo

Graywacke @sarahbarnes @slategreyskies @LibraryBelle @LapReader @KathyWheeler @Currey @jewright @Deblovestoread Thanks everyone for joining, for getting us through this lovely novel. I‘m still now trying to understand why i was so attached to this lovely novel and what that might say about my own reading. I‘m so glad everyone enjoyed. This was a commitment, a rewarding one. 3mo

Librarybelle Thanks for hosting this, @Graywacke ! It was an extraordinarily constructed novel, and I will most likely reread in a few years to catch details I missed in this first reading. 3mo

Currey @Librarybelle @Graywacke Agreed, thank you for leading us. This is a great book, so many layers and such wonderful characters. (edited) 3mo

Deblovestoread I‘m so glad we read this together. Thanks for hosting. I loved how layered it was and the way all the stories unfolded. 3mo

KathyWheeler @Graywacke Thanks for hosting! I always meant to reread it, and this gave me the motivation to do it. 3mo

Graywacke @Librarybelle @Currey @Deblovestoread @KathyWheeler You guys are so kind. This group kept me on track. So, thank you. And, I completely agree about the books layers and complexities. 3mo

37 likes21 comments

Librarybelle

Possession | A. S. Byatt

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Byatt incorporates multiple types of documents to create a dual timeline of love and secrets. It‘s a very detailed read, and I think at some point I will have to reread this to fully intake the multiple layers. The ending is spellbinding, a perfect conclusion to a story rich in interweaving details. So glad I finally read this! #ByattBuddyRead #192025 #1990. #52BookClub24 #NominatedForTheBookerPrize

Kristy_K, LaraReads, KarenUK, Hooked_on_books, BarkingMadRead, Crazeedi, brittanyreads, Graciouswarriorprincess, Magpiegem, BookBelle84, Larkken, jenniferw88, julesG, Deblovestoread, MidnightBookGirl, triplem80, Tove_Reads, slategreyskies, Read4life, Bluebird, kwmg40, BarbaraBB, Graywacke, eeclayton, hissingpotatoes, Book_Lover95, TheAromaofBooks

Deblovestoread Great review! And I agree a reread would give me even more of the story.💜 3mo

Librarybelle Thanks, @Deblovestoread ! 3mo

julieclair Ooohhh!!! Stacked! Great review. 3mo

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Librarybelle Thanks, @julieclair ! 3mo

kspenmoll I am almost finished! It‘s been in my shelf for years & I doubt I would get to it without this buddy read. Love your review! 3mo

Graywacke Glad you enjoyed (and are ready to read it again!) 3mo

Librarybelle @kspenmoll Thanks! 3mo

Librarybelle Thanks for leading the discussions, @Graywacke ! 3mo

Graywacke @Librarybelle thanks for joining 🙂 3mo

Hooked_on_books I feel like a good ending is the marker of a really good writer. Too many books don‘t have a good ending, and I love it when it‘s well done. I‘ve never read her, which I should probably rethink! 3mo

Librarybelle @Hooked_on_books So true…an ending could help or ruin a book! 3mo

CaramelLunacy I came to this one after seeing the movie (Jeremy Northam and Jennifer Ehle were perfect as the Victorian poets). 3mo

Librarybelle @CaramelLunacy I plan to rewatch the movie soon! I saw the movie years ago, and it would be interesting to see it again after reading the book. 3mo

Crazeedi I have had this a long time but have not read! 3mo

Librarybelle @Crazeedi I‘m glad I finally read it! 3mo

Crazeedi @Librarybelle I'm going to move up 3mo

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Graywacke

Possession | A. S. Byatt

#byattbuddyread
A quote on reading from AS Byatt‘s Possession:

“There are readings—of the same text—that are dutiful, readings that map and dissect, readings that hear a rustling of unheard sounds, that count grey little pronouns for pleasure or instruction and for a time do not hear golden or apples. There are personal readings, which snatch for personal meanings, I am full of love, or disgust, or fear, I scan for love, or disgust, or fear. … 👇

Graywacke There are—believe it—impersonal readings—where the mind's eye sees the lines move onwards and the mind's ear hears them sing and sing.

Now and then there are readings that make the hairs on the neck, the non-existent pelt, stand on end and tremble, when every word burns and shines hard and clear and infinite and exact, like stones of fire, like points of stars in the dark—readings when… 3mo

Graywacke … the knowledge that we shall know the writing differently or better or satisfactorily, runs ahead of any capacity to say what we know, or how. In these readings, a sense that the text has appeared to be wholly new, never before seen, is followed, almost immediately, by the sense that it was always there, that we the readers, knew it was always there, … 3mo

Graywacke … and have always known it was as it was, though we have now for the first time recognised, become fully cognizant of, our knowledge. 3mo

kspenmoll 🩵🩷🤍 3mo

Librarybelle Nice! 3mo

29 likes5 comments

KathyWheeler

Possession | A. S. Byatt

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It might be me, but I listened to this book (a reread for me), and I think it‘s better in print because of the variety of formats Byatt uses — letters, essays, poetry, straight narrative. It‘s easier to see and make connections in print. Still good. No map, so here‘s some pictures of Little George in my husband‘s walker and on the sofa, and there‘s also one of Missy sitting on the back of the sofa like a cat. #audiowalk #byattbuddyread

Graywacke I sampled it months ago - and it was simply too rich. Too much going on. I need time to process. So I didn‘t pursue audio. As a reread, I thought it might work better. 3mo

KathyWheeler @Graywacke Yeah — if I had not already read it, there‘s no way I would‘ve been to do the audio. 3mo

33 likes2 comments

Graywacke

Possession | A. S. Byatt

Possession - chapters 18-21 #byattbuddyread

A lot in these four chapters. Blanche‘s letters, Lenora Sterns story, Sabine‘s letters on Cristabel in Brittany (👆), Cropper‘s philosophy of artifacts, Lenora saving Blackadder‘s TV interview, Hella Lees, and a lot poetry - on Is, seances and a lost child.

Byatt‘s son was struck and killed by a drunk driver when he was 11. Byatt stopped writing for 11 years.

Please, on all this, thoughts?

Graywacke @sarahbarnes @slategreyskies @LibraryBelle @LapReader @KathyWheeler @Currey @jewright @Deblovestoread 3mo

Graywacke I ran out of space, but i thought it was quite interesting that, in Mummy Possest, Ash compares fraudulent seers with artists. 3mo

Librarybelle It was good to read Sabine‘s diary related to Christabel…one can feel how conflicted Christabel feels during this time. It was interesting to watch Cropper, Blackadder, and Stern piece together the clues that Roland and Maud had already put together, and it was rather humorous to see Stern rescue Blackadder during the interview. How sad about Byatt‘s personal life. 3mo

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Currey @Graywacke @Librarybelle I also found Sabine‘s diary really interesting. Not only did it give us a view of Christabel that we had not seen before but it was great to have a fresh voice attempting to unearth another mystery/the same mystery. I was also captivated by Byatt‘s ability to introduce a totally new character, and have that character come alive for us in the second half of a book. 3mo

Currey @Graywacke Also Byatt‘s ability to run two different poetry styles. Ash‘s pedantic Victorian and Christabel‘s lighter and more mystical 3mo

sarahbarnes @Librarybelle @Currey agreed that I was totally taken in by reading Sabine‘s diary and getting this new insight into Christabel. And @Currey yes - her ability to introduce a new character, write such diverse poetry. Genius. @Graywacke I had no idea she lost her son that way. Devastating. 3mo

sarahbarnes I love how the story continues to be revealed in layers through this part, through pieces offered by the different characters. And the story of Maud and Roland unfolds much more quietly in the background. 3mo

Deblovestoread Agree with all of this. I loved the way the story unfolded. I am sorry about the author‘s loss. Devastating! 3mo

Graywacke Sorry if i shocked anyone about Byatt. I thought it was relevant and a non-spoiler way of tying into Cristabel‘s story and poetry. (Spoilers are fine here through chapter 21, but i try avoid putting them into the main post.) 3mo

Graywacke @Librarybelle Stern made me smile. It‘s interesting that Blackadder is such a sinister name, but a pretty mild, even likable, person. And, yes, they are sniffing out this story and facing their published inaccuracies. 3mo

Graywacke @Currey I was thinking that about Sabine - a late, new, almost unnecessary character, and yet she works. She‘s so interesting herself. 3mo

Graywacke @sarahbarnes I‘m with you, watching this story reveal. I‘m already sold. I already fully bought in. But she keeps adding and adding, and great stuff. 3mo

Graywacke @Deblovestoread i‘n glad you and everyone else are enjoying this. This book is something like a major time commitment. But i haven‘t felt that. Just lazily reading away. 3mo

sarahbarnes I reached a point during this week‘s reading where I have to know how it all turns out and I can‘t stop reading. 😊 3mo

Graywacke @sarahbarnes I have been trying to keep pace, but it‘s meant slowing down. All reigns off this week! 3mo

29 likes15 comments

KathyWheeler

Possession | A. S. Byatt

I had to walk inside today because it started raining as soon as I went out to walk. I honestly don‘t know how, but I completely forgot about Christabel‘s time in France. #byattbuddyread #audiowalk

16 likes

KathyWheeler

Possession | A. S. Byatt

I thought I‘d walk outside for a bit, but it started to lightning, so I walked 1 mile outside and 1 inside. After I‘ve finished this book, I may watch the movie again to see what I think of it so close to reading it. #byattbuddyread #audiowalk

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