When Jerome came up with this choice, I don’t think that any of us were really looking forward to it. But as Craig pointed out it was by Ian McEwan, so it couldn’t be half bad. How right he was. Even without the recent heartbreaking disappearance of Madeleine McCann, the opening chapters dealing with the kidnap of a three year old girl from a supermarket queue, was going to be harrowing. As the full impact of this event unfolds McEwan proves yet again his mastery of language, plot, and psychological tension. The ending is completely unpredictable, yet wholly believable, and comes as a kind of balm for parents and reader alike. [Tom]
This is right up there with his finest work. It may even be the best. The language, plotting, faultless understanding, and expression of the way in which the mind copes with loss, is classic McEwan. The idea of plunging the protagonist – an author of books for children - into membership of a sub-Committee of the Official Commission on Childcare which is compiling The Authorised Childcare Handbook – at the very time that he is grieving the disappearance of his daughter, is a remarkable device that could so easily have misfired, yet here works perfectly. [Craig]
I had the market flooded recently by so many books about abused childhood and children disappearing, that I thought this would be just another one. How wrong I was. For a start, it’s written in the third person. Secondly, it’s more about the impact of that disappearance than the search or the child herself. Thirdly, it operates on another plane altogether. Even though you’re observing the protagonist (thank you for that Craig) from above, McEwan still manages to get you to engage emotionally. [Jamie]
This was my choice, because I really enjoyed Saturday and
Sorry guys. I found this heavy going. Probably because I was expecting it be a normal thriller. I still don’t know who did it, or why. Bit wordy too. Must be me. [Nick]
Nick. It is you! Tom