From the Bookshelf of Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge…

The Children Act

Ian McEwan

Start date: January 9, 2015

Discussion: Task Ideas/Resources/Discussions

Why we're reading this: The author is 66 years old, that's my pick for Task 3.…more
[close] The author is 66 years old, that's my pick for Task 3.

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By Book Riot · 1 post · 5295 views

last updated Dec 16, 2014 09:22AM

Free copy of Proximity Factor this July, no reviews required. Just enjoy.
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last updated Jul 18, 2024 06:08AM

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Aug 25, 2014 Kaitlin rated it really liked it

Shelves: bookclub, fiction, british, female-protagonist

This book was beautifully written. Ian McEwan's command of the English language is so beautiful and precise, this book really showcased that and reminded me how beautiful language can be.

We hear the story of a Judge in England's life--her marriage is crumbling and she's adjudicating tricky cases at the same time. She's widely respected and she believes in her ability to make fair decisions. All in all, I sympathized with Fiona. Her husband seems a bit like a loser going through a mid life crisis This book was beautifully written. Ian McEwan's command of the English language is so beautiful and precise, this book really showcased that and reminded me how beautiful language can be.

We hear the story of a Judge in England's life--her marriage is crumbling and she's adjudicating tricky cases at the same time. She's widely respected and she believes in her ability to make fair decisions. All in all, I sympathized with Fiona. Her husband seems a bit like a loser going through a mid life crisis who needs a kick in the butt. She doesn't have children, yet is a family court judge and deals with family issues all day. It seems like she wanted kids but never made it a priority, and now it's too late, which is sad and understandable and a little lonely. McEwan somehow paints this portrait despite how Fiona portrays herself, since we hear this story from her point of view.

This story felt like a short story. It was a short book, but the story arc felt small, it felt kind of short story-esque. Something about the structure, the quiet story telling, the portrayal of a moment in someone's life seemed like a short story, which was interesting. It was successful and made me want to explore why it felt so much like a short story.

(view spoiler)[McEwan always seems to have a moral or ethical issue at the center of his stories and takes the time to reflect on big issues. Here he looks at several:
1. Maybe it's my American understanding of the law, but I couldn't believe Fiona ruled against the parents and child. The entire time I was like, well, this is really sad, but obviously she has to rule in favor of the parents, and then SHE DOESN'T. And she feels totally justified. This distanced me as a reader from her slightly, but I was still invested in her character thoroughly.
2. When you make a decision like that, about someone's religious freedom, can you just make that decision and abandon them? Aren't there obligations and ramifications?
3. When the kid mails you letters, admits to semi stalking you, and then shows up where you are, what are you morally obligated to do? I would like to think Fiona should have let the case worker know at the very least, and potentially called his parents to discuss. It seems like she handled the situation in the opposite way she should have.
4. What makes a relationship meaningful? Fiona's relationship with her husband obviously isn't working, the relationship that seems to be working the best is with her clerk, which is again very sad. Her most important relationship is with her work. I just have so much sadness for Fiona--despite her love of law and music, her life feels very unfulfilled.

I was completely surprised by the ending. With just a few pages left I didn't realize what was coming and wasn't sure how it was going to be left. How did Fiona realize that the boy died? Was it the song she remembered singing with him? How did that spark her imagination? It was so very sad. She went home to her lonely life, cried, and turned back to her inadequate and uninspiring husband. Ugh. I was sad for both Fiona and the 18 yo who died from Leukemia. Ian McEwan got me to think, yet again, with his sneaky plot and quietly sad main character. He's always a worthwhile read.
(hide spoiler)] ...more

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