'...opens with a harrowing event. Stephen Lewis, a successful author of children's books, takes his three-year-old daughter on a routine Saturday morning trip to the supermarket. While waiting in line, his attention is distracted and his daughter is kidnapped. Just like that. From there, Lewis spirals into bereavement that has effects on his relationship with his wife, his psyche and time itself.'

I haven't enjoyed every Ian McEwan that I've read, but feel that this one was, by far, my favourite. The ending is just perfect!

A '1001...' book going travelling.

Hawkette - Aus
lakelady2282 - Aus

arugh48187 - India

NICNIC2 - UK
Tubereader - UK

sintra - Ger

perryfran - US

Kasoswife - Can (to be skipped until information about other stalled rays is received)



No special rules or conditions - just manners!

Off to Hawkette in Victoria in tomorrow's mail. Enjoy. X

Arrived on my doorstep this morning, which I spotted as I was waiting out the rain! Looking forward to this and a dip into McEwan after Atonement.

Gripping start, mingled in with attendance at meetings for a committee...interesting tangle of the story. But the supermarket scene pulls you in, and insists you hang in when this poor man sits through meeting after meeting!

To me it seems a collection of random events for a bit, and then all pulled together in a strange and sad way.

Will be sending off to the next reader shortly!

Waiting for me when I got home from overseas. Thanks Cat. Will read soon.

Thank God for the rain on Wednesday night. Forced to stay in a motel with nothing to do but read this wonderful novel. I loved the scene at The Bell, the moment caught in time and also the discussion about time itself. Read the last fifty pages in a rush and I don't often do that. Will pm arugh48187 for their address to post on.

RELEASE NOTES:

I have included a bookmark from Santorini for the ring.

This one popped in for a brief stay in India. I have a few bookrings in front of it, but I am a quick reader and it shouldn't tarry too long. You can keep track of it's progress via my bookshelf.

This is my second McEwan, and I have to say that as an author I don't particularly care for him. The other one I have read, Atonement, had exactly the same style and flavor as this one. I guess I just don't get it. There were so many things in The Child in Time that added nothing to the story. What was the point of Darke and all the meetings? Is there some significant meaning and I am just not sophisticated enough to get it?

The description of the kidnapping was horrific. It is one of my greatest fears; to have my son gone. To even contemplate the idea of it will instantly inspire tears. I try very hard to not even think about thinking it. The scenario in the grocery store merely reinforced my opinion that you should never take your eyes off of your children, not even for a second. Achieving a balance between over-protectiveness and letting them develop their independence is such a fine line.

Anyway, I too thought the ending was absolutely perfect. Thanks for sharing. I will be passing it along to the next reader soon.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Sent off to NICNIC2 who is next on the list. Happy reading!

Arrived today and has been added to my little pile of bookrays. I am reading another oof cat207's rays just now will get to this one after that :)

I really enjoyed reading this. I have found that Ian McEwan is one of those authors whose work i either love or can't read. This was a really compelling read. I thought the main crux of the novelwould be Kates abduction but this pivotal event is relayed in a very concise matter-of-fact way. Instead the book focuses on Steven's progression through grief, showing the unfolding of his early and present life. Rather than avoid anythign related to children he deliberaty attends a commitee on childcare so that he can daydream in a structured way about Kate and his wife. These daydreams are indulgences that begin to cuase Steven to have strange moments out of time - and time becomes a tangiable presence in the novel. I was afraid that the lovely ending would be one of these imaginary episodes but I think it as real after all. very enjoyable, moving and sad.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Finally on its way to tubereader today :) Hope you like it, I really enjoyed this one.

The book arrived safely and is now on my (growing again) TBR pile. I will update the JE when I pick up this book to read it.

Thanks as always to cat207 for sharing and to NICNIC2 for sending it to me!

7TH DEC UPDATE: I am starting to read this book today.

13TH DEC UPDATE: I am almost done with reading this book so I have PMed sintra for their address.

I've finished reading the book this morning. I think that this is a strange book in the sense that when you are reading it, it seems that not much is happening in it (it's more about feelings, etc), but then you finish it and you think a great deal of things have happened to Stephen, the main character.

I did not feel the committee meetings slowed down the story, although it is difficult to say...

Overall, a book that I have enjoyed and I am glad that thanks to this ray and the 1001 books list I have discovered this author.

Thanks again cat207 for sharing your book!

I have sintra's address and should be posting the book tomorrow.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

The book was posted to Sintra this afternoon. Happy reading!

The book arrived safely at my parents' place where I'm staying for the holidays. Thanks a lot and Merry Christmas!

I really enjoyed reading this novel but I guess it's not my favourite book by Ian McEwan. I loved the different ways time was represented - especially the moment "out of time" at the pub. Some of the episodes were (quite typically) described in such detail that I felt drawn into the scene like the abduction or the lorry accident. On the other hand, to be honest, I thought the ending was a bit much.

Thanks a lot for this ring! I've PMed for perryfran's address so the book should be on its way again soon.

Received in today's mail. Thanks cat207 for sharing this one and sintra for mailing it from Germany! I have a few other bookrings in front of this but hope to get to it soon.

---

Bookray

Cat207 has asked me to skip Kasoswife so I will be continuing this bookray. Please PM me if interested. Bookray will remain open until last person has the book.

Participants so far:

. valpete from California, USA (US only)
. ciloma from Idaho, USA (US preferred)
. tiatia from Virginia, USA (US preferred)
. ghostofarose from Arizona, USA (international)
. bookbabe71 from Canada (International)
. mrbaggins1 from South Africa (International)
. Danielle23 from UK (international if needed)
. Cassiopaeia from UK (International)
. raeliz64 from UK (International)
. Ashleigh4985 from UK (UK preferred)
. Jozebedee from UK (UK only)
. cally-c from UK (EU only)
. bumbelbee from the Netherlands (EU only)
. Qantaqa from Germany (EU preferred)<----Asked to be skipped
. Mallary from France (International)<----Skipped
. okarih from UK (international)<----Asked to be skipped
. molekilby from UK (International)<----Skipped
. columbianrifraf from UK (international)<----Skipped
. fushmush from Australia (international)
. dolphin-au from Australia (Australia only)
. FreePages from Australia (Australia only)<----Asked to be skipped
. lmn60 from Australia (?)<----Asked to be skipped
. L1nda from Australia (Prefer Australia - International if needed)<----Skipped
. PJLBewdy from Australia (International)
. frutz from Luxembourg (International)
. mafarrimond from UK (EU preferred)
. fee_gee from UK (UK/EU preferred)<----Skipped
. kingfan30 from UK (UK/EU preferred)
. brunton11 from UK (International)
. Icila from France (International)
. oppem from Oregon, USA (USA preferred, international if needed)
Sorry to hear oppem passed away.

Note: Order is subject to change based on shipping preferences and others joining the bookray.

How the bookray works:
* Someone will PM you for your address, PM them back and provide your address
* When you receive the book, please make a journal entry letting everyone know that you received it
* Put the book at the top of your TBR pile (under other rings/rays that arrived first)
* Read the book (take your time and enjoy the book, don't feel rushed to finish it but try to pass it on within a couple of months - others are waiting!)
* When the end is in sight, check the book's journal and PM the next person to get their address
* Finish the book, make another journal entry and let everyone know what you thought of the book
* Send the book to the next person on the list (please use the cheapest shipping method available), make release notes (Controlled Release) or journal entry to let everyone know that it's in the mail
* END OF THE RAY, The last person on the ray could try and continue the ray, if possible, or donate it to the 1001-libray.

Please feel free to PM me at any time with questions

Bookray is now complete. Thanks everyone for participating!

Finished reading this today. I thought it was very well written, with excellent characterizations, and an absorbing story about the agonies when a young couple loses a daughter by abduction. Having two young daughters myself, I can't imagine how horrific this experience would be. I thought McEwan did an excellent job of telling this story and how the parents tried to cope with the situation. The story is sometimes a little disconcerting by going to stories in the past relating to the husband's parents and early experiences. Overall though, McEwan does an excellent job of handling the experiences in a sensitive and caring way. I also thought the ending was very appropriate.

Thanks again cat207 for sharing this book. I will be continuing the bookray and sending it on to the next reader today.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Off it goes to valpete in Walnut Creek, CA to continue this bookray. Enjoy!

USPS DC# 0308 2690 0002 0825 8609

This arrived in today's mail. Thanks perryfran for sending it along. I'll try to get to it ASAP and move it along.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Not my favorite McEwan book. At least the ending was hopeful.

Sending it along to Ciloma who is next in line.

This one came in the mail today. Thanx ValPete!

Finished this one this morning and have PM'd the next reader for shipping info. Not my favorite McEwan book - not bad either.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

On it's way to tiatia

I'm a dud. I got the book and thought it was part of a batch I had traded for and didn't journal it in. It sat, and sat. Didn't start it until just now. Then I devoured it. LOVED IT. very thought provoking. Will try to ship it out immediately.

I received the book in the mail yesterday (Thursday May 7) on a day of over 100° F temperatures (typical for the Phoenix Arizona area at this time of year.) It will be perfect reading for Mother's Day, whenever I can take a break from studying for final exams!

Thank you, tiatia!

Time travel is only a small part of this strange book, but it is an important part.

I didn't like this book nearly as much as Atonement. It is totally lacking in the passion and intensity that grips you in Atonement. Which seems odd, since the central story is about what is surely the most extreme thing that could happen to anyone: the kidnapping and permanent disappearance of a child. But The Child in Time is so detached and absent of emotion that it is surreal and dreamy. I believe that this is at least partly intentional. The author wants you to see the story through the lethargic fog of the main character's near-catatonia that is his reaction to the loss of his daughter. But it does make for slow and dreary reading. (Keep in mind that this is from a reviewer who strongly prefers tragedy to comedy, so when I think a book is depressing, that's really saying something!)

Remember that old saying about how fiction requires a suspension of disbelief? That just doesn't happen in this book. There are several scenes that are so unconvincing, they don't just stretch the reader's sense of incredulity, they snap it. For example: one in which the main character wanders into an elementary school classroom in search of his lost daughter, and the teacher appears to think that he is one of her students.

So you are probably wondering why I rated it 7. One reason is for its intelligent use of both language and plot development. It is a book that challenges and stretches the mind.

Another reason is the delightfully clever ways in which McEwan illustrates his theme of the child in time. No title was ever so apt. Over and over, events keep occurring which concern: A, time; and B, a child. Sometimes these are so subtle that only when going over it later in your mind do you realize that a particular scene was one such. Other times they are more obvious, such as the classroom scene described above; or another in which a mature and highly respected, responsible, adult develops a bizarre mental illness in which he goes back to being a child in his mind. Together, they all make for a unique and supremely creative exploration of the child/time theme.

This isn't the easiest book to read, but it is well worth the time for a reader who will enjoy it as an intellectual exercise, rather than as entertainment.

(245 pages)


Excerpt from The Child in Time:

"Where once he had believed, or thought he ought to believe, that men and women were, beyond all the obvious physical differences, essentially the same, he now suspected that one of their many distinguishing features was precisely their attitudes toward change. Past a certain age, men froze into place, they tended to believe that, even in adversity, they were somehow at one with their fates. They were who they thought they were. Despite what they said, men believed in what they did and they stuck at it. This was a weakness and a strength. Whether they were scrambling out of trenches to be killed in their thousands, or doing the firing themselves, or putting the final touches to a cycle of symphonies, it only rarely occurred to them, or occurred only to the rare ones among them, that they might just as well be doing something else.

To women this thought was a premise. It was a constant torment or comfort, no matter how successful they were in their own or other people's eyes. It was also a weakness and a strength. Committed motherhood denied professional fulfilment. A professional life on men's terms eroded maternal care. Attempting both was to risk annihilation through fatigue. It was not so easy to persist when you could not believe that you were entirely the things that you did, when you thought you could find yourself, or find another part of yourself, expressed through some other endeavour. Consequently they were not taken in so easily by jobs and hierarchies, uniforms and medals. Against the faith men had in the institutions they and not women had shaped, women upheld some other principle of selfhood in which being surpassed doing. Long ago men had noted something unruly in this. Women simply enclosed the space which men longed to penetrate. The men's hostility was aroused."

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Mailed to bookbabe71 in Canada. I hope you enjoy it!

This was a sad and interesting read. Sorry it took me so long to pass the book on....I was bottlenecked with bookrings suddenly and unexpectedly. I will contact the next person and pass this book along as soon as I receive an address. Thank you for including me in this bookring!

Update:
Book was mailed out quite a while ago.....Hopefully it shows up at the next bookcrosser's soon.

Arrived today together with EIGHT other BX books. I'm in trouble as there is no way that I'll be able to get around to this in the next couple of weeks. Thanks for sharing and I'll try to read this ASAP.

Ian McEwan is an accomplished author and all of his books have touched me in some way. This one is firstly and obviously about loss, and I found the description of Stephen Lewis buying Christmas gifts for his missing daughter harrowing. Secondly it is about the illusive concept of time and how it slips like water, undefined and undefinable through ones existence.

Thanks for sharing - contacting the next on the lis to send it on.

ETA: Next up is Danielle23 - her address is on RABCK.com and she a friend that I've shared books with before so I'ii dispatch it by surface mail in the week.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Posted by surface mail to Danielle 23 by surface mail. Thanks for sharing

The book has arrived safely, thanks so much Dave. I enjoyed the very random things placed in intervals throughout the book and will leave them there for others to appreciate too. I may even find a few of my own to add.

I do have several other rings/rays to read before this one but they shouldn't take me too long. I have enjoyed most of McEwan's work in the past and look forward to reading this one, thanks for sharing Perryfran xx

I finished reading this book on the plane to Tenerife and actually quite enjoyed it. The ending seemed a little bit of a cop out to me and I really wanted to find out what had happened to Kate.

Not my favourite McEwan but still a very good read. Will PM molekilby and send along as soon as possible xx

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

After hearing about Molekilby's very sad situation the book is travelling to cassiopaeia first xx

Thank you danielle23, the book arrived this morning. One and a half before this one, but hopefully they won't take me too long to get through.

What I love about McEwan's writing are the layers that he lays down for further thought. The whole child/time/loss theme is beautifully executed. This book needs deeper reflection and I think it is certainly one I would like to read again at a more leisurely pace. Thanks to all previous journalers for your thoughts, it is always interesting to read them.

Have contacted the next on the list, just waiting for a reply.

Received today - thanks very much.

I love Ian McEwan's writing. Having said that, I didn't enjoy this quite as much as others of his I have read, but it was still an engrossing read.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Posted to Ashleigh4985 today.

Arrived today in the post. I am 1/2 way through another one but will get to it as soon as i can.

Thanks for organising

I have just finished reading this today. Like a lot of other readers it wasn't my favourite McEwan book but I was still absorbed in Stephens life after the loss of his daughter and the last 50-10o pages once he had started dealing with his grief were more readable. I didn't like the obsession with time and was glad of the explanation later on about his friend Charles, becasue at the time i didn't know if Stephen or Charles was the one going crazy.

Thanks for sharing. I will PM the next in line tonight and get it sent on soon.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Posted yesterday! Enjoy!

Thanks for sending on to me Ashleigh4985 - I received it in todays post. :)
I've read a couple of McEwan's books so I am looking forward to this one!
Thanks to perryfran for organising this ray :) I have a couple of books before this, but shouldn't be too long!

I couldn't put this down! The story really gripped me - in all of its aspects.
Thanks for sharing perryfran. Will send on to cally-c tomorrow :)

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Now in the post heading for cally-c! :)

Arrived this morning. Will read next.

This was quite a harrowing read, despite the fact that not much really happens after the first awful event. I found the scene where Stephen thinks he has seen his daughter really sad, his reaction shows you that this sort of tragedy never leaves you & is always near the surface.

I have bumblebee's address, so this will be in the post tomorrow.
Thanks for sharing!

Off in the post to Bumbelbee....

I received the book quite some time ago (I think about two weeks), but I haven't been home much, so I haven't had the time to journal it. Sorry for the delay!
I've allready begun reading, so I'll make sure I sent the book allong as quickly as possible. Thanks for sharing!

Sorry for my late journal (again, normally I'm never this tardy, but I've just been so busy!). I've finished this book quite some time ago and allthough I sometimes couldn't stop reading, the book didn't really grip me, which I found unfortunate. I haven't read anything from Ian McEwan before and I probably won't read anything written by him soon, because I didn't really like his style. I found the story itself a bit haphazardly put together and I can see that this is problably on purpose and meant to create a certain atmosfere that goes well with the state of being of the main character, but I still didn't quite like it. I am glad I read the book, however, so thanks allot for sharing!

I pm-ed Qantaqa a while ago, but Qantaqa asked to be skipped due to a move. So I pm-ed Mallary and will sent the book allong as soon as I have the adress (I hope this wil be before Sunday, because on Monday I go on a 3 week vacation).

It's never taken me this long to send a book on it's way, but I finally found someone on the list that was still interested in the book. So I sent the book on it's way to fushmush today. All the others on the list either asked to be skipped or just didn't respond.

Thanks again perryfran for sharing this book and for your trying to help me find the person to sent the book to!

It has arrived. Hopefully have some time for holiday reading.

I have sent this on its way. I will update this JE with my review in the near future.

Sent to the next bookcrosser on the list.

Arrived safely, thank you. I've read a couple of other books by McEwan, some of which I loved, others that left me slightly disappointed, so am curious to see how I'll like this one (can't really predict that from earlier journal entries, which seem a bit of a mixed bag).

Sorry, this book had disapeared in one of my stacks and i had forgotten about it.
McEwan has a habit of putting his characters in exceptional circumstances. I don't know if that works in the case of this book. I thought the ending unsatisfactory and uncharacterisic for McEwan, who normally is overly rational.
The book is now on its way to PJLBewdy.

Sent to PJLBewdy.

Received from dolphin-au.
I am looking forward to reading this book.

McEwan doesn't need 500 pages to create real characters that real things happen to. Pretty impressive. Stephen and Julie are totally believable. Charles and Thelma less so. The licensed beggars are an apt comment on Thatcherite Britain.

This book is now on its way to Luxembourg as the next leg of this Ray.

The book has arrived safely, thanks! I will start reading it as soon as I finish my current read.

Send along to mafarrimond. Happy reading!

The book has arrived safely. I am really looking forward to reading it.

Posted on!

Wow what a well travelled book, it's now safe and sound with me and will be put on top of the pile to be read shortly, thanks for sharing :)

17 Jan 12 - I read this book pretty quickly but to be honest it just didn't grab me. The scene at the beginning when Kate is kidnapped seemed too matter-of-fact for me, and which is maybe why I then struggled to relate to the rest of the book. And as for the ending, really - pradictable to a degree and a bit sureal. Certainly not my favourite book by McEwan, but hey I guess you can't like them all.

Continuing its journey to brunton11

Arrived today. Thanks kingfan30 for sending this book on.

I'm a bit undecided about this one. It feels like its taken me ages to read it but at the same time I liked the style of writing and the plot even if some of it was a bit odd!

Sending to Icila later this week (she's away until March). Thanks all for sharing.

EDITED: Posted 29th Feb 2012.

The book is safe at home. Thanks brunton11.

Sorry, I kept this one too long. I read the first part but put it down after the parent's' lack of emotion with the idea to give it a second chance but it's too late now and the book has to move.
Pming oppem.

On its way to USA.

Oppem, the Bookcrosser last in line for this bookray, passed away on June 23, 2012. I had the privilege of meeting her dear family and "catching" her large collection of registered books.

Because this one is so well-traveled, I will be sure to RABCK it to someone who has it on his/her wishlist. If anyone has any suggestions, please PM me.

Sending to MmeClinton, who has this on her wishlist. Enjoy!

To the finder of this book:

This book is gift, no strings attached, from me to you. You may keep it forever, pass it along to a friend, or release it into the wild to be found by someone else.

If you are new to BookCrossing, welcome! Enjoy the site, the book, and the BookCrossing community. I hope you'll join us...it's free! If you do, please consider using me, elizardbreath, as your referring member. You can even remain anonymous if you wish!

I hope you'll make a brief journal entry so all the previous and future readers can track this book's journey.

Thanks, and Happy BookCrossing! :)

I don't believe I have ever received a bookcrossing RABCK that has travelled the world as much as this one... so I really will need to put it near the top of my enormous TBR pile. I even recognize several other bookcrossers whom I have shared with before. I really like Ian McEwan and, gauging from all the comments, will undoubtedly find this one worth reading as well. This came in that lovely box of thirteen books from my wishlist, a box put together by elizardbreath to honor Oppem.

Believe it or not, this book truly was at the top (layer) of my TBR pile since I received it last July. Beginning to wonder if I'll ever get to them all!! It was well worth the read even though I do agree with several comments that some sections I was just slogging through (but that has more to do with my reading too late at night when I should be sleeping!). It ended up being very satisfying, and Stephen seems very real to me even if his ruminations were occasionally making me yawn. I think the climb up the tree absolutely harrowing.... and I am not sure why he did it. How does one go on with a lost child and no closure? It must be harder than losing a child, for example, to a disease.... this book has travelled so much that it is showing its wear, but it is still quite readable, so I will try to find a new reader to pass it along to!

Thank you for this well-travelled Wishlist RABCK that arrived this afternoon. At first I wondered if this was a ring I'd forgotten I'd signed up for. Looking forward to reading it!