Elementals: Stories of Fire and Ice

By A.S. Byatt

Book Overview

From the Booker Prize-winning author of Possession comes a short story collection that transports the reader to a world where opposites--passion and loneliness, betrayal and loyalty, fire and ice--clash and converge.

"A wonderful book--complex, amusing, clever, and thought-provoking--a reader's dream." --The Plain Dealer

A beautiful ice maiden risks her life when she falls in love with a desert prince, whose passionate touches scorch her delicate skin. A woman flees the scene of her husband's heart attack, leaving her entire past behind her. Striving to master color and line, a painter discovers the resolution to his artistic problems when a beautiful and magical water snake appears in his pool. And a wealthy Englishwoman gradually loses her identity while wandering through a shopping mall. Elegantly crafted and suffused with boundless wisdom, these bewitching tales are a testament to a writer at the height of her powers.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0375705759
• ISBN13: 9780375705755
• Release Date: July 2000
• Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.2" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

A.S. Byatt at her best

My favorite collection of short stories by Byatt. I keep wandering back to it and flipping through the pages, and then I end up reading the whole thing over again. "Cold" is fantastic. I've tried to explain it to people, and the plot sounds so cheesy, but you have to read it to understand its beauty. "A Lamia in the Cevennes" and "Crocodile Tears" were also favorites. One thing I love about her stories is that they can be so real, and have that one element that is just the opposite. A lot of great stories in here, with gorgeous descriptions.

Doesn't Disappoint

I have read several novels by A. S. Byatt, but this is the first book of her short stories that I have read and it did not disappoint. She is an intelligent, unique writer. You always get more than you bargained for when you open one of her books. I highly recommend this book.

Another amazing short story collection by A.S. Byatt!

I love A.S. Byatt's short-story collections. Elementals is another staggering offering from this talented writer. These adult fairy tales enthralled me from beginning to end. I love Byatt's use of magical realism. She takes you into a unique and literary reading experience. I also love the stories settings -- the ones set in France are especially great. My favorite stories are "Crocodile Tears," "A Lamia in the Cevennes," "Bag Lady," and "Jael." I liked all of the stories, but these were the most unforgettable ones for me. I look forward to reading more stuff by A.S. Byatt. She is truly one of the best writers of the moment.

Stories of extremes

Byatt's collection of sumptuous stories reminded me of Banana Yoshimoto, Emma Donoghue, and Jeanette Winterson. These tales seem like modern faerie tales without the classic imagery. Or rather, with the classic imagery shifted. In "Cold", an ice princess discovers true love in a desert land. In my favorite in the collection, "Christ in the House of Martha and Mary", a cook finds the meaning of art in life. These tales of extremes of emotions, temperatures, lives are full of joy and life, and make many a reader celebrate. This will certainly not be the last book by Byatt I'll read.

Fairy Tales for Grown Ups

A.S Byatt is one of the most talented writers producing today. Elementals is an engaging collection of fairy tale-ish stories that are a delight to read. Byatt has a wonderful way with the English language. Her writing is delicate and precise without being too precious. She has such incredible range not just within this collection, but in everything she has written. Her Possession: A Romance is one of my favorite novels, but it really isn't anything like Elementals. (Which is not to say that if you like one, you won't like the other) This is not a large volume, but a wonderful way to spend a few hours transported into other worlds by an extremely talented writer. Enjoy.