When it was published, Byatt's fictional tale of two academics whose passion for their subjects leads them to fall in love became an instant sensation, and no wonder: gorgeous writing, two steamy love affairs unfolding a century apart and a riveting detective story at the heart of it. But most of all, it's simply a novel that seduces with its originality—and its pretty incredible use of the epistolary form.
— Leigh Haber
