I wavered on this rating for a bit, but honestly, when it comes down to it, this is a magnificent piece of fiction - or rather, fictions. Is it a little pretentious? Sure. Self-congratulatory, even? Maybe. Could some of the fat be trimmed away? Definitely. But it's such a carefully crafted and layered story, and all that Victorian heartbreak can really be fun sometimes. The audiobook narration was also excellent. Byatt's ability to give clear and distinct voices to each character, both current and past, is remarkable. The writing is non-stop beautiful and endlessly impressive.