Details Of Books The Children's Book
| Title | : | The Children's Book |
| Author | : | A.S. Byatt |
| Book Format | : | Hardcover |
| Book Edition | : | Special Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 675 pages |
| Published | : | October 6th 2009 by Knopf (first published April 21st 2009) |
| Categories | : | Fiction. Historical. Historical Fiction. Literary Fiction |
A.S. Byatt
Hardcover | Pages: 675 pages Rating: 3.67 | 14396 Users | 2236 Reviews
Narration In Favor Of Books The Children's Book
Shortlisted for the Man Booker PrizeA 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 hosts at her rambling country house—and the separate, private books she writes for each of her seven children—conceal more treachery and darkness than Philip has ever imagined. As these lives—of adults and children alike—unfold, lies are revealed, hearts are broken, and the damaging truth about the Wellwoods slowly emerges. But their personal struggles, their hidden desires, will soon be eclipsed by far greater forces, as the tides turn across Europe and a golden era comes to an end.
Taking us from the cliff-lined shores of England to Paris, Munich, and the trenches of the Somme, The Children’s Book is a deeply affecting story of a singular family, played out against the great, rippling tides of the day. It is a masterly literary achievement by one of our most essential writers.
Be Specific About Books Supposing The Children's Book
| Original Title: | The Children's Book |
| ISBN: | 0307272095 (ISBN13: 9780307272096) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Characters: | Olive Wellwood, Tom Wellwood, Dorothy Wellwood, Julian Cain, Humphrey Wellwood, Philip Warren, Elsie Warren, Prosper Cain, Benedict Fludd, Florence Cain, Pomona Fludd, Imogen Fludd, Griselda Wellwood, Charles Wellwood, Hedda Wellwood, Phyllis Wellwood, Violet Grimwith, Florian Wellwood, Robin Wellwood, Henry Wellwood, Basil Wellwood, Katharina Wellwood, Seraphita Fludd, Marian Oakeshott, Robin Oakeshott, Anselm Stern, Toby Youlgreave, Herbert Methley, Augustus Steyning |
| Setting: | England |
| Literary Awards: | Booker Prize Nominee (2009), James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction (2009), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Fiction (2009) |
Rating Of Books The Children's Book
Ratings: 3.67 From 14396 Users | 2236 ReviewsComment On Of Books The Children's Book
Reading The Children's Book for the second time has solidified its place as one of my all-time favorite books. Historical fiction when written well is one of my favorite genres. Here Byatt has used her characters, settings and action to bring history--in all its parts--to life, supplementing with occasional narratives on history and the arts. We readers encounter the family, the arts in many forms, philosophy and religion, politics, education, women's rights and gender politics, everything itUnlike her earlier novel, Possession, which I loved, I found myself in an adversarial position with the author as I read. There is just too much. Of everything. Too many characters, too much historical exposition, too much digression to indulge the author's habit of inserting story-stopping pieces of one character's writing inside the actual story. This historical fiction novel covers the years 1895 to 1919 in Europe and Germany. At first you follow the story of a young boy as he is rescued from
Really 4.75 stars, but thats only because its by the author of Possession. Without that perfect Possession, Im sure I would feel this is a full-on 5.*Its a novel rich with rewards for Byatt fans, including all that Byatt loves and that for which we love her. Immediately upon starting the second chapter, I was plunged into her The Virgin in the Garden. It was partly the prose, but also the characterization of the children of another brilliant, eccentric family that lives in the 'country'. As does
I savored this novel every evening for the 2 months or so that I chipped away at its formidable length. A.S. Byatt has written a whopping, inimitable masterpiece of a heavy handed Victorian England succumbing to the blithe, jaunty Edwardian era which in turn gives way to the disillusionment and terror of trench warfare and World War I. Byatt, so unapologetically erudite, gives us a labyrinthine novel that is both devastating and whimsical. It's full of complexity and contradictions, stories
I was lucky enough to be in Toronto and so was able to pick this up before its U.S. release (apparently we don't deserve it until the fall).I thought it would be a second Possession, but it's not, which is good. In some ways, Byatt's style in this book seems closer to the style of her sister, Drabble, a hands off approach which makes it a little harder (or takes longer) to come to terms or grips with characters. There are even some characters we never come to grips with (interesting considering
Three days after finishing the audiobook version of this novel, Im still partly in the detailed and intricate world Byatt created. I didnt want the book to end and I miss the characters. A saga about the lives of its inter-related characters between 1895 and 1919, the novel concerns itself with the history of England and to a lesser extent Germany during that period. It deals with subjects including Fabian socialism, the Arts and Crafts movement, neo-paganism, the anarchist movement, education,
(Including some status updates material in this - ) Not even at the halfway point yet, but I am so baffled and dismayed. I love Byatt (loved Possession like everyone else, but I schooled myself to love the Frederica Potter quartet and other novels too), this book is all about topics I love, and so it totally should be my jam, as the kids say, and....instead it's like the dire moment in Little Women when Meg wails about how the jelly won't jell. I think the biggest problem is the characters -
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