Michèle Roberts’ second novel offers a more tentative vision of a woman’s life than the novels which precede and succeed it. In many ways
The Visitationmay be read as a transitional text in Roberts’
oeuvre, problematizing the conclusions reached in her first novel,
A Piece of the Night[see entry], and introducing issues raised more explicitly in her later work. This novel follows a central protagonist, Helen Home, in her search for a balance between her relationships with men, her intimate friendships with women, and her desire to be a writer. The novel begins in the womb, where Helen and her twin brother, Felix, are represented as Eve and Adam about to be expelled from Eden. This originary scene is recalled at the end of the novel, where the womb is again represented as a…
1989 words
Citation: White, Rosemary. "The Visitation". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 09 January 2004 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=10196, accessed 27 November 2024.]
