matt reviewed The Man Who Loved Children by Christina Stead
Review of 'The Man Who Loved Children' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
A strange little book. I'd never heard of it before Ella recommended it to me.
None of the characters are sympathetic, Sam Pollitt in particular is insufferable. His dialect talk to the kids starts as offputting, evolves to annoying, and ends up being frustrating.
There is a strange satisfaction to it, even though the ending of the book was so strange. Louie's actions towards Henny are right out of left field. Henny herself is the closest thing I get to sympathy, but she manages to remain difficult throughout.
Overall, it seems like an overlooked little gem of modernist literature.