Byatt, A.S. — Possession

New York, Random House, 1990. Third Printing. Hardcover. Size: Large 8vo 9" - 10. 3" in "number" line present, thus indicating, in Random House parlance of the time, a Second Printing of the First Edition. Sturdy, attractive, tightly bound in hardcover format, generally clean, lightly toned at worst, minimal rubbing to extremities. Bound handsomely in two-tone, gold cloth over boards, blue cloth-backed spine, sharp and distinct gilt lettering to spine, design to front cover and with "A.S.B." stamped there. Bright and shiny dust jacket, illustrated, little worn. Booker Prize-winning author, A.S. Byatt, also of The Game, The Sun and The Virgin in the Garden. According to the publisher blurb, "Possession is an exhilarating novel of wit and romance, at once a literary detective novel and a triumphant love story. It is the tale of a pair of young scholars investigating the lives of two Victorian poets. Following a trail of letters, journals and poems they uncover a web of passion, deceit and tragedy, and their quest becomes a battle against time. When mild-mannered and unremarkable academic Roland Mitchell stumbles upon a letter written by Victorian poet Randolph Ash to a mysterious woman with whom he seems to be infatuated, he is determined to uncover the truth. Winner of the 1990 Booker Prize, Possession defies categorization. Rich in symmetry and symbolism, brimming over with myth, poetry and fairy tale, Byatt's masterpiece is part literary detective story, part academic satire and part historical novel. At its heart, however, is a compelling romance that draws the reader into the mirrored worlds of two couples, past and present, and explores the nature of obsession, possession and love. When mild-mannered and unremarkable academic Roland Mitchell stumbles upon a letter written by Victorian poet Randolph Ash to a mysterious woman with whom he seems to be infatuated, he is determined to uncover the truth. Winner of the 1990 Booker Prize, Possession defies categorization. 555 pp.Member, I.O.B.A., C.B.A., and adherent to the highest ethical standards. . . . Fine/Near Fine,