The Childrens Book

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Product Reviews

(5 stars) - Possession Redux
Temporally, at least, The Children's Book is a sequel to Possession, picking up in the 1880s. It has a couple of A. S. Byatt's newly-minted Edwardian fairy stories as well as Great War poetry. It has puppets and a learned discussion of the craft of puppetry. And there are pots. Lots and lots of pots. Big pots with red, licking flames under ice-green seas and pots shaped to accommodate the lascivious poses of naked nymphs. There is the contraction and expansion of time and Marcel Proust's madeleine. Oh, and the howl, howl, howl of King Lear bearing the dead body of Cordelia. There's a treehouse and Peter Pan with Tom Underground and his lost shadow. And a naked procession of youths along with a fancy dress re-enactment in Todefright House of Midsummer's Night's Dream. There's a messing about with boats, too. In other words, this book is a feast--and should be gobbled down with both fists and a gallon of serviceable port.

(3 stars) - Uh, no, not for me
This book reminds me of how I think it must have been on a big sailing ship of the time. When the ship cast off, there would have been a huge amount of activity. The captain was at his wheel, sailors up in the rigging, and people casting off the ropes.

Then you look over the side and discover you are only a few feet from the quay. There has been massive activity, but little to show for it. And that's how this book is. A. S. Byatt is a great and well-known writer, and it's a tribute to her that you never notice how complicated each scene is as you read. But when you rest and think of what you'll put into a review, these thoughts come to mind.

If you've read Byatt's work before, you might well be happy. But it's not the best introduction to her style. A friend of mine describes Byatt's 1990 novel Possession as "marvelous," and re-reads it every year. Perhaps a better place to start?

(5 stars) - Finding family
I didn't want to finish this long but engrossing book because I felt I would miss the sense of family it created. I was caught up in the stories of these characters, tho in a somewhat detached way. I didn't grieve especially for those who met sad endings. Throughout the book, though, I never thought about stopping. I enjoyed following the mostly leisurely spinning of their many stories. Parts of this novel such as the fairytales one of the characters creates enchanted me. It's a densely layered novel with many pages devoted to the political, cultural, literary and feminist struggles of the day. (I knew our country's struggles for women's sovereignty were extreme, but I had no idea British women were blowing up homes.) This book wove quite a spell for me. I highly recommend it, though it's not a book for readers who favor strong plot. This is a very character-driven and idea-driven novel, a feast for readers who enjoy those qualities.

(5 stars) - Byatt is Amazing!
I can think of one word to describe this book.... epic. This is an epic story. The story of WWI children spans Europe from France to Germany to England. There are many different narratives in the story so you get to see the story from many different viewpoints. I have read some reviews that found this distracting, but I enjoyed it. The plot was easy to follow and although the book is huge, it was a relatively quick read. I would recommend it to anyone who loves a great historical fiction novel. The ending was heartbreaking but the story was amazing!

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