THE CHILD IN TIME (Ian McEwan) - February 8/07

Though expectedly well written, The Child in Time is far more pointless than I would've liked. McEwan's rambling style just doesn't work here, as the author emphasizes a series of unusually dull subplots (the politician who's regressed into childhood, the whole thing involving the child care manual and the hubbub that explodes when it's leaked prematurely). It's too bad, really, given the potentially electrifying subject matter (the sequence in which the little girl disappears from a supermarket is undoubtedly the highlight of the book). ** out of ****