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The Child in Time

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About this listen

 The Child in Time opens with a harrowing event. Stephen Lewis,a successful author of children's books, takes his three-year-old daughter on a routine Saturday morning trip to the supermarket. While waiting in line, his attention is distracted and his daughter is kidnapped. Just like that. From there, Lewis spirals into bereavement that has effects on his relationship with his wife, his psyche and time itself. Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction World Literature

Critic reviews

Spooky...a wonderful novel
The Child in Time is an extraordinary achievement
It is marvellously written, moving, serious, readable... If you want to be appalled, refreshed, exhilarated, enlivened - read it
His masterpiece (Christopher Hitchens)
Artistically, morally, and politically, he excels
His best work to date
This book describes the panic of losing a child… The engulfing destructive pain is brilliantly explored (Alison Steadman)
The Child in Time is a dense, atmospheric book as much concerned with philosophical debate as with plot.
The Child in Time is an extraordinary achievement in which form and content, theory and practice, are so expertly and inseparably interwoven that the novel becomes an advertisement for, or proof of, its own thesis. (Sheila Macleod)
All stars
Most relevant
It took me a while to get into this book but once I was I was hooked. Unusual story line with many insightful narrative on the issue of 'Time' which i personally find has sparked my own philosophical interest in the notion of time. Highly recommended.

Interesting story

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Fascinating poignant and moving book. At times it's drifting narrative is dull but the final chapter makes it worth every word. It's one of the most moving final chapters i can recall.

Intense, moving and mcewan at his best.

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I don’t think I would have enjoyed reading this book as the superb description of moments, feelings and memories would have lacked the insight and reality that the reader brought alive. It was beautifully written and I am so glad that you had it available on audible.

Perfect for audio

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This is a very strange read. I did listen to the end to see if things would clear up. But the author seems to have read about modern theories of the nature of time and just had to share that knowledge with the reader. It comes across as an quasi-intellectual book, with views on politics and education that are at opposites with each other. The ‘breakdown’ of the protagonist’s mentor is absolutely ludicrous. Is this some attempt to portray Thatcherism? When does ‘the present’ take place? Out of time? As I said—confusing.

Confusing

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While searching for this book, I accidentally brought "Children of Time", which as it turned out I enjoyed much more. this was a rather timid affair. While the characters are interesting, they don't actually do very much. but such is life... Nicely read though.

Like poetry on a dull day

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