The Child's Child: A Novel Audiobook

" A quick read, and although generally I like the novella within a novel approach, I found this combo somewhat annoying. I can't tell you more without giving away too much, but I expected there to be more symmetry between the two tales than I was able to discern. "

" Really two and a half stars, but I rounded up. A story within a story. A sister sharing a house with a homosexual brother becomes pregnant by the brother's lover and then reads a story about an unwed sister in a pretend marriage to a homosexual brother some 70-some years earlier. The story within the story was fairly engaging, but the two stories didn't ever really come together for me. Although the book led me to believe that the two stories would meld, the unwed sister in the earlier book was unlikeable with little insight or sympathy for her brother. Ended abruptly and the main story was totally unsatisfactory. "

" The bulk of the book is The Child's Child which has been given to Grace to read. Grace is pregnant by her brother's lover. The book that she reads is about a 15 year old girl who becomes pregnant (in 1937) and whose homosexual brother moves with her to another town and they pose as a married couple and raise the little girl as their own. The book is an unusual vehicle by which to compare the way cultural attitudes towards homosexuality and single parenthood have changed over 80 years or so. "

" Very interesting book within a book-both dealing with unwed mothers and homosexual men-in the 1940's and the present. "

" The story in the present is wrapped up pretty quickly, almost too quickly, but the book read in the story was good. I thought it was interesting that the sympathetic female character (in the past) becomes quite unpleasant. "

" Barbara Vine is awesome! But this one was not up to her usual. "

" No comment on this book. I am still thinking about it. As always beautifully written by Barbara Vine/Ruth Rendell. Would welcome readers input. "

" This is actually 2.5 for me. It was OK, while some parts were compelling, it just didnt do anything for me. "

" great book. kept me hooked til end "

" I couldn't finish this. A rare dull effort. "

" I don't know why critics call this plot within a plot ingenious. It is not, and it is contrived. I cared little for any of the characters and felt the interior plot much too long and drawn out. So much more could have been made of the parallels to make this an interesting novel. "

" Meh. The plot within a plot seemed a little contrived and the whole thing was rather predictable. I liked her earlier books as Barbara Vine better. This wasn't as edgy. "

" a novel in a novel, where the characters seem to be the same. "

" I agree with a reviewer on Amazon: What was the point? "

" The technique of a novel within a novel is interesting, but because the tone of the two works is so similar, it ultimately failed for me. I wish more attention had been paid to the two distinct stories and that a unique voice was created for each work. "

" Not one of her best, but OK.I had the feeling that she started out trying something and sort of gave up. "

" I know I say that every book I love is extraordinary but this one is. the book within a book the characters Great "

" Reading Rendell/Vine is always a pleasure. I liked the story within a story, each one mirroring societal prejudice toward gays and women during two different periods. "

" Very slow start. Liked the embedded story better. Ending was abrupt and I didn't really see the relationship within the 2 sets of characters being developed. "