The Children of Men
"The year is 2021, and the human race is - quite literally - coming to an end. Since 1995 no babies have been born, because in that year all males unexpectedly became infertile. Great Britain is ruled by a dictator, and the population is inexorably growing older. Theodore Faron, Oxford historian and, incidentally, cousin of the all-powerful Warden of England, watches in growing despair as society gradually crumbles around him, giving way to strange faiths and cruelties: prison camps, mass organized euthanasia, roving bands of thugs. Then, suddenly, Faron is drawn into the plans of an unlikely group of revolutionaries. His passivity is shattered, and the action begins." "The Children of Men will surprise - and enthrall - P.D. James fans. Written with the same rich blend of keen characterization, narrative drive and suspense as her great detective stories, it engages powerfully with new themes: conflicts of loyalty and duty, the corruption of power, redemption through love. Ingenious, original, irresistibly readable, it confirms once again P.D. James's standing as a major novelist."--Jacket.
Where The Children of Men keeps showing up
Four of our editors' lists feature this novel.
What you might want to know about The Children of Men
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
By 2021, no human child has been born for twenty-five years and Britain is run by a benign dictator named Xan Lyppiatt. Oxford historian Theo Faron is pulled into a small dissident group when one of them turns up pregnant.
Yes. Alfonso Cuaron directed a 2006 film adaptation starring Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, and Michael Caine. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards. P.D. James has said the film differs significantly from the novel in tone and plot.
No. The Children of Men is a standalone dystopian novel, separate from P.D. James's Adam Dalgliesh and Cordelia Gray detective series. It is her only major work outside the mystery genre.
The Children of Men was written by P. D. James, published in 1992 by B.
The Children of Men is 316 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, The Children of Men takes most readers 5 to 7 hours to finish.
The Children of Men is a standalone novel by P. D. James, not part of a series.
The Children of Men is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
