The Virgin in the Garden is a 1978 realist novel by English novelist A. S. Byatt. Set during the same year as the coronation of Elizabeth II, the novel revolves around a play about Elizabeth I of England.[1] The novel features a strong use of symbolism, which The New York Times called "overloaded", that points towards Elizabeth I.[1] The novel is the first of a quartet featuring Frederica Potter, followed by Still Life (1985), Babel Tower (1996), and A Whistling Woman (2002).[2]
The book features numerous flower metaphors and Byatt described the character of Marcus as "a self-portrait: somebody baffled by things being far too much and not fittable into any of the languages you were offered".[3]
- ^ a b Dinnage, Rosemary (1 April 1979). "England in the 50s". New York Times Books.
- ^ Yeazell, Ruth Bernard (28 November 2002). "Overindulgence". London Review of Books. pp. 19–21. ISSN 0260-9592. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
- ^ Newman, Jenny; Friel, James (2003). "An interview with A. S. Byatt". Cercles. Retrieved 11 September 2010.