The Children Act is a novel by the English writer Ian McEwan. It was published on 2 September 2014. The title is a reference to the Children Act 1989, a UK Act of Parliament. The book has been compared to Charles Dickens' Bleak House, with its similar settings, and opening lines.
The short version: I loved it. This is an elegant, moving book.
The blurb on the back is misleading, don't read it. :)
For a more in-depth discussion (with spoilers!), check out my blog post about it: outsideofacat.wordpress.com/2021/10/29/the-children-act-ian-mcewan/
The Children Act is a book of two parts. I found the medical and family law parts fascinating; how far can the law go in intervening in someone’s life? When does a child have the right to decide what happens to them and so they have the right to let themselves die?
It’s sadly let down by the domestic side. We have this amazingly successful woman, who starts to wonder if she’s failed as a woman because she never had children. Reading that made me so angry. I think she had definitely won at being a woman.
The opening scene sees her husband request an open marriage, or at least permission to have an affair. It’s been seven weeks since they last had sex so that seems to justify it for him. On one hand, I can see it’s frustrating for him that she’s not been herself, more withdrawn from …
The Children Act is a book of two parts. I found the medical and family law parts fascinating; how far can the law go in intervening in someone’s life? When does a child have the right to decide what happens to them and so they have the right to let themselves die?
It’s sadly let down by the domestic side. We have this amazingly successful woman, who starts to wonder if she’s failed as a woman because she never had children. Reading that made me so angry. I think she had definitely won at being a woman.
The opening scene sees her husband request an open marriage, or at least permission to have an affair. It’s been seven weeks since they last had sex so that seems to justify it for him. On one hand, I can see it’s frustrating for him that she’s not been herself, more withdrawn from usual, and she won’t talk about it, but the way he behaves was a bit of a leap. He asks to talk about what’s troubling her after asking for the affair. Fiona has been struggling with some of the decisions she’s made and I can only imagine the dampening affect her job would have on her sex life.
Where the story goes in relation to Fiona and Adam a little uncomfortable. Perhaps Fiona was supposed to be having a midlife crisis as well as her husband, but it seemed irresponsible for someone of such high standing. A judge is nothing without their good judgement after all.
