This is a long and beautiful book. Byatt's language is like old-time quality use of the English language. She writes in both 18th and 21st Century English in this novel as she goes back and forth between the two sets of characters. The language is often poetic. The plot is always intriguing. I would not recommend this work for those looking for a light read. This inovel takes effort but like all good literature, it is worth it. I don't think that there are many writers to equal Byatt. This book earned the Man Booker prize and it deserved it though like many Man Booker winners, the book is not easy - give it a try if you want quality and plot!