Fiction

Shadow of the Sun

Shadow of the Sun

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  • Create Date：2021-05-25 11:55:16
  • Update Date：2025-09-13
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  • Author：A.S. Byatt
  • ISBN：0099889609
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Summary

First published in 1964， this is the story of Anna Severell's struggle at the age of 17 to evolve her own personality in the shadow of her father， Henry Severell， a famous English novelist。

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Reviews

Peter ，

This was the author's first novel written whilst she was an undergraduate at Cambridge University in the mid-1950s and was first published in 1964。 The novel centres around Anna Severell， the daughter of a renowned but "distant and largely unknown father"， novelist。 Anna has recently been kicked out of school，for running away without telling anyone， and has returned home unsure what to do with her life next。Her mother in particular is keen for Anna to go to university so over the course of the s This was the author's first novel written whilst she was an undergraduate at Cambridge University in the mid-1950s and was first published in 1964。 The novel centres around Anna Severell， the daughter of a renowned but "distant and largely unknown father"， novelist。 Anna has recently been kicked out of school，for running away without telling anyone， and has returned home unsure what to do with her life next。Her mother in particular is keen for Anna to go to university so over the course of the summer she is tutored by Oliver Canning， a house guest along with his wife Margaret， in an attempt to get her accepted into Cambridge， efforts which prove successful。The first part of the book revolves around the summer this group spends largely together。 Anna and Oliver have an fairly uneasy relationship， a sulky girl and well-meaning know-it-all teacher。 Strained relationships between the adults only add further complications。 Oliver and Anna work together much of the time， and it is even suggested that she should move to London to live with him and Margaret。 That comes to nothing， but much of the book features Anna's attempt to escape from her adolescent aimlessness and out from under her father's shadow。 In the second part of the book Anna goes to Cambridge， with little change in her listlessness。 When Oliver appears again their relationship this time turns sexual with a not unsurprising outcome。 Byatt spends a lot of time analysing characters and their actions and scattered throughout the book there are a few well written scenes。 But whilst much of this is well done they also feel so artificially staged that they lack conviction。IMHO none of the characters are particularly likeable， this seems especially true of Oliver who seems plain creepy and an likely lover。 It is certainly no surprise that he finally succeeds in bedding Anna although quite why she would agree to it is quite another matter。 Anna is contrast just reads like a stroppy teenager who needs a good kick up the backside。 Ultimately the novel plods along （in particular the first half） and reads like what it is。 The first novel by a young person who hasn't yet had sufficient life experiences of their own yet but have spent a lot of time studying other author's works。 It is solid read with some interest but only really from a standpoint of seeing quite where the author's later more critically acclaimed works stemmed from。 PS; Read the foreword afterwards as it gives a lot of the plot away。 。。。more

Kathryn Koopmanschap ，

While it is of course well written， I struggled to read it。 The characters were not likeable， and getting deep inside their heads didn't help。 While it is of course well written， I struggled to read it。 The characters were not likeable， and getting deep inside their heads didn't help。 。。。more

Jane Gregg ，

3。5 stars - Byatt’s first novel which， as she says， owes much to Elizabeth Bowen。

Lorraine ，

This is not my favorite of Byatt's novels， but I still enjoyed it very much。In many ways， this book is about the patriarchal world of genius; it's about the repression of women who are expected to support this genius （or in some cases who find fulfillment in supporting this genius）， and it's also about the way that these men abdicate their role as patriarch。 If the system insists that men are geniuses and women are the scaffolding， then men have a responsibility to educate and grow the intellect This is not my favorite of Byatt's novels， but I still enjoyed it very much。In many ways， this book is about the patriarchal world of genius; it's about the repression of women who are expected to support this genius （or in some cases who find fulfillment in supporting this genius）， and it's also about the way that these men abdicate their role as patriarch。 If the system insists that men are geniuses and women are the scaffolding， then men have a responsibility to educate and grow the intellectual potential of women that is not being met here。Henry is the genius author。 He's an ass but an oblivious one。 He's selfish but not in a malicious way。 He's so remote and so caught in the grips of some kind of mental illness （I think probably manic depression） that he doesn't realize he's being selfish。 When it's brought to his attention that he's being selfish， he's sorry and grateful for his wife's support even if that sorrow and gratitude are not going to be enough to change him fundamentally。Oliver is the critic who wishes he was a genius but who knows he isn't and will never be。 He orbits Henry and desperately wants Henry's friendship and validation but never gets it。 Oliver is selfish in a malicious way， I think。 He treats his wife horribly。 He preys on Henry's daughter Anna。 I can't be sure， but I think the narrative sees him much more sympathetically than I do。 I've got no patience for Oliver which is a shame since he occupies so much of the novel。The novel contains three women: Henry's wife Caroline （who perhaps should resent being the helpmeet of genius but instead thoroughly enjoys the role and finds her life's meaning in it）， Oliver's wife Margaret （who wants to be the helpmeet of genius and would thoroughly enjoy the role and find her life's meaning in it except that Oliver knows he's not a genius and so keeps her at arm's length）， and Henry's daughter Anna who is 17 when the book begins and in her early 20s by its end。 Caroline is a static character who doesn't change over the course of the novel。 Margaret descends into madness; if she cannot be Oliver's perfect wife， she has no idea what else to be or do， and by the end of the book， she is hallucinating and drinking enough bloody Mary's to fell a horse。Anna is the most interesting character of the book to me。 Byatt spends a great deal of time describing the artist's mind， what Henry sees in his manic episodes and how that translates to his writerly genius。 Anna sees like her father。 There's a scene in a bathroom where she has an epiphany of vision that is so like her dad's。 There is also a Merricat-ness to her inner monologue that I quite like。 Anna spends most of the novel aware of her incipient genius and trying to figure out how to make it emerge。 I hoped that she would end up a writer like her dad and Oliver would end up being her Caroline but alas。 By the end of the novel， Anna is pregnant with Oliver's child and while this is ambiguous， possibly leaving the whole idea of awakening her genius behind。 I am really disappointed in her ending。 I'm not sure if Byatt is trying to say that the domestic and maternal expectations that most women grow up with shut them out of genius and writing， but I do know that she struggled a great deal with that idea。 One of her teachers told her that women had to eschew love and family if they wanted either of those things。 I wonder if this novel would end differently if Byatt wrote it now in the 21st century。 I hope so。 。。。more

Sandra ，

This book， Byatt's first novel， is populated by unlikeable， unsympathetic characters and is told in a jerky omniscient style。 This book， Byatt's first novel， is populated by unlikeable， unsympathetic characters and is told in a jerky omniscient style。 。。。more

A。L。 ，

I'm not quite sure how to characterise my reaction to this book。 I've been trying to read it for twenty years， and somehow haven't managed to get past the first chapter or so until now。 It was nicely written， it held my attention， and I was interested in the characters。 It did have a lot of a first book feeling to it， though; a feeling as though the auther were sounding herself out， perhaps drawing very heavily on her own life。 It's hard to feel a real sympathy with any of the characters because I'm not quite sure how to characterise my reaction to this book。 I've been trying to read it for twenty years， and somehow haven't managed to get past the first chapter or so until now。 It was nicely written， it held my attention， and I was interested in the characters。 It did have a lot of a first book feeling to it， though; a feeling as though the auther were sounding herself out， perhaps drawing very heavily on her own life。 It's hard to feel a real sympathy with any of the characters because they're all irritating in their own way。 The central character， Anna， really is in the shadow of her father （can you really be in the shadow of a sun？）， and perhaps that diminishes her place in the book more than it should for a completely satisfactory read。 It would have been nice to feel that there was more of a progression between the beginning and the end。 。。。more

Kathryn Pokarier ，

I always enjoy AS Byatt's books and this was no exception。 Intense and evokes the landscape as a character very well。 I always enjoy AS Byatt's books and this was no exception。 Intense and evokes the landscape as a character very well。 。。。more

Anna ，

Slow to start but well worth reading。

Eugenia Andino ，

Aburridísimo。 ¿De verdad hacen falta tantas páginas para contar tan poco？ No parece de la autora de Possession。

Erin Polgreen ，

Worth reading for the introduction alone， but overall， not the best Byatt I have read。 It is fun to see ideas she develops in later books starting in this， her first。

Bloodorange ，

Striking writing， trivial plot。

Preyoshi ，

As much as i adore AS Byatt， this was a farce of a M&B masquerading as a coming of age novel。 The 60's were a different time for women， but while certain stories retain their gravity， this book has become dated given our age and time。 Recommended feminist reading it is not。 Anna， you disappointed me。 As much as i adore AS Byatt， this was a farce of a M&B masquerading as a coming of age novel。 The 60's were a different time for women， but while certain stories retain their gravity， this book has become dated given our age and time。 Recommended feminist reading it is not。 Anna， you disappointed me。 。。。more

Jennifer ，

I keep going between a 3- and 4-star rating for this one。 If I'm honest， it's probably somewhere around a 3。5， but there were parts of it that felt more like a 2。 I'm rather conflicted。 Overall， I liked it more than I disliked it。 It was better than either The Biographer's Tale or The Virgin in the Garden， but it was definitely not in the same class as The Children's Book or Possession， both of which are original and deep and heavy novels， with a few characters I liked and engaging plots。 The Sh I keep going between a 3- and 4-star rating for this one。 If I'm honest， it's probably somewhere around a 3。5， but there were parts of it that felt more like a 2。 I'm rather conflicted。 Overall， I liked it more than I disliked it。 It was better than either The Biographer's Tale or The Virgin in the Garden， but it was definitely not in the same class as The Children's Book or Possession， both of which are original and deep and heavy novels， with a few characters I liked and engaging plots。 The Shadow of the Sun， as the blurbs quoted on the back of my edition point out repeatedly， is Byatt's first published novel。 （Seriously， the back of the book reads like a college writing workshop when the professor asks someone to say something nice about an esoteric story no one liked: "The book is promising。。。there are passages which seem to speak in a maturer voice， the voice perhaps of Mrs。 Byatt's third or fourth novel。"; "Her novel has undoubted merit， certainly enough to make one watch expectantly for her future work。"; "[The novel] suggests that before long Mrs。 Byatt may achieve a considerable reputation。"） My edition was a re-release following the success of Possession， and it's obvious that it was rushed to capitalize on the buzz。 I lost count of the number of typos in it， and， while I don't normally find sporadic typos all that distracting， these ones were numerous and obvious enough that they did affect how I read the book。 I didn't like it as much as I would have if it had seemed like the team responsible for publishing it had been careful with it。That's a small thing， though。 The bigger thing is the plot。 The book follows Anna， the daughter of a well-known and successful novelist， Henry Severell， as she struggles to figure out what she wants to do in life and what she will be able to achieve， knowing that everything she does or plans to do is colored by who her father is。 The novel deals with the insides of people， with the effect outside forces have on how they see themselves， and how what they see affects who they actually are。 In addition to individual opinions， the characters feel the effects of societal pressures and expectations。 Where the book fell flat， for me， is that in most cases it failed to make me care whether the characters succeeded。 The plot was also fairly predictable。 While in some ways I understood Anna and the struggle inherent in deciding what to do with her life， in most ways I just wanted to shake her。 And her mother。 And her father。 And if Oliver could have been kicked into the Thames， that would have been totally great with me。 I would have happily given whoever kicked him a few gold stars。 All of this frustration was not a failing on Byatt's part; she wanted the book to be exactly that。 The essay that introduces this edition makes that clear。 It was a frustrating time for women and the fact that this book accurately expresses that is certainly not a flaw。 It just made the ending of the book less satisfying; while I do not expect or desire a happy ending， I wanted to want one for Anna。 But more than society making her life difficult， she kept making choices and sacrificing her agency and I just grew annoyed with her， which--well。 Her choices were informed by the pressures society and Oliver and her father and her mother put on her。 I wanted her to be strong but she wasn't， and I grew annoyed that she wasn't， and by the end I mostly pitied her， but she made her choices， however passive they seemed。This was very well-written and I enjoyed the first two thirds a lot—this was solidly in the 4-star category up until the last bit。 What I really liked about this book was that we were not asked to like Oliver。 （Byatt rarely asks her readers to like her characters， or at least that's the experience I've had reading her books， and I appreciate that。） Oliver， though。 If this book were written by a man， or written as a romance， he would have been the "hero。" The love interest for our dull not-like-other-girls protagonist。 This book， particularly in the beginning， reminded me of Glory by Nabokov。 Both are young books by ambitious authors， and both deal with a "love" that is not returned and an ideal that is unrealized and， most likely， unrealizable。 The difference， and what made me like The Shadow of the Sun much more than Glory （although they got the same rating because I'm a sucker for Nabokov's writing style） is that Nabokov expected us to like Martin。 Martin is self-obsessed and destructive; Oliver is self-obsessed and destructive。 Where Nabokov believes he wrote a flawed but overall sympathetic character， Byatt purposefully wrote a flawed and antagonistic character， who does no good and whose redeeming qualities， if he has any， are negated within a page。 I appreciated that The Shadow of the Sun was not a love story， despite having many of the elements of a typical romance。 In this case， the characters ending up together was not a happy ending。 。。。more

Salvatore ，

Meh

Hans Wiegand ，

It took me some time to finish this first Byatt novel but now， after having just finished it， I must say， I did not only enjoy the story， its Englishness and its reminding me of Bowen， but I also thoroughly enjoyed Byatt's language， the beautiful long sentences and the detailed descriptions of all kinds of things。 It took me some time to finish this first Byatt novel but now， after having just finished it， I must say， I did not only enjoy the story， its Englishness and its reminding me of Bowen， but I also thoroughly enjoyed Byatt's language， the beautiful long sentences and the detailed descriptions of all kinds of things。 。。。more

Jerry ，

In many ways this is an earlier telling of Frederica’s story in Still Life。 The latter is definitely the better book。 However， even in this debut novel Byatt is already a compelling writer。 The main thing she learned between Shadow and Still Life is that the pivotal， understandable character is the mother， who doesn't get much screen time here。 Still， it is very good Byatt， which is comparatively great。 In many ways this is an earlier telling of Frederica’s story in Still Life。 The latter is definitely the better book。 However， even in this debut novel Byatt is already a compelling writer。 The main thing she learned between Shadow and Still Life is that the pivotal， understandable character is the mother， who doesn't get much screen time here。 Still， it is very good Byatt， which is comparatively great。 。。。more

Lisa ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 A。 S。 Byatt is a vexing writer。 She wafts between tiresome and enticing， sometimes within the span of a single sentence。 Her characters tend to be prickly， perverse beings。 Often they are more enamored of living according to some philosophy or polemic rather than actually just living。 Instead of just living， they feel they must live importantly， live so as to be authentic to some credo， which is ultimately an inauthentic， second hand way of living and， of course， ultimately makes everyone misera A。 S。 Byatt is a vexing writer。 She wafts between tiresome and enticing， sometimes within the span of a single sentence。 Her characters tend to be prickly， perverse beings。 Often they are more enamored of living according to some philosophy or polemic rather than actually just living。 Instead of just living， they feel they must live importantly， live so as to be authentic to some credo， which is ultimately an inauthentic， second hand way of living and， of course， ultimately makes everyone miserable。 Anna gets this and her father gets this， while everyone else tries to force some interpretation or meaning on their lives。 As a brilliant novelist， Henry is able to ignore these people， until he can't l。 When he comes face to face with the truth that he loves his daughter more than peace， he has become so much inured to inaction， that he fails to act。 Instead， the people of action take over; Caroline， the mother who openly dislikes her daughter and Oliver， her father's admirer and critic and her， eventually， lover。 Anna， though she would much rather be left alone to figure it out， lets these others cast her life into their schemata。 Adolescent girls are not afforded the right of being left alone that artistic geniuses are。 Adolescent girls seem to bring out the Pygmalion in an awful lot of people。 The reader first meets， Anna， the novel's protagonist， at her unloveliest， a irksome， passively defiant grubby teen who can't figure out what to do with herself。 Her mother is quite frankly is a bitch。 Sorry， not language I normally use but there doesn't seem to any other way to say it。 She is entirely unsympathetic towards her daughter's very normal plight， being at that "awkward age。" Somehow she seems to think that Anna should glide effortlessly from girlhood into womanhood， which is patently ridiculous。 Yet， I have known mothers like this。 Thankfully， not my own！ Into this mix come house guests Oliver and Margaret Canning。 With Anna adrift， it seems to make sense for Oliver to tutor her so she can sit the university exams。 University does seem to be the most acceptable next step。 From there things proceed。 Oliver wants to make Anna over in his image; this involves contriving to make her see the poisonous influence living in her father's shadow and her father's lack of caring has had on her。 Fast forward， and Anna is at university。 That is not going any better than Anna expected。 And， then Oliver reappears。 Of course he would！ Then things get messy。 I get Henry best of all， but am entirely sympathetic towards Anna。 Who in adolescence hasn't felt as she does。 I suppose some readers may condemn Henry for his detachment， but he treats his daughter as he wants to be treated， which is to be left alone。 He thought she would come around alright in the end， and she might have if there hadn't been more assertive， strong-willed toxic people involved。 And， she might despite those people。 （I had this in paragraphs， but they aren't sticking） 。。。more

Laura ，

The writing deserves 4 stars I think at times （there are some very nice passages）， but the plot's a bit predictable and I found Oliver to be such a pretentious asshole that at times I struggled to keep reading because I didn't care what dumb words were coming out of his dumb mouth。 The writing deserves 4 stars I think at times （there are some very nice passages）， but the plot's a bit predictable and I found Oliver to be such a pretentious asshole that at times I struggled to keep reading because I didn't care what dumb words were coming out of his dumb mouth。 。。。more

cameron ，

It's not one of her best， but this novel is her first。 If you're an avid Byatt fan like I am， it's still fascinating to see her early work and the seeds of her brilliant later books。Have just reread this and changed my review from 3 to five。 Having read all her other fiction I am reminded how brilliant and dense and foreboding it is。 You have to concentrate and pay attention。 That she wrote with this same focus on her first novel is hard to believe。 I read and savor it slowly。 Delicious。 It's not one of her best， but this novel is her first。 If you're an avid Byatt fan like I am， it's still fascinating to see her early work and the seeds of her brilliant later books。Have just reread this and changed my review from 3 to five。 Having read all her other fiction I am reminded how brilliant and dense and foreboding it is。 You have to concentrate and pay attention。 That she wrote with this same focus on her first novel is hard to believe。 I read and savor it slowly。 Delicious。 。。。more

Marietje ，

Despite some beautiful descriptions of thoughts and landscapes "The shadow of the Sun" failed to grab me。 I know it was A。S。 Byatt's first novel， but that is no excuse for its longwindedness。 What bothered me most was that there was not a single really sympathetic character。 Even Anna was hard to take most of the time。I Despite some beautiful descriptions of thoughts and landscapes "The shadow of the Sun" failed to grab me。 I know it was A。S。 Byatt's first novel， but that is no excuse for its longwindedness。 What bothered me most was that there was not a single really sympathetic character。 Even Anna was hard to take most of the time。I 。。。more

Rachel ，

It's a testament to Byatt's skill as a writer that she makes me enjoy reading about these frustrating and somewhat awful people。 It's a testament to Byatt's skill as a writer that she makes me enjoy reading about these frustrating and somewhat awful people。 。。。more

Lwg ，

I usually love A S Byatt。 I did like this one， too， but more because of what it showed me about her development。 It is very much a first novel， and an undergraduate's book， both in its preoccupations and its slightly overblown style。 Very much of its time， too - the lengthy descriptions seem dated， as does the way it presents the issues faced by young women。There wasn't one character in it to like， and the plot was not particularly original - and yet it held my interest and kept me reading。 Enou I usually love A S Byatt。 I did like this one， too， but more because of what it showed me about her development。 It is very much a first novel， and an undergraduate's book， both in its preoccupations and its slightly overblown style。 Very much of its time， too - the lengthy descriptions seem dated， as does the way it presents the issues faced by young women。There wasn't one character in it to like， and the plot was not particularly original - and yet it held my interest and kept me reading。 Enough there of the genius to come to make this one worth reading 。。。more

Justin Beldyk ，

The book is divided into two parts basically。 The first part is about the summer that Oliver and Anna work together。 They become so close Oliver asks Anna to come back to London with him。 The second part is set at Cambridge where Anna is still out of place and tells od her trials and tribulations。 The story is enthralling and makes you want to read more。 However， the diction is confusing and the story has many twists and turns。 If you have good focus skills The Shadow of the Sun would be a good The book is divided into two parts basically。 The first part is about the summer that Oliver and Anna work together。 They become so close Oliver asks Anna to come back to London with him。 The second part is set at Cambridge where Anna is still out of place and tells od her trials and tribulations。 The story is enthralling and makes you want to read more。 However， the diction is confusing and the story has many twists and turns。 If you have good focus skills The Shadow of the Sun would be a good book for you。 。。。more

Catherine Gentile ，

The story of seventeen-year-old Anna， dismissed by her preoccupied parents， discovered by a kindly friend of the family。 As this was A。S。 Byatt's first novel， it was fascinating to see the quality of her writing in her early days。 The unfolding and development of this young woman is a lesson in characterization。 Well worth rediscovering。 The story of seventeen-year-old Anna， dismissed by her preoccupied parents， discovered by a kindly friend of the family。 As this was A。S。 Byatt's first novel， it was fascinating to see the quality of her writing in her early days。 The unfolding and development of this young woman is a lesson in characterization。 Well worth rediscovering。 。。。more

Ashley ，

I've loved other books by A。S。 Byatt （Possession， Virgin in the Garden， Children's Book， etc。）， but was a bit apprehensive about this one because the blurbs in the back were such left-handed compliments， e。g。 "This book is promising。。。 there are passages which seem to speak in a maturer voice， the voice perhaps of Mrs。 Byatt's third or fourth novel。"Given that I'd loved her later works， I was more than a bit concerned that this one would be youthful and awkward and not quite ripe。Fortunately for I've loved other books by A。S。 Byatt （Possession， Virgin in the Garden， Children's Book， etc。）， but was a bit apprehensive about this one because the blurbs in the back were such left-handed compliments， e。g。 "This book is promising。。。 there are passages which seem to speak in a maturer voice， the voice perhaps of Mrs。 Byatt's third or fourth novel。"Given that I'd loved her later works， I was more than a bit concerned that this one would be youthful and awkward and not quite ripe。Fortunately for both me and A。S。 Byatt， my fears were unfounded: I loved this book as much as I've loved her others。 Her voice， her ability to bring the reader into the mind of a character who isn't quite sure of herself， her deep understanding of character -- all of those are here， and seemed fully-formed to me。 I'm hoping that other editions of the book picked better blurbs for the back of the book -- it deserves better than the ones I read！ 。。。more

Susan ，

Brownell Library book sale。 June 2013

Meghan ，

Oliver Canning is the creepiest character outside of a straight-up horror novel。…actually， this is a horror novel。

Dark-Draco ，

Found this a bit of a hard slog for the first section， not helped by the long chapters， but the pace picked up in the second and I found myself even more intrigued by the characters。 This is the story of Anna， the daughter of a famous writer， who struggles to make an identity and a life for herself。 It's a story where there is little action， but the characters go on a journey nontheless。 I have to say that I found Anna to be a bit annoying and too much of a wet blanket to be truly sympathetic to Found this a bit of a hard slog for the first section， not helped by the long chapters， but the pace picked up in the second and I found myself even more intrigued by the characters。 This is the story of Anna， the daughter of a famous writer， who struggles to make an identity and a life for herself。 It's a story where there is little action， but the characters go on a journey nontheless。 I have to say that I found Anna to be a bit annoying and too much of a wet blanket to be truly sympathetic to her plight。 I also didn't like the ending， even though it suited her perfectly。 A good read， but not that light。 Excellent for using up horrible winter nights。 。。。more

Gary ，

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。

Rebecca ，

lovely well paced gentle read

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Shadow of the Sun

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Shadow of the Sun&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Shadow of the Sun&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0