Sean Bala reviewed The Children of Men by P. D. James
Review of 'The Children of Men' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
I've read this novel twice and there is just something about the vision it gives that haunts me but also give me hope. I like dystopias (to read, of course) and I found that the scenario (humanity suddenly stops being able to have children) uniquely gripping and thought provoking. What would happen when humanity does not think it has a future? While there is the rush of hedonism and violence, the end of humanity in this novel is far more prosaic - gradually aging and becoming more and more self-focused, with deep self-loathing and sadness. My favorite moment in the novel comes from the beginning when the narrator Theo (an Oxford professor of English) witnesses a violent encounter between two women. In this world, many women buy elaborate porcelain dolls and push them around in carriages as if they were living children. Theo sees one such woman walking through Oxford. …
I've read this novel twice and there is just something about the vision it gives that haunts me but also give me hope. I like dystopias (to read, of course) and I found that the scenario (humanity suddenly stops being able to have children) uniquely gripping and thought provoking. What would happen when humanity does not think it has a future? While there is the rush of hedonism and violence, the end of humanity in this novel is far more prosaic - gradually aging and becoming more and more self-focused, with deep self-loathing and sadness. My favorite moment in the novel comes from the beginning when the narrator Theo (an Oxford professor of English) witnesses a violent encounter between two women. In this world, many women buy elaborate porcelain dolls and push them around in carriages as if they were living children. Theo sees one such woman walking through Oxford. Another woman comes up to her and coos the "baby" for a few moments. Suddenly, the second woman grabs the doll by the legs and smashes it into pieces. The first woman crumples the ground, sobbing and screaming, as she holds the broken pieces of the doll. The novel is quite different from the film but I like both, even if I like the novel a bit more. James, known more for her mystery novels, was also a devout Anglican and Christianity plays a large role in the novel but in a complex way. I enjoyed the whole experience of this novel so much and I recommend it highly.
