Stephen's review
The Child in Time
by Ian McEwan
Stephen's review
The Child in Time by Ian McEwan
Stephen's review
rating:
bookshelves:
book-club,
contemporary-lit
This was my second Ian McEwan novel, this first being Atonement. I can't say I enjoyed this nearly as much as that novel. Ironically, the first thing I noticed about this novel is the thing I enjoyed most about it. McEwan's writing is fluid and enjoyable. He has a way with words that is both simple and insightful. Perhaps the thing he does best is illuminate the simple actions that we all do (putting our hands in our pockets and pulling them right back out when we find ourselves in awkward conversations, etc.) in a way that most novelists fail to grasp. The second thing I noticed, though, was that the story was something I could either leave or take without concern. It wasn't bad, but it was good (certainly not great) either. In fact, at times it simply became bizarre and I wondered (frequently) what I should be getting out of it. The biggest issue I had with the novel, though, was the portrayal of the female characters (Julie and Thelma). They are simply far too passi...more
