The Tennyson of nature being “red in tooth in claw” in “Morpho Eugenia” becomes in “The Conjugial Angel” a core presence for bravely holding to the immortal qualities of love, beauty, and the soul. The Conjugial Angel”, meanwhile, is the story of a group of spiritualists at a séance and the relationship between Emily Jesse, née Tennyson, and her dead fiancé, Arthur Hallam, who was immortalised through her brother Alfred’s poem “In Memoriam”. I found much of this story confusing - it took me most of the book to figure out who was who, and there were lengthy poems quoted in the story, some of them spoken out loud by the characters, others remembered by characters, all printed in full. While any overt connections between angels and insects might seem tentative or suspicious, they are herein linked on sonic as well as philosophical levels. Angels and Insects is at once quirky and deep, and it brims with Byatt's generosity, imagination, and intelligence.

Slowly, cautiously, like a potential victim testing a possible web, Adamson positions himself closer to Eugenia, and eventually asks for her hand in marriage. He spends much of his time with the Alabaster children and Matty, observing an ant colony in the forest, with a view to writing a book.And, though set in roughly the same time, it is much less scientifc -- and more spiritual, or at least concerned with spiritualism (and, yes, quite a few spirits float around here). She was appointed CBE in 1990 and DBE in 1999, and was awarded the Erasmus Prize 2016 for her ‘inspiring contribution to life writing’ and the Pak Kyongni Prize 2017.

The strong characters in these tales are the women; the men are mostly weak, led (though amiable), absent, opinionated or villainous. There, he assumes the heinous task of tattooing incoming Jewish prisoners with the dehumanizing numbers their SS captors use to identify them. Although Sir Harold grants his approval, Eugenia's snobbish and spoilt brother Edgar ( Douglas Henshall) dislikes William's humble origins.

I do not want to go into the details of “The Conjugial Angel” – it has an even weaker plot than “Morpho Eugenia”, and the themes do not come together quite so well. William does not do anything in the novella, and his thoughts ultimately remain more or less under control. Authors regularly use real figures in their stories – after all, it is part of the appeal of historical fiction. Critical reception was very strong, with the performances and production values being particularly praised.

The writing is merely serviceable, and one can’t help but wish the author had found a way to present her material as nonfiction. Better to marry than burn,’ said Mrs Papagay reflectively, quoting the gloomy admonition of the misogynist St. Nature, in these times, is still something of a mystery, and while there are glimpses of its brute truth these aren't always clearly observed or understood.The force of a strong character can sustain a novella-length work, but rarely manages to sustain something longer.