Literary Fiction· United Kingdom
The Child in Time
by Ian McEwanAggregate Editorial Score38/100
ALA Notable Books
Published 1987263 pagesEnglish
Buy on Amazon → About This Book
Ian McEwan's The Child in Time (1987) stands as one of the most significant works of literary fiction of its era. Stephen Lewis, a children's book author, loses his daughter in a supermarket and cannot recover. McEwan's Whitbread Award-winning novel is a meditation on loss, time, and the nature of childhood. Themes of loss, grief, time run through the work. The book has received recognition from ALA Notable Books 1987.
Book Details
About the Category
📖 Literary Fiction
Character-driven fiction that prioritises style, theme, and psychological depth.
Explore all Literary Fiction books →Country of Origin
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
This book is part of United Kingdom's rich literary tradition.
Explore books from United Kingdom →Editorial Assessment
In 1987, Ian McEwan published The Child in Time, a novel that dissects moral ambiguity with remarkable subtlety and force. It explores the human condition with uncommon precision. Few books in the genre can match it.
About this assessment: Editorial scores are aggregated from 1 independent sources including major literary prizes, critical surveys, and leading publications. Our editorial team reviews and contextualises this data. Rankings reflect critical consensus, not personal opinion or popularity metrics. Learn about our methodology.
Awards & Recognition
ALA Notable Books
notable · national
198710
Ian McEwan is a celebrated author from United Kingdom known for influential works of literary fiction.
What to Read Next
literary-fiction
Midnight's Children
Salman Rushdie· 1981
★Nobel Prize in Literature★Booker Prize
Editorial Score100/100
literary-fiction
The God of Small Things
Arundhati Roy· 1997
★Nobel Prize in Literature★Booker Prize
Editorial Score100/100
literary-fiction
The Remains of the Day
Kazuo Ishiguro· 1989
★Nobel Prize in Literature★Booker Prize
Editorial Score100/100
literary-fiction
The White Tiger
Aravind Adiga· 2008
★Nobel Prize in Literature★Booker Prize
Editorial Score100/100
literary-fiction
The Road
Cormac McCarthy· 2007
★Pulitzer Prize★Hugo Award
Editorial Score100/100
historical-fiction
Wolf Hall
Hilary Mantel· 2009
★Booker Prize★Costa Book Award
Editorial Score100/100
Frequently Asked Questions
Popular on 50 Best Books
Best Science Fiction Books of All TimeScience FictionBooker Prize Winners — Complete List & GuideLiterary PrizesNobel Prize in Literature — Every Winner Since 1901Literary PrizesClassic Literature Reading List — 50 Essential BooksReading GuidesBest Books for Beginners — 20 Easy Reads for New BookloversReading Guides