Ian McEwan, The Children Act

The Children Act  by Ian McEwan is no doubt going to be a middle-class, dinner party conversation starter in the next coming months. Especially as it is so topical, with the recent media circus about Ashya King- a young British boy suffering from leukaemia, who's parents were arrested when they disagreed with the hospital's treatment options.

So if you want to be able to bluff your way through that dinner chat- read on....

The Plot: As her own marriage is in turmoil, judge Fiona Maye presides over cases in the family court. Adam, is refusing treatment that could potentially save his life, his objects stem from his strong religious convictions, and his equally devout parents share his wishes. As he is just shy of his eighteenth birthday, ans therefore a minor, Fiona must make a decision about whether or not Adam's wishes can be overturned and treatment administered. Her judgement has unexpected, and significant consequences for them both.

Rating:  3.5/5

the old

"To me, the old were a separate species, like sparrows or foxes [...] The body's largest organ bears the brunt- the old no longer fit their skin. It hangs of them, off us, like a room-for-growth school blazer. Or pyjamas"

- Ian McEwan, Sweet Tooth 

a whole paragraph in one visual gulp

"I could take in a block of text or a whole paragraph in one visual gulp. It was a matter of letting my eyes and thoughts go soft, like wax, to take the impression fresh of the page. To the irritation of those around me, I'd turn a page every few seconds with an impatient snap of the wrists [...] I wanted characters I could believe in, and I wanted to be made curious about what happened to them"

- Ian McEwan, Sweet Tooth