198. The Child in Time

Rating:  ☆☆1/2

Recommended by:

Author:   Ian McEwan

Genre:  Fiction

263 pages, published November 2, 1999

Reading Format:  E-Book

 

Summary

Stephen Lewis, a successful writer of children’s books, must deal with the unthinkable when his only child, three-year-old Kate, is snatched from him in a supermarket. The tragedy breaks up his marriage to Julie and leaves Stephen bereft.  Stephen and Julie struggle to deal with their horrific loss and grasp at an opportunity to continue to live.

 

Quotes 

“For children, childhood is timeless. It is always the present. Everything is in the present tense. Of course, they have memories. Of course, time shifts a little for them and Christmas comes round in the end. But they don’t feel it. Today is what they feel, and when they say ‘When I grow up,’ there is always an edge of disbelief—how could they ever be other than what they are?”

 

“It was not always the case that a large minority comprising the weakest members of society wore special clothes, were freed from the routines of work and of many constraints on their behaviour and were able to devote much of their time to play. It should be remembered that childhood is not a natural occurrence. There was a time when children were treated like small adults. Childhood is an invention, a social construct, made possible by society as it increased in sophistication and resource.”

 

“Only when you are grown up, perhaps only when you have children yourself, do you fully understand that your own parents had a full and intricate existence before you were born.”

 

“…children are at heart selfish, and reasonably so, for they are programmed for survival.”

 

My Take

While I am a big fan of Ian McEwan (having enjoyed Atonement, The Children Act, Saturday, Amsterdam, Nutshell and Sweet Tooth), I am not a big fan of The Child in Time.  This book took me longer to finish than any other book that I have read during my quest.  I found it to be a slog and only finished it because I wanted the reading credit.  While there are many others who love this book, I suggest you try Atonement, Saturday or Nutshell for some great McEwan reading.