The Children’s Book
Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize
A spellbinding novel, at once sweeping and intimate, from the Booker Prize–winning author of Possession, that spans the Victorian era through the World War I years, and centers around a famous children’s book author and the passions, betrayals, and secrets that tear apart the people she loves.
When Olive Wellwood’s oldest son discovers a runaway named Philip sketching in the basement of the new Victoria and Albert Museum—a talented working-class boy who could be a character out of one of Olive’s magical tales—she takes him into the storybook world of her family and friends.
But the joyful bacchanals Olive hos… More >>
- ISBN13: 9780307272096
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
$13.49
4.0
The Children’s Book
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Comments
I have just finished The Children’s Book, and I am incredibly unbelievably sad that it is over. This is a truly epic masterpiece. The characters are broken–flawed. Art, music, and history are expertly woven into the fabric of the story. The families are connected and large. The intertwining stories are complex. Byatt resists the temptation to wrap every story up in a neat happy package, and instead gives us a more real version, where some of the stories end horribly, and others end well (and some don’t really end at all).
The book itself is giant and intimidating–over 600 pages, but you will find yourself drawn in and enveloped in the story. I managed to stretch the reading out over several weeks, so I could slowly savor the richness of the story. It is so so so so so good. I’m looking forward to a re-read next summer.
Rating: 5 / 5
Temporally, at least, The Children’s Book is a sequel to Possession, picking up in the 1880s. It has a couple of A. S. Byatt’s newly-minted Edwardian fairy stories as well as Great War poetry. It has puppets and a learned discussion of the craft of puppetry. And there are pots. Lots and lots of pots. Big pots with red, licking flames under ice-green seas and pots shaped to accommodate the lascivious poses of naked nymphs. There is the contraction and expansion of time and Marcel Proust’s madeleine. Oh, and the howl, howl, howl of King Lear bearing the dead body of Cordelia. There’s a treehouse and Peter Pan with Tom Underground and his lost shadow. And a naked procession of youths along with a fancy dress re-enactment in Todefright House of Midsummer’s Night’s Dream. There’s a messing about with boats, too. In other words, this book is a feast–and should be gobbled down with both fists and a gallon of serviceable port.
Rating: 5 / 5
I can think of one word to describe this book…. epic. This is an epic story. The story of WWI children spans Europe from France to Germany to England. There are many different narratives in the story so you get to see the story from many different viewpoints. I have read some reviews that found this distracting, but I enjoyed it. The plot was easy to follow and although the book is huge, it was a relatively quick read. I would recommend it to anyone who loves a great historical fiction novel. The ending was heartbreaking but the story was amazing!
Rating: 5 / 5
Beautifully written historical novel. Does a wonderful job of evoking the place, time, and culture of English, late 19th century, middle class (and their relationships with the other classes.) All the various intellectual and artistic “characters” that were present in that time and present and nicely intertwined in this novel.
Though story-wise, it is a little slow to start off, it’s worth sticking with and I believe that the time taken to set up the characters and the atmosphere are worth it. Honestly, they are worth the read by themselves.
Really enjoyable and another book I’d highly recommend for a book club.
Rating: 4 / 5
Tedious, derivative and shallow. Too many characters, all too similar and ultimately uninteresting. The novel has no centre, no heart. If the author has researched something (eg early 20th century German puppetry or how to glaze a pot), the reader is going to know all about it. We are mislead by pointless red herrings (regarding the parentage of one character). It’s obvious which other “mystery” about parentage will be left unanswered and which character will be left alive in case of a sequel.
Rating: 2 / 5