Reviews

Finishing McEwan's latest book (at the time of writing this review), Lessons, I decided to bookend it with one of McEwan's earlier novels, The Child in Time. Like Lessons, The Child in Time has autobiographical themes. But, unlike Lessons, it's not, for me, a 5/5. I didn't really see the relevance of the abduction of Stephen's child, Kate, other than (probably) a vehicle for the separation and reconciliation with his wife. And what was Charles doing pretending to be a child? Thankfully, this was later explained. That said, I just didn't 'get' the book.

sophie_99's review against another edition

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emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

dobbydoo22's review against another edition

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4.0

I don't think I would rate this as my favorite of McEwan's work--the plot is a bit slow--but I thought that it did have some of the most moving characters. Worth a read.

lehall's review against another edition

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emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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