The Man Who Loved Children
| The Man Who Loved Children | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Author(s) | Christina Stead |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Novel |
| Publication date | 1940 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| ISBN | NA |
The Man Who Loved Children is a 1940 novel by Australian writer Christina Stead. It wasn't until a reissue edition in 1965, with an introduction by poet Randall Jarrell, that it found widespread critical acclaim and popularity. Time magazine included the novel in its TIME 100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005.[1] The novel has been championed by novelists Jonathan Franzen and Angela Carter. Carter believed Stead's other novels Cotters England and A Little Tea, A Little Chat and For Love Alone to be as good, if not better than The Man Who Loved Children.
[edit] Plot introduction
The novel tells the story of a highly dysfunctional family, the Pollits. The story centers on the father Sam, an idealistic buffoon who can't provide for his family, the situation made worse by the mother Henny's snobbish inability to budget for the household. Stead details the parents' marital battles and the various accounts of the blended family's affections and alliances. The character Sam is largely based on Stead's own father, marine biologist David Stead. The Man Who Loved Children was originally set in Sydney but the setting was altered to suit an American audience, to Washington, D.C., somewhat unconvincingly due to linguistic nuances. Unsparing and penetrating, Stead reveals, among other things, the danger of unchecked sentimentality in relationships and in political thought.
[edit] References
 |
This article about a 1940s novel is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
