The Cement Garden by Ian McEwan (1978): A Review
Title : The Cement Garden Author : Ian McEwan Publication Year : 1978 Rating : ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 Pages : 152 Source : physical book Genre : literary fiction First, let me begin with a warning: if you are uncomfortable with taboo subjects in almost any form, The Cement Garden is probably not the book for you. Please protect your peace and maybe go read something with a cottage and a harmless scone. Now that the warning is out of the way: yes, the beginning is disturbing, and yes, the ending is deeply disturbing. But taken as a whole, this is a brilliantly unsettling little book. And I do mean little in size only, because emotionally it is full of decay, grief, neglect, sexuality, family dysfunction, adolescence, isolation, and moral discomfort. The story is narrated by Jack, one of four children who find themselves without parents and decide to hide the truth in order to avoid social services and stay together in the family home. Of course, this disaster is not entirely sudden. These chil...
