Still Life
Still Life by Antonia Susan Byatt, published by Collier Books in 1991, is a thought-provoking exploration of life at Cambridge University through the eyes of Frederica Potter, who is eager for knowledge, love, and adventure. This edition spans 384 pages and delves into the contrasting lives of Frederica and her sister Stephanie, who has chosen a more traditional path in Yorkshire. The narrative also follows Alexander Wedderburn in London as he grapples with writing a play about Van Gogh, whose art and life serve as a central theme throughout the story.
Readers will find a rich tapestry of intellectual and cultural life in England during the 1950s, as Byatt examines the tensions between ambition and domesticity. The novel addresses the complexities of self-fulfillment and confinement, providing a nuanced look at the characters’ struggles and aspirations. This edition invites readers to reflect on the interplay of personal desires and societal expectations, making it a significant continuation of the themes introduced in Byatt’s earlier work, The Virgin in the Garden.
Official synopsis Publisher
Frederica Potter, “doomed to be intelligent” plunges into Cambridge University life greedy for knowledge, sex and love. In Yorkshire her sister Stephanie has abandoned academe for the cosy frustration of the family. Alexander Wedderburn, now in London, struggles to write a play about Van Gogh, whose art and tragic life give the novel its central Leitmotiv. In this sequel to The Virgin in the Garden, A.S Byatt illuminates the inevitable conflicts between ambition and domesticity, confinement and self-fulfilment, while providing a subtle yet incisive observation of intellectual and cultural life in England during the 1950s.
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