A. S. Byatt Speaks Her Mind

According to the Guardian UK online (8/20/10), the esteemed English novelist A. S. Byatt recently stated that women who write "smart, demanding novels are perceived by critics as strange and unnatural." As a feminist, I am aware of and alert to slights of, or mistreatment of, women, including women writers. However, as a reader of many book reviews and critical pieces, I don't really see this as a widespread issue any more, although it clearly was in the past. Perhaps in England, where Byatt lives, this is more true? Or perhaps she is sensitive because although her novel "Possession" was highly praised and is her best-known novel, her recent novel "The Children's Book" received mixed reviews? I personally liked "Possession," but abandoned "The Children's Book" after a few chapters. I am of course willing to admit that Byatt knows more about this than I do, both from her own experience and from being a part of the literary world, but I can't decide whether she is right about this topic, or whether it is her own issue, so to speak.