The Children's Hospital / Chris Adrian

The Children's Hospital
by Chris Adrian

copyright 2006
read in August 2013
rated 2 / 10: unreadably bad

Perhaps I was a bit under the weather. Perhaps I really needed some light relief. Perhaps my view of a book is coloured by my mood.

I totally failed to get into this book.

I read the first few pages. There's an angel telling the story... No, I have no idea why.

There's a hospital for the seriously challenged birthing. A separate hospital for the seriously challenged newborn babies. Separate buildings connected only by a pedestrian bridge. Birth and care of the newborn physically separate ? No, I have no idea why.

The main character is a trainee maternity nurse who does not enjoy her work. One birth for the day and she's had enough... She interrupts her boyfriend -- drags him away from helping save a baby -- to have sex in a spare bed.

The story (?) so far... interspersed with reference to blood, vaginas, deformity.

So far, so... What's the word I want ? Oh yes: So far, so bloody awful.

Not helped by the small print and dense, rambling -- jumping all over the place -- prose.

I gave up.

"Playful, very funny, moving", if you believe the cover. Or rather unpleasant rubbish. Take your pick.

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