A.S. Byatt

This stimulating and comprehensive study of A. S. Byatt’s work spans virtually her entire career and offers insightful readings of all of Byatt’s works of fiction up to and including her Man-Booker-shortlisted novel The Children’s Book (2009). The authors combine a clear and accessible overview of Byatt’s A uvre to date with close critical analysis of all her major works. Uniquely, the book also points beyond the immediate context of Byatt’s fiction by considering her critical writings and journalism alongside her novels and short stories. What unites the arguments presented in this book is an appreciation of A. S. Byatt not only as an eminent and important storyteller of our time, but also as a critic and public intellectual. Advancing the concept of ‘critical storytelling’ as a hallmark of Byatt’s project as a writer, the authors retrace Byatt’s wide-ranging engagement with both literary and critical traditions not only through analysis of her fiction, but also by devoting an entire chapter to examining Byatt’s role as critic and cultural commentator. This results in situating Byatt in the wider literary landscape and providing students and scholars alike with a roadmap to contemporary British fiction. This book has broad appeal, including fellow researchers, undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as general enthusiasts of Byatt’s work.