A new play, the highlight of a magnificent local festival celebrating the coronation of Elizabeth II, brings together the young playwright and a brilliant but eccentric family whose personal dramas soon eclipse the entire production.
The Frederica Quartet Series
This literary quartet delves into the complexities of human consciousness and relationships, often set against backdrops of academia and artistic pursuits. The narrative explores profound themes of identity, love, loss, and the search for meaning through meticulously crafted characters and rich prose. These novels offer intellectually stimulating journeys intertwined with deep emotional resonance, immersing readers in intricate worlds of art, science, and personal discovery.
Recommended Reading Order
- 1
- 2
Still Life
- 368 pages
- 13 hours of reading
Frederica Potter arrives at Cambridge University greedy for knowledge, sex and love. It isn’t long before she becomes infatuated with a mysterious and controlling poet. Back in Yorkshire, her sister Stephanie abandons academia and is confronted with the boredom and frustrations of motherhood. Meanwhile, their younger brother Marcus begins to recover from a nervous breakdown. Each sibling is desperate to shape their own future, but a horrifying event will soon change their lives forever.
- 3
Babel tower
- 624 pages
- 22 hours of reading
Babel Tower Is The Third Novel In Byatt'S Highly Acclaimed Frederica Quartet. Frederica Is Embroiled In Two Law Cases, Twin Strands Of The Establishment'S Web, A Painful Divorce And Custody Suit And The Prosecution Of An 'Obscene' Book. Frederica'S Personal And Legal Crises Mirror An Age; Alongside Frederica'S Intellectual Life Teaching At Art School In London Are The Diverging Cultural Worlds Of The Beatles And The Advent Of Computer Languages.
- 4
A whistling woman
- 432 pages
- 16 hours of reading
This Intoxicating Novel Stands On Its Own, While Forming A Triumphant Conclusion To A. S. Byatt'S Great Quartet Depicting The Clashing Forces In English Life From The Early 1950S To 1970. While Frederica Falls Almost By Accident Into A Career In Television In London, Tumultuous Events In Her Home County Of Yorkshire Threaten To Change Her Life, And Those Of The People She Loves. Through Her Wayward, Lovingly-Drawn Characters And Breath-Taking Twists Of Plot, Byatt Illuminates The Effervescence Of The 1960S - Both Its Excitements And Its Dangers - As No One Has Done Before. Magical And Thought-Provoking, And With Spine-Chilling Moments, A Whistling Woman Is The Ultimate Novel Of Ideas Made Flesh - Gloriously Sensual, Sexy And Scary, Bursting With Ideas, And Wonderful Humanity.
