The Virgin in the Garden
The Virgin in the Garden is a 1978 realist novel by English novelist A. S. Byatt. Set during the same year as the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, the novel revolves around a play about Elizabeth I of England.[1] The novel has strong use of symbolism, which the New York Times called "overloaded", that points towards Elizabeth I.[1] The novel is the first of a quartet, followed by Still Life (1985), Babel Tower (1996), and A Whistling Woman (2002).[2]
Reception
The New York Times describes the writing of "Byatt is essentially a fine, careful and very traditional storyteller."[1]
References
- ^ a b c Dinnage, Rosemary (April 1, 1979). "England in the 50's". New York Times Books.
- ^ Yeazell, Ruth Bernard (2002-11-28). "Overindulgence". London Review of Books. pp. 19–21. ISSN 0260-9592. Retrieved 2016-04-11.
Further reading
- Dusinberre, Juliet (1982-10-01). "Forms of Reality in A. S. Byatt's The Virgin in the Garden". Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction. 24 (1): 55–62. doi:10.1080/00111619.1982.9937771. ISSN 0011-1619.
- "Writing the contemporary: The Virgin in the Garden and Still Life - Manchester Scholarship". A.S. Byatt: Critical Storytelling. Manchester Scholarship Online. 2010. doi:10.7228/manchester/9780719066528.001.0001/upso-9780719066528-chapter-3. ISBN 9780719066528.