Hahaha, yeah, I would anti-recommend The Sunless Sea to you, I think. Morgenstern's writing seems to live and die by its atmosphere, and while I dig its unrepentant commitment to that, I totally get why that wouldn't be someone's thing.

Good point about Byatt, too. I...appreciate the Victorian style, but for whatever reason I seem to enjoy it less than Morgenstern's. Given that both are entirely aesthetic choices, I doubt there's any rhyme or reason to it—just personal preference.