The weightiness of Byatt's fiction puts some off. So start with Angels and Insects, a pair of novellas that explore, in brief, some of the themes that most fascinated her.
Clever, bookish, sexually innocent Federica is 17 at the beginning of the novel. She is good with literature but finds men more than a little perplexing. One of these men, Alexander, has written a play about Elizabeth I which is to be performed in a garden to celebrate the new Queen's coronation.
Byatt wrote long novels but also produced shorter works such as novellas and short stories. By starting with Angels and Insects and exploring the character of Frederica Potter, readers can ease into Byatt's writing and enjoy the blend of literary elements and sensuality that is characteristic of her work.
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