A review by sdoncolo
The Children of Men by P.D. James

4.0

This book has an interesting structure that begins with Theo Faron’s diary entries in a dystopian England just in the future and then moves into a third-person narration. The narrative brings in surprising twists at various intervals, along with some aspects of culture in the infertile world where the characters live. Some of these, like the Painted Faces, aren’t explained, but are thrust upon the reader suddenly, in seemingly senseless episodes that contribute to the book’s overall sense of dislocation—yet James still tells a story that hangs together and winds up being more about characters than events. The one spot where I was really unsatisfied with the lack of explanation was that Theo had been fertile—his young child was dead—yet I don’t think this fact is referenced later at all, unless I missed something (I read much of the book on airplanes).

I haven’t seen the movie, but it seems it’s quite different from the book ... another intriguing concept.