I haven't read this book's classic prequel, 'The Iron Man', so any comparisons I have are from the fantastic 1999 Disney film adaptation, 'The Iron Giant'. With that film's focus on friendship blooming out of a shared feeling of otherness and how that clashes with the paranoid Cold War backdrop of 1950s America - this setting, however, is where the film deviates from the book - 'The Iron Woman' comes as a shock to those expecting a tale of companionship.It becomes clear early on that this story, and the Iron Woman herself, is retaliating to the built-up destruction of the planet by humanity's excesses and waste. DESTROY THE POISONERS.THE IGNORANT ONES.DESTROY THE POISONERS.THE IGNORANT ONES.THE RUBBISHERS.DESTROY.THE RUBBISHERS.DESTROY.These robotic lamentations should convince the reader of her seemingly mechanical origins, however these are the cries of the river and its wildlife, of which she is born. We learn that this river is linked to a nearby waste disposal plant, which is beginning to kill everything natural nearby to it due to its rapacious growth as a business. After discovering the Iron Woman emerging from the muddy swamps of the river, Lucy - our protagonist and counterpart to Hogarth in 'The Iron Man' - is paid a visit in the middle of the night by the Iron Woman, whereby she is presented with flowers. This rare moment of tenderness - showing an affinity and love for nature shared between the woman and girl, who on the surface are polar opposites - is quickly followed by the enduring, and much less idyllic, imagery of the book. The Iron Woman shows Lucy a fiery tunnel cut into the river revealing its various inhabitants writhing, contorting and crying in pain; Otters, Kingfishers, Frogs, all presenting their unique wounds from a polluted environment. Most important of all, at the end of this hellish parade, a baby "simply crying - the wailing, desperate cry of a human baby when it cries as if the world has ended". Hughes really doesn't soften the ecological message intended for his young readership; the fantastical scenes have a very real, matter-of-factness about them. Even the surreal humour of the factory workers and ignorant townspeople, transforming into all varieties of fish and pond life, asks the horrific question of 'is it too late? Have we gone too far?'. Despite the positive ending to the book, those questions will be the resounding sentiments to its readers. A hugely important book for children to read and one that won't stop being relevant until humanity rethinks its approach to how it treats this planet. These issues are all presented as being something that future generations can change and be actively responsible for. Most significantly it achieves what we, and especially children, often hope to find in a book; that it changes our outlook and approach to life for the better.
I thought this book started strongly. The arrival of the Iron Woman, and her purpose in coming, are powerful and engaging. However, it ended up being weak both in comparison to The Iron Man and in its own right. I don't like the suggestion that the world would fall into chaos if all the men disappeared, leaving only women; it's too old-fashioned a view for 1993 when the book was published, or even the late 60s/early 70s, when we can assume it is set (Hogarth not being grown-up yet); women coped extremely well both times all the men went to war! Anyway, apart from that, the climax is too far-fetched to be enjoyable or engaging, and the ultimate solution to the problem is deeply unsatisfying.
What do You think about The Iron Woman (1994)?
O what a lovely little book, and wonderful illustrations to match the narrative.Written by Ted Hughes, so I guess the language was going to be beautiful, but it was also quite quirky and I had some laugh out loud moments.Scenario - large awful factory belching forth and filling the waterways with pollution, river creatures screaming in their death throes.Arise from the swamp o Iron Women and avenge the creatures. Enlist your old friend the Iron Man and two courageous children!Turn the menfolk of the factory into creatures who end up languishing in baths and swimming pools !Brilliant !
—zespri
Yes you guessed it more holiday reading- well this was a trip down memory lane as i read this first to my son many years ago after i had read him the iron giant (after he in turn had seen the animated film - which as much fun as it is is nothing like the book). Well as a random (and yes i really mean random selection look at the other titles i read while away) this was a quick and fun read. Its not got the same impact of the iron giant but it when written it was aimed at a different audience with a different message all the same - a little slice of my history.
—Andrew
After reading The Iron Man I was keen to read the sequel, the lesser known Iron Woman. From the start this book has the same descriptive power as the Iron Man but in a much darker sense. The writing is full of lucid imagery which is so typical of Hughes yet the tone is more serious than the Iron Man; more of a thriller or possibly a horror story by comparison. The story begins with Lucy’s encounter of an eel, on her way home from school, and her being in no doubt that it was in need of help and that “Something was wrong with it”. Shortly after we witness the ‘birth’ of the Iron Woman and discover that she is intent on reaping revenge on mankind for the pain and suffering caused by our thoughtless pollution of the rivers. It creates a bleak picture that reflects our lack of regard for the environment as a whole.Lucy is compromised. On one side there is her own love and fascination of nature that fuels her desire to help the Iron Woman make people see the harm they continue to do by choosing to pumping untreated chemicals into the local rivers for the sake of making more profits. And on the other side her father is one of the many local townsmen who work at the factory and therefore is punished, by the Iron Woman, for wanton destruction of the environment and of recklessly inflicting pain and suffering on the water creatures.The use of repetition in the writing attempts to bring home the relentless suffering cause to wildlife by humans and this does works, although at times it can also make the story feel dragged out. The revenge dealt on the accused for their actions is fanciful and attempts to be humorous in places with the overarching paradigm being ‘you reap what you sow’. Despite the noble message I doubt most higher KS2 pupil will reach that conclusion without the input and guidance of a dedicated adult. This book would benefit from being part of a wider environmental awareness lesson wherein it would serve as informative but have a chance to be explained and put in a wider context
—Debbie Rosaman
