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jennyyates 's review for:
The Children of Men
by P.D. James
P. D. James’ prose is fine, sharp, and careful, in this exciting dystopian novel. It was first published in 1992, and is set in the year 2021, in England. There's a dictatorship, with Xan Lyppiatt, the Warden of England, having absolute power, and the narrator, Theo, is his cousin.
In this world, no children have been born for 25 years, and so the human race is inexorably dying out. The Warden has instituted a number of draconian measures to insure peace and safety in England, despite the growing universal sense that life no longer has meaning.
Theo is a history professor in his 50s, living a quiet life in Oxford, teaching mostly older people. He is approached by Julian, a former student, and meets reluctantly with a revolutionary group, the Five Fishes, a vaguely religious bunch who is seeking to redress some of the social injustices in England and to restore democracy. Theo is cynical and can’t believe that they have any hope of wresting power from Xan.
But he is drawn to Julian, and against his own better judgment, he becomes immersed in the group. After one of their members is arrested for sabotage, they are on the run, and he joins them. And then he finds out something that stuns him: Julian is pregnant.
Although the writing continues to be elegant and measured, the novel begins to move more quickly. The main complaint I have is that Theo sheds his cynicism too quickly. In general, though, the plot is masterful, and the ending excellent. It’s definitely worth reading.
In this world, no children have been born for 25 years, and so the human race is inexorably dying out. The Warden has instituted a number of draconian measures to insure peace and safety in England, despite the growing universal sense that life no longer has meaning.
Theo is a history professor in his 50s, living a quiet life in Oxford, teaching mostly older people. He is approached by Julian, a former student, and meets reluctantly with a revolutionary group, the Five Fishes, a vaguely religious bunch who is seeking to redress some of the social injustices in England and to restore democracy. Theo is cynical and can’t believe that they have any hope of wresting power from Xan.
But he is drawn to Julian, and against his own better judgment, he becomes immersed in the group. After one of their members is arrested for sabotage, they are on the run, and he joins them. And then he finds out something that stuns him: Julian is pregnant.
Although the writing continues to be elegant and measured, the novel begins to move more quickly. The main complaint I have is that Theo sheds his cynicism too quickly. In general, though, the plot is masterful, and the ending excellent. It’s definitely worth reading.