The antagonist of the novel, Xan Lyppiatt, is a terrifying figure not because he is a villain in the traditional sense, but because he is the ultimate bureaucrat. As the Warden of England, he has established a society that is safe, orderly, and comfortable. The elderly are cared for (perhaps too well, in the chilling "Quietus" scenes), crime is low, and the trains run on time.
The plot ignites when a young, radical woman named approaches Theo. She claims to be part of a secret resistance group known as The Five Fish (derived from the miracle of the loaves and fishes). Their claim is impossible: Julian is five months pregnant . the children of men p. d. james 9780571204007
| Feature | Film (2006) | Novel (ISBN 9780571204007) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Young (Clive Owen) | Middle-aged (60+ in the book) | | Pregnancy | Global miracle | Biologically confusing, but plausible | | The Warden | Jasper Palmer (benevolent) | Xan Lyppiatt (Theo’s cousin, complex rival) | | Action Level | High (guerrilla warfare, car chases) | Low (psychological tension, journal entries) | | Ending | Ambiguous, hopeful | Dark, ambiguous, deeply theological | The antagonist of the novel, Xan Lyppiatt, is
Buy it. Read it by a window during a grey winter afternoon. And when you finish, you will never look at a crying child or a crowded street the same way again. The plot ignites when a young, radical woman