The Child in Time
Ratings5
Average rating3.2
15
Ratings5
Average rating3.2
A child’s abduction sends a father reeling in this Whitbread Award-winning novel that explores time and loss with “narrative daring and imaginative genius” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review). Stephen Lewis, a successful author of children’s books, is on a routine trip to the supermarket with his three-year-old daughter. In a brief moment of distraction, she suddenly vanishes—and is irretrievably lost. From that moment, Lewis spirals into bereavement that effects his marriage, his psyche, and his relationship with time itself: “It was a wonder that there could be so much movement, so much purpose, all the time. He himself had none at all.” In The Child in Time, acclaimed author Ian McEwan “sets a story of domestic horror against a disorienting exploration in time” producing “a work of remarkable intellectual and political sophistication” that has been adapted into a PBS Masterpiece movie starring Benedict Cumberbatch (Kirkus Reviews, starred review). “A beautifully rendered, very disturbing novel.” —Publishers Weekly
Reviews with the most likes.
I enjoyed this a lot. I read it because I'd heard Kelly Macdonald interviewed on BBC6 Music and thought the story sounded intriguing. It was. I always try to read books before watching TV adaptations, so that's what I did.
I loved this story, and the writing style was right up my street too. It reminded me a little of a British John Irving, although it is the first Ian McEwan novel I've read whereas I've read a few of Irving's. It's a book I can see myself rereading and recommending.
This is the second book I've read recently that I was made aware of from the movie adaptation. Though this book is a rare case where I like the movie better, I still enjoyed the book immensely.
There are a few plot lines that make up the book. First and foremost is the disappearance of Stephen's daughter years prior. He's haunted by her memory, certain that one day he will find her. With this comes the separation from his wife, Julie, who has moved into seclusion to grieve in her own way. Stephen misses her and wants to reconcile though finds it a lost cause. Meanwhile, he carries on in his professional life the best he can. On this end, he must deal with the mental decline of his friend and publisher, Charles.
As the title suggests, the book ponders the perceptions of childhood and time and how those two things intermingle. Ian McEwan writes solely from Stephen's POV allowing a deeply introspective narrative. To a modern audience, the prose may border on cliche or is an outdated style. I personally enjoyed this, especially because Stephen is blunt in his selfishness and observations. Above else, I enjoyed the psychology behind the characters and the emphasis on how people experience grief in different ways — even between people with a shared trauma.
