This is a book that I got for free in exchange for some work (with it I also received about fourteen other books gratos. That was an awesome day). The former owner of this book had actually met A.S Byatt, and she had signed his copy, which is now mine.
I took this book cause I thought that the name was cool, and there was nothing written at the back of the book so the title really was all I had to go on. Meaning I was either going to be utterly disappointed or very pleased.
I ended up pretty pleased.
I didn't realise at first when I started reading that it was actually two novellas, but I caught on quick enough. The first novella is insects themed, and the second is angel themed.
In the first novella the main character is a man named William in the 19th century. He studies bugs, he loves them. He went to the amazon for ten years just to observe and learn about them. The novella is about how he comes back to England, falls in love, gets married and becomes quite unhappy because he is no longer able to follow his dreams. He feels trapped until he discovers a disturbing secret which sets him free again.
The second novella has many different characters and many different plots that are all connected to angels, that is to say the dead. All of the characters regularly meet up for a seance to try to speak to their departed loved ones. The novella is all about how the go about that, why they do it, and how they live and experience their grief.
Personally I preferred the second novella, I found it more interesting, whereas I though that the first one, while still good, was a little too slow, a little too long. It almost became boring at some points.
However they were both very interesting and I really would advise you to read them both.
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