So, Margaret Drabble is a name most readers in the English-speaking world are probably vaguely familiar with. More are likely to know her more famous sister, A. S. Byatt.
Odd the way literary fame works, because it seems to me that it is Drabble, not Byatt, who would appeal to the far wider range of readers. Byatt's books, of course, will always appeal to a small set of readers (though they are pitched to the larger reading public), but I think the greater warmth, the wit, the erudition worn more lightly, the better characterization and plotting, and the sheer readability of her sister Margaret's books (from the earliest, such as The Millstone, to about The Witch of Exmoor) make her the superior novelist.
Drabble grows older with her books, by which I mean that her early books, such as the short and excellent The Millstone, are narrated by a young woman, whereas later books, such as the long and very satisfying The Radiant Way, revolve around people in early middle age. Drabble excels in depicting parties and social gatherings of all sorts; also excellent are her portrayals of the connections her characters sometimes make with each other, despite the largely indifferent world around them.
A month ago or so there was a feature on Drabble in the Sunday magazine of the New York Times. The article, though clearly written by a fan of Drabble's work, made her seem too much like a writer who would appeal only to women. I think she is one of the rare women whose books may be as appealing to men as they are to women. In short, Drabble isn't, as some readers might think, just some boring old English lady to be dismissed (though I have been disappointed by her most recent novels) in favor of something newer or shinier or more exotic.
Odd the way literary fame works, because it seems to me that it is Drabble, not Byatt, who would appeal to the far wider range of readers. Byatt's books, of course, will always appeal to a small set of readers (though they are pitched to the larger reading public), but I think the greater warmth, the wit, the erudition worn more lightly, the better characterization and plotting, and the sheer readability of her sister Margaret's books (from the earliest, such as The Millstone, to about The Witch of Exmoor) make her the superior novelist.
Drabble grows older with her books, by which I mean that her early books, such as the short and excellent The Millstone, are narrated by a young woman, whereas later books, such as the long and very satisfying The Radiant Way, revolve around people in early middle age. Drabble excels in depicting parties and social gatherings of all sorts; also excellent are her portrayals of the connections her characters sometimes make with each other, despite the largely indifferent world around them.
A month ago or so there was a feature on Drabble in the Sunday magazine of the New York Times. The article, though clearly written by a fan of Drabble's work, made her seem too much like a writer who would appeal only to women. I think she is one of the rare women whose books may be as appealing to men as they are to women. In short, Drabble isn't, as some readers might think, just some boring old English lady to be dismissed (though I have been disappointed by her most recent novels) in favor of something newer or shinier or more exotic.
