Cozzens's primary technique here and in most of his fiction is his own brand of realism, a realism which is marked by the extreme compression of time. By Love Possessed is, by anyone's standards, a long book, yet it covers a period of only forty-nine hours. The events that take place within that time are, necessarily, told in great detail.

This method has the effect of demonstrating the complexity of life as Cozzens perceives it and of heightening the sense of realism, giving the story greater credibility. The method also keeps the story moving, for even though little time elapses, so much happens that there is little chance of becoming bored. Amazingly, although Cozzens fills in the past through conversation and introspection, he does not use flashbacks. He manages to compress events into a very small period and to stay, chronologically, within that period. There are no tricks...