150:, living in a world of artists, writers, and craftsmen, all moving into new ways to express art, and living an artful life, before the horrors and loss of the Great War. While the central character of Olive is a writer of children's literature, supporting her large family with her writing, the title of the book refers to the children in the book: Tom, Julian, Philip, Elsie, Dorothy, Hedda, Griselda, Florence, Charles/Karl, Phyllis, and others, following each as they approach adulthood and the terrors of war.
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Neighbours in Kent: "Their guests were socialist, anarchists, Quakers, Fabians, artists, editors, freethinkers, and writers who lived, either all time, or at weekends and on holidays in converted cottages and old farmhouses, Arts and Crafts homes and workingmen's terraces, in the villages, woods and
163:
I started with the idea that writing children's books isn't good for the writers' own children. There are some dreadful stories. Christopher Robin at least lived. Kenneth
Grahame's son put himself across a railway line and waited for the train. Then there's J. M. Barrie. One of the boys that Barrie
232:
Olive
Wellwood, wife of Humphry, mother of Tom, and many other children, a writer of children's books, mostly fairy stories. Born in very humble circumstances, her income supports the family in their large house named Todefright. She is an expert in British
29:
164:
adopted almost certainly drowned himself. This struck me as something that needed investigating. And the second thing was, I was interested in the structure of E. Nesbit's family—how they all seemed to be
Fabians and fairy-story writers.
610:(3.5 out of 5) with the summary stating, "Gorgeously stuffed? Or overstuffed? Critics were clearly split on Byatt's latest offering". Globally, it was generally well received with
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736:
George Eliot — along with Robert
Browning — is one of the fixed stars by which Byatt navigates, and the story told of Eliot could as easily have been told of her disciple.
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Humphry
Wellwood, works for the Bank of England, is suspicious of quick-profit schemes, is a philanderer, and is married to Olive. They are both active in the
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saying on the consensus "Generally positive -- but while many are impressed also note that her attention to details and facts can be overwhelming".
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there are secrets slowly revealed that show that the families are much more creatively formed than first guessed. It was shortlisted for the 2009
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The book has so many fictional and historical characters that Byatt had to create a spreadsheet in Excel to keep track of them all.
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Leslie
Skinner, a friend of Humphry Wellwood, works in the Department of Applied Mathematics at University College London (UCL).
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Philip Warren, a runaway from the factories who becomes an apprentice to
Benedict Fludd. He is first seen sketching the
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635:: "Her dark materials. AS Byatt's charged account of the perils of artistic creation chills" by Alex Clark, 9 May 2009.
978:
570:
assessed critical response as an aggregated score of 78% based on
British press reviews. The book received a 79% from
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Violet
Grimwith, Olive's sister, keeps house for the Wellwood family, and calls herself the children's "real" mother.
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Toby
Youlgreave, an old friend of both Humphry and Olive, he teaches the older boys, preparing to enter school.
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Herbert Methley, a man who lectures about the "sex problem", seduces women, and writes books that are banned.
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131:. It follows the adventures of several inter-related families, adults and children, from 1895 through
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Arthur Dobbin, not a good apprentice to Benedict Fludd, but perhaps better as a promoter of the arts.
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Anselm Stern, a master of puppetry and marionettes, who once knew Olive Wellwood long ago in Munich.
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564:, in an aggregation of British critic reviews, the book received an "omniscore" of 4 out of 5.
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491:, gay activist and advocate of "back to nature" approach as a cure for civilisation problems.
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Jan/Feb 2010 issue, a magazine that aggregates critic reviews of books, the book received a
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Elsie Warren, who finds Phillip after their mother dies and then keeps house for the Fludds.
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Florence Cain, his daughter, who ends up in Italy and becomes close with Gabriel Goldwasser.
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Marion Oakeshott, a "widow", local school teacher, and close friend of Humphry Wellwood.
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centres on the fictional writer Olive Wellwood and spans from 1895 until the end of the
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The Wellwood family (Olive, Humphry, Olive's sister Violet, and many children) are
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Katharina Wildvogel Wellwood, the boss's daughter, Basil's wife, born in Germany.
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Benedict Fludd, an eccentric artist and master potter whose work is collected.
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Seraphita (Sarah-Jane) Fludd, his wife, who does embroidery and little else.
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Julian Cain, son of Major Prosper Cain and a student at Eton and Cambridge.
463:, at college with Julian Cain, he attends all the right plays and parties.
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Tom Wellwood, eldest son of Olive and Humphry; he loves being in nature.
503:, an anarchist known for her political activism, writing, and speeches.
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Robin Oakeshott, Marion's son, who looks very much like Robin Wellwood.
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666:"The Saturday Profile: A Novelist Whose Fiction Comes From Real Lives"
179:. Another character, Herbert Methley, Byatt said, is a combination of
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Gerald Matthiessen, student, member of the Apostles (secret society)
211:, all as themselves. Byatt initially intended to title the book as
234:
440:
Joachim Susskind, a young German who tutors Tom and Charles/Karl.
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meadows around the Kentish Weald and the North and South Downs."
340:
Etta Skinner, wife of Leslie, teacher at Queen's College, London.
253:
Dorothy Wellwood, eldest daughter; she decides to be a physician.
485:, shown in his declining years and at the 1900 Paris Exposition.
469:, whose artworks are mentioned often, setting the tone for the
397:
Augustus Steyning, a theatre director and sometime playwright.
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Imogen Fludd, their daughter, who is rescued by Prosper Cain.
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Major Prosper Cain, Special Keeper of Precious Metals at the
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Griselda Wellwood, their daughter, very pretty and a scholar.
256:
Phyllis Wellwood, another daughter; she likes keeping house.
928:
626:
Dangerous Fancies by Jennifer Schuessler, 8 October 2009.
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Patty Dace, on many committees, helpful to women in need.
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Geraint Fludd, their son, who is interested in business.
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Basil Wellwood, Humphry's brother, does well at banking.
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Wolfgang Stern, their oldest son, expert at stagecraft.
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Peter Wellwood, their first baby, who died very young.
479:, mentioned throughout as the most expert of potters.
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Robin Wellwood, always one of the youngest children.
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The Hedgehog, the White Goose and the Mad March Hare
135:. Loosely based upon the life of children's writer
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Vasily Tartarinov, a Russian anarchist and refugee.
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292:Charles/Karl Wellwood, their son who becomes an
385:Elena, his wife. Andrei and Dmitri, their sons.
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388:Leslie and Etta Skinner, Fabians and scholars.
360:Pomona Fludd, their daughter, who sleepwalks.
8:
457:, compliments Olive's plays, a contemporary.
272:Harry Wellwood, the last baby born to Olive.
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406:Phoebe Methley, not really Herbert's wife.
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959:Cultural depictions of Emmeline Pankhurst
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509:, political activist and leader of the
221:Fictional characters in their families
836:""The Children's Book" by A.S. Byatt"
7:
706:"At-a-glance: Booker shortlist 2009"
429:Leon Stern, the quieter younger son.
868:"The Children's Book By A.S. Byatt"
664:McGrath, Charles (9 October 2009).
585:
303:At the Victoria and Albert Museum:
266:Florian Wellwood, Phyllis' brother.
954:Cultural depictions of Oscar Wilde
804:"A.S. Byatt – The Children's Book"
127:is a 2009 novel by British writer
14:
497:, Carpenter's lifelong companion.
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599:
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558:was generally well-received. On
344:At Purchase House in Dungeness:
576:based on 39 critic reviews. In
544:James Tait Black Memorial Prize
275:Rosy, a recently departed baby.
721:"Writing in terms of pleasure"
1:
758:"Book prize winners revealed"
708:. BBC News. 8 September 2009.
929:A. S. Byatt official website
719:Leith, Sam (25 April 2009).
394:Frank Mallet, local pastor.
995:
519:, family planning pioneer.
313:Victoria and Albert Museum
949:Chatto & Windus books
325:At Cambridge University:
259:Hedda Wellwood, a future
187:. The book also features
26:
16:Book by A. S. Byatt novel
423:Angela Stern, his wife.
309:South Kensington Museum
530:Awards and nominations
373:Ann, Elsie's daughter.
365:Gloucester candlestick
282:The London Wellwoods:
166:
974:Novels by A. S. Byatt
900:"The Children's Book"
772:"The Children's Book"
473:subtext of the novel.
445:Historical characters
161:
153:In an interview with
964:Novels about writers
228:The Kent Wellwoods:
175:. She is based upon
22:The Children's Book
944:2009 British novels
848:on 21 December 2010
556:The Children's Book
201:George Bernard Shaw
169:The Children's Book
124:The Children's Book
61:Chatto & Windus
23:
979:Novels set in Kent
880:on 16 January 2019
873:Bookmarks Magazine
684:Her dark materials
670:The New York Times
507:Emmeline Pankhurst
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115:978-0-7011-8389-9
77:Publication place
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906:. 4 October 2023
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908:. Retrieved
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878:the original
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786:. Retrieved
782:the original
777:The Omnivore
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728:. Retrieved
725:The Guardian
724:
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689:The Guardian
687:
682:Alex Clark,
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669:
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577:
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561:The Omnivore
559:
555:
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537:Booker Prize
523:Karl Pearson
517:Marie Stopes
501:Emma Goldman
454:
453:, author of
451:J. M. Barrie
433:The Tutors:
432:
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311:(the future
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193:Emma Goldman
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156:The Guardian
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141:Booker Prize
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18:
624:Book Review
511:suffragette
483:Oscar Wilde
333:In London:
261:suffragette
209:Oscar Wilde
181:H. G. Wells
159:Byatt says:
133:World War I
129:A. S. Byatt
43:A. S. Byatt
938:Categories
884:14 January
730:18 January
640:References
539:nomination
910:4 October
579:Bookmarks
513:movement.
455:Peter Pan
294:Anarchist
177:E. Nesbit
137:E. Nesbit
94:Paperback
90:Hardcover
57:Publisher
631:Guardian
49:Language
852:12 July
820:12 July
788:12 July
550:Reviews
148:Fabians
88:Print (
52:English
104:675 pp
39:Author
747:p. 31
542:2010
535:2009
237:lore.
235:fairy
101:Pages
912:2023
886:2023
854:2024
822:2024
790:2024
732:2015
207:and
183:and
110:ISBN
92:and
72:2009
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96:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
