20 member(s) found this review helpful.
In the first part, we are inside the head of a 13-year-old woman-child with introspective literary leanings. After that strange terrain, we guys find more recognizable ground: retreating with the British Army to Dunkirk and being strafed, scared, hungry, lonely. This part rocks. In the third part we witness the fall-out of a lie that changes the lives of everybody near its telling. Finally, in the last part, a short part, oh the irony. Each part has its own appeal since McEwan writes pretty and lucid prose, at a good pace, for thinking adults.
19 member(s) found this review helpful.
I tried to read this book a few years ago, but I couldn't get into it. I must say, I'm glad I tried again. This time around, I couldn't put the book down. It's a beautifully written story, and the author perfectly captures the emotions of the characters and the moods of the situations. I can easily see why this was on Time magazine's list of 100 all-time novels. It was one of the best books I have read in a while. It's a captivating story and remarkably well-written.
12 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is one of the best books that I have ever read.
Mr. McEwan's writing is incredible. His descriptions of places and characters put the reader right in the scene. The author squeezes out of us a whole range of emotions while reading this book. We go from love to hate to fear to hope and despair.
I can't wait to read his others.
Mr. McEwan's writing is incredible. His descriptions of places and characters put the reader right in the scene. The author squeezes out of us a whole range of emotions while reading this book. We go from love to hate to fear to hope and despair.
I can't wait to read his others.
11 member(s) found this review helpful.
It is a quiet summer day in 1935 England. This otherwise peaceful day culminates in a single tragic event that entirely shapes the second part of the story. McEwan uses first half of book to describe this days happenings from many points of view. The replay of simple domestic activities through the eyes of one person after another slows the story at first. Story picks up intensity towards the end of part I.
The story is action filled WWII fiction in part II. The reason McEwan retells story from so many different points of view in part I becomes clear in last 50 pages. Recommended mostly for those who enjoy character driven fiction or European period writing.
Well written story, a Golden Globe winning film in 2007.
The story is action filled WWII fiction in part II. The reason McEwan retells story from so many different points of view in part I becomes clear in last 50 pages. Recommended mostly for those who enjoy character driven fiction or European period writing.
Well written story, a Golden Globe winning film in 2007.
11 member(s) found this review helpful.
I've just finished, and all I can say is... wow. Just wow. I stepped into this book (and the movie) knowing exactly what the ending was, but that didn't prepare me at all. Both movie and book made me cry about five times apiece. (Even on the second time I saw the movie.) You will genuinely feel for these characters-- you will hate Briony, you will empathize with Cecilia, but most of all, you will feel horrible for Robbie. Oh how I loved and pitied him! I credit Ian McEwan for giving a startlingly realistic depiction of the war and being able to evoke such human emotion. Read this book, or at the very least, see the movie. They're both excellent.
9 member(s) found this review helpful.
At first, this feels like one of those books that is well written, but somehow not entertaining enough. The insight into character is very true, very perceptive, but plot arrives at such a slow pace. And yet it's obviously very deliberate, very controlled writing. I enjoyed the old-fashioned character analysis and the way he handled the growing emotional connection between Cecelia and Robbie was beautiful. The way he made emotional catalysts equally as important as the physical to the plot line is quite remarkable. I think I liked the book--it's definitely one to contemplate more in the future. (They're making a movie of this soon and I honestly cannot imagine this will translate well to the screen--especially with the way it ends!)
8 member(s) found this review helpful.
Fantastic. He understands the psychology of his characters and gives great attention to detail.
8 member(s) found this review helpful.
Ultimately one of the best books I have ever read! Took a little while to get into and then the book just flies.
7 member(s) found this review helpful.
I can't decide whether I liked this book or didn't. The language is very flowery - so much so that you can skim entire pages and not miss what's going on. It was very easy to put down, but I was compelled to finish it. The story seems a little improbable - I understand that it was a different time, but I can't imagine the police taking the word of a child over the victim herself (who was unsure), and without investigating further. Some of the imagery is pretty stunning, and it was a good story, but probably not one I would re-read, or go out of my way to recommend. It reminded me of a play - not necessarily a bad thing. It would translate well to the theatre. Maybe I'm in a minority in my opinion about the brilliance of this book, but I was very lukewarm on it.
7 member(s) found this review helpful.
Once I got past the fist 90 pages, this book was absolutely wonderful. The setting up takes a while, but makes it so worth it because you can truly capture the mood of the characters. I could hardly put it down once I got into it.
4 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book was hard to get into. The author uses so much description that the plot gets lost at first. It does pick up as the book moves along, but it is still very, very descriptive. In the end, I can see why he wrote the way he did, but that doesn't mean the book improves in my estimation. It is a good story - very emotional once it gets going, with a plot twist or two that really do add depth. I'm glad I read it, but I can't say I recommend it.
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
I was really surprised at how much I disliked this book. It's one of those rarities where the movie was more enjoyable to me than the book. I couldn't even finish it because it just dragged on and on and the author was so redundant about the little girl and her fixation on her writings that it just bored me to tears.
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
A true masterpiece. Words can't do it justice. Truly captures an age in more ways than one. I was spellbound by this story from the first page, never knowing where it would take me, devouring every nuance, every breath the characters took, their very essences. I read it before I even knew a film was being made of it, and when I saw the film I was happy they had captured the spirit of the book, but no film will ever be able to portray everything that happens in this book.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is one of those books that you remember for a long time. A 13-year-old girl witnesses an act and constructs her own immature interpretation of it, with disastrous consequences for one man. As she matures, she realizes her error and tries to atone for it by becoming a nurse in wartime. The opening section is a bit slow at times, but the rest of the book is a real page-turner.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Just finished this book for my book club. I found it very boring. Very long verbous paragraphs. I will say the last third of the book is much better than the early portion. I didn't find the characters interesting. The war scences were good. Wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book was horribly boring. I don't recommend.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
The story is told of her life changing mistake as a young girl who dreams of being a writer in upper-middle-class interwar England, the effects on herself, family and friends, and her own effort to achieve atonement over the coming century, which leads to an exploration on the nature of writing itself.
The novel bears the name of its primary theme. Throughout the work, the reader can see the characters search for atonement. "I gave them happiness, but I was not so self-serving as to let them forgive me," Briony says at the end of the novel. Briony recognizes her sin (i.e., wrongfully accusing Robbie and ruining his and Cecilia's chance at a life together) and attempts to atone for it through writing her novel. She does not grant herself forgiveness; rather, she attempts to earn atonement through giving Robbie and Cecilia a life together in her writing...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atonement_(novel)
The movie Atonement didn't follow the book exactly, but the book did detail all that really happened.
The novel bears the name of its primary theme. Throughout the work, the reader can see the characters search for atonement. "I gave them happiness, but I was not so self-serving as to let them forgive me," Briony says at the end of the novel. Briony recognizes her sin (i.e., wrongfully accusing Robbie and ruining his and Cecilia's chance at a life together) and attempts to atone for it through writing her novel. She does not grant herself forgiveness; rather, she attempts to earn atonement through giving Robbie and Cecilia a life together in her writing...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atonement_(novel)
The movie Atonement didn't follow the book exactly, but the book did detail all that really happened.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I have tried to read this book several time and just couldn't get "into" it. A friend said that it doesn't get interesting until after the first few chapters.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
One of the best books I have ever read by one of my favourite authors.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
A beautifully crafted book with a satisfying ending. Riveting, emotional and strong.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I liked this book, but it was a very heavy read and I felt it was very thought provoking. And kind of made me sleepy at times. But the last bit really pulled me in as well. Contradicty much?
Most people have probably seen the movie and have a good idea of what the story is about. Let me tell you folks, it is an even more sad tale on the page than it was on the screen. Naturally, you get more into each of the characters and I think this really brings you to either fall more in love with them, or despise them more than you did before.
To read the rest of my review, please visit:
http://www.dorolerium.com/?p=515
Most people have probably seen the movie and have a good idea of what the story is about. Let me tell you folks, it is an even more sad tale on the page than it was on the screen. Naturally, you get more into each of the characters and I think this really brings you to either fall more in love with them, or despise them more than you did before.
To read the rest of my review, please visit:
http://www.dorolerium.com/?p=515
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
The story was interesting enough that it held my interest, but I wouldn't say it was one of the best books I've ever read. The story itself is very good, but there were parts when I think I just glazed over what was going on. Certain areas of the story I figured out long before they were revealed. Both my sister and brother-in-law tried to read the book, but neither got through it. Having said all that, I would not, however, recommend the book to a friend - the story is very slow moving.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I'm not a fan of Ian McEwan. No matter how many of his books I try to read I can't seem to get through them. The stories are inventive but he just gets so bogged down in details that the stories move to slow. Many people love his work but he just isn't for me.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I read this book for a bookclub 2 or 3 years ago and I still find myself thinking about it. It is a wonderful, complex story and a great read.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
A wonderful, fully developed story & great depth of characters. Parts of it are almost mysterious & haunting. A great story about love & betrayal.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is my all time favorite book. I found the characters fully fleshed and real. It took a bit to get through the beginning, but I was so happy that I did. It truly is all important and necessary, so if you're having trouble getting into the book I suggest you push yourself to do it. It's worth it. Ian McEwan is a modern master. A rare find.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I saw the movie first, then decided to read the book. I found the book to be very slow in the beginning and it struggled to keep my interest. But gradually it picked up until I found I didn't want to stop reading even though I knew how it ended. I enjoyed the book but I think I liked the movie better. Which is usually never the case.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Rather heavy - his writing is.....but at the same time, I like it.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I can't tell you how many times I picked this book up at the bookstore, because the story sounded good, but when I flipped through it, the prose put me off. I'm a chick lit kind of gal, and this book looked too...dense.
But, when I found a copy at my local friends of the library store, I decided to give it a try, because it only cost $1.
It took a LONG time to get into this book. By page 75, I still felt like I was waiting for something to hook me in. But it wasn't long before I was reading every chance I got, to see what would unfold next. Even the middle part of the book, the part that dealt with the war, held my interest, and I don't usually care for war stories.
BUT--and this is a big but--the ending just really irritated me to no end. I hated it. If I had not read the epilogue, I probably would have been left with a better view of this book. As it is, all I can think of now is how much I absolutely hated the ending. Although, I have to admit, I don't usually feel so strongly about a book, so even though it was a negative emotion, it still had a powerful affect on me, and I suppose that's the point?
I seriously doubt I'll read anything else by Ian McEwan.
Off to add the movie to my Netflix queue now, to see how well it was translated into film.
But, when I found a copy at my local friends of the library store, I decided to give it a try, because it only cost $1.
It took a LONG time to get into this book. By page 75, I still felt like I was waiting for something to hook me in. But it wasn't long before I was reading every chance I got, to see what would unfold next. Even the middle part of the book, the part that dealt with the war, held my interest, and I don't usually care for war stories.
BUT--and this is a big but--the ending just really irritated me to no end. I hated it. If I had not read the epilogue, I probably would have been left with a better view of this book. As it is, all I can think of now is how much I absolutely hated the ending. Although, I have to admit, I don't usually feel so strongly about a book, so even though it was a negative emotion, it still had a powerful affect on me, and I suppose that's the point?
I seriously doubt I'll read anything else by Ian McEwan.
Off to add the movie to my Netflix queue now, to see how well it was translated into film.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I just could not get into it. It reminded me of the blah-blah-blah-ness of Middlesex and I didn't want to put myself through that again.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I have to agree with firefly "This book was hard to get into. The author uses so much description that the plot gets lost at first. It does pick up as the book moves along, but it is still very, very descriptive. In the end, I can see why he wrote the way he did, but that doesn't mean the book improves in my estimation." Probably one of the 20 worst books I have ever read. 76 pages to get going, then it is only mildly interesting. Overall, persistence is the only reason I got through it. Ending is predictable, but equally lame. Got into a corner and did not know how to get out, so just erased the story.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I tried, but I couldn't get into it.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I hated this book - my friend likened it to a 'literary m@sturb@tion' - he wrote it just to hear what he had to say.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Be prepared for an all-nighter! Impossible to put down.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Enjoyed this story, the first of his I've read, and can't wait to see the movie. It's about a brattie girl who makes up a story about her sister and her sister's boyfriend, and the life changing course that this "rumor" causes. Shows her growing up and facing the mistakes she has made.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. I sat down and read it front to back without moving much -- I highly recommend it to anybody, and I cannot wait for the movie to come out very soon!
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book was difficult to get into, but overall a fair book.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book changed my life.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
A Booker Prize finalist. A NY Times Book Review Editor's Choice.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
couldn't get into it so never got past the first few pages.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I got stuck and could not finish it---someone else should enjoy it because the reviews were great.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
A lovely book. McEwan is a gited writer.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Really wonderful. This is one of the few books in recent years that I have read multiple times. McEwan creates characters very well; he does particularly well at creating believable children.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice
Selected Best Book of the Year
Winner National Book Critics Circle Award
Selected Best Book of the Year
Winner National Book Critics Circle Award
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Beautiful, simply beautiful.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Well written novel about the devastating consequences of a well intentioned action. It takes a few chapters to get engrossed, but then I couldn't put it down.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
One of the best books I've ever read. On a dark, pre-WW II night at a wealthy English family's estate, a pre-teen girl's jealousy of her older sister spurs her to make a shocking accusation, an accusation that in the end, along with the coming war, will forever alter the life of her sister and the man she loves. As the young girl grows and eventually nurses soldiers at a London hospital, she must come to grips with what she has done.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
very deep
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
0n a summer day in 1935,thurteen-year-old Briony Tallis witnesses the fliration between her older sister,Cecilia, and Robbie Turner,the son of a servant.Briony's incomplete grasp of adult motives and her percocious imagintion bring about a crime that will change all their lives.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
We read this in an AAUW book club. Great discussion! How a child's lie can change the lives of many people.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
First book I've read by McEwan, started a bit slow, but by the end I really loved it -- would like to read more of him.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Beautifully written and a true pleasure to read!
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Very moving story, very sad though. But beautifully written, I couldn't put it down.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Booker prize winner and national best seller.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Symphonic novel of love and war, childhood and class, guilt and forgiveness -- brilliant
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
The first half and the last half of this book were absorbing, but the middle section where Robbie Turner goes away to fight in the war seemed out of place and a bit drawn out.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
One of the best books I have read in a long time. Memorable story and characters.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Every sentence was wonderfully writtren and important to they story. So glad I found this author at PaperBackSwap. Will definetly be reading more of his work. National Bestseller. Booker Prize Finalist.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
good read...love it
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Very good book, definitely worthwhile to read.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
An amazing book.
Atonement is set in 1935, when 13-year-old Briony Tallis is a girl on the cusp of womanhood. Based on events she sees but doesn't quite understand, she becomes the reason an innocent man, (Robbie, her older sister's beau) is convicted of a crime that occurred on her family's estate. Years later during World War II, Briony is trying to atone for her guilt by working as a nurse tending to the mountainous piles of wounded that are arriving from Dunkirk, where Robbie himself is fighting. This is the faint outline of a novel about childhood, love, and war by acclaimed British novelist Ian McEwan that has garnered high praise from all quarters. The New York Times calls Atonement "his most complete and compassionate work to date." FROM ReviewsofBooks.com
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Most people love this book. Ian McEwan is a very well-liked author and this is supposedly one of his best books. It just didn't suit my tastes.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Ian McEwan’s symphonic novel of love and war, childhood and class, guilt and forgiveness provides all the satisfaction of a brilliant narrative and the provocation we have come to expect from this master of English prose.
On a hot summer day in 1935, thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis witnesses a moment’s flirtation between her older sister, Cecilia, and Robbie Turner, the son of a servant and Cecilia’s childhood friend. But Briony’s incomplete grasp of adult motives–together with her precocious literary gifts–brings about a crime that will change all their lives. As it follows that crime’s repercussions through the chaos and carnage of World War II and into the close of the twentieth century, Atonement engages the reader on every conceivable level, with an ease and authority that mark it as a genuine masterpiece.
Ian McEwan’s symphonic novel of love and war, childhood and class, guilt and forgiveness provides all the satisfaction of a brilliant narrative and the provocation we have come to expect from this master of English prose.
On a hot summer day in 1935, thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis witnesses a moment’s flirtation between her older sister, Cecilia, and Robbie Turner, the son of a servant and Cecilia’s childhood friend. But Briony’s incomplete grasp of adult motives–together with her precocious literary gifts–brings about a crime that will change all their lives. As it follows that crime’s repercussions through the chaos and carnage of World War II and into the close of the twentieth century, Atonement engages the reader on every conceivable level, with an ease and authority that mark it as a genuine masterpiece.
Well-written and engaging, this book really takes the reader for a ride. Contrary to some reviewers, I had no problem getting into the story from the very beginning. This is a rewarding story and is highly recommended.
I could not get into this book. It really dragged for me. Very confusing and all over the place.
Great book. The movie was well done, but the book is, too.
Another in my string of dislikes of Somebody's Book List books. I was reading this for a book club; I wouldn't have chosen it for myself. I didn't make it much past Chapter 4. Perhaps it's just that I don't care for 'literary fiction', by authors like McEwan who have clearly spent too much time with their dictionary and thesaurus, as his character Briony does.
I actually saw this movie before I read the book (which is the opposite of what usually happens).
I thought the prose of the writer was lovely - absolutely beautiful. However, I did think that Part One of the book was very slow and tedious reading. I felt that if I had not seen the movie, I might not have gotten through it. It's rambling and seemingly pointless at times.
Once past Part One, it moves at a much more lively pace. I liked this book (although it is quite sad!) Would definitely recommend, just keep in mind you'll be trudging through the first bit.
I thought the prose of the writer was lovely - absolutely beautiful. However, I did think that Part One of the book was very slow and tedious reading. I felt that if I had not seen the movie, I might not have gotten through it. It's rambling and seemingly pointless at times.
Once past Part One, it moves at a much more lively pace. I liked this book (although it is quite sad!) Would definitely recommend, just keep in mind you'll be trudging through the first bit.
What a lovely read. That said i must also say, What a sad and frustrating read. Sad, because as children, things can be said and done that they have no idea of what will happen because of their words or deeds. Frustrating because i wanted evrything to turn out differently. I do realize in life this does not happen the way we want all so often. I must also tell you that i saw the movie, it was wonderful, but the book is always better. This is a deep novel and will leave you almost breathless. One i really would read again and again, as there is alot to pick up each time the book is opened.
This is depressing. It was hard to get through. I understand McEwan's thought process but it did not hold my interest. I found myself hating it in the end. It was not what I expected. Very sad emotional story.
In this novel, when Ian McEwan writes a sentence, it stays written.
This book wasn't something I would enjoy. However, many people loved it. I think it's a matter of personal taste.
Really good book!! The first third of the book I thought was kind of dry and hard to get into, but once you get through that, the rest is great! At first, I got really annoyed with the abundance of description, it seemed sometimes that whole chapters were simply descriptions of people, places or events. After some time though, I started to appreciate his writing style and it made the book so much more enjoyable.
Welllllll.....the first time I read it, I must say that I scanned it rather quickly looking for the meat of the story only realizing until after I had seen the movie, that my impatience caused me to completely miss the beat and nuances of this wonderful book. I picked it up again and could not believe what a treasure I missed the first time round. If you find it hard to get into, please go see the movie and then pick it up again. You will
clearly appreciate it much better. It is a gem of a book.
clearly appreciate it much better. It is a gem of a book.
Wow! I just finished this book last night and am still digesting it. This is a story of a misunderstanding that compounds on itself, leading to horrible repercussions. It was extremely well-written. McEwan draws you into the psyche of each character. I found myself sympathizing with almost all of them--even when I despised their behavior. I would recommend this to anyone that loves to be absorbed by excellent literature.
Excellent condition
I had an order for this book on 1/17/07. I have been doing inventory at work and just saw the order. Now it isn't on my list so I can't mail it. Sorry. I still have it and will send it.
I had an order for this book on 1/17/07. I have been doing inventory at work and just saw the order. Now it isn't on my list so I can't mail it. Sorry. I still have it and will send it.
I really enjoyed this book. I am in a small book club and one of the other guys suggested it as a club book. It has a few "twists" in it. It was fun to read and very interesting to talk about.
The story was so devastating that I had to put it down. If you are tender hearted, and if reading a sad book has, from time to time, ruined your day, then you might want to think twice about this one.
One of that year's most acclaimed novels. If you haven't read it you should. I always give extra points to an author who attempts to write a character completely different from what they themselves are. Ian McEwan does this beautifully, telling a story from the point of view of a young girl and never faltering.
interesting story
I loved this book so much, I had to get a second copy to pass on.
My book club was enthusistic
This is a well-written book, rather unsentimental -- self-conscious and insightful about the power of a novelist. I did not particularly care for any of the characters so was not as touched by the series of tragic events that take place. There is incredibly graphic and documentary coverage of the what it was like to be a nurse in London at the beginning of WWII. It's a phenomenatl read, and even though it involves a love story it is not a tearjerker for that reason. Love and War, Peace and Deception.
One of my favorite books. World War I and II era novel, told through several different perspectives, following the story of a family and its dissolution. Focuses most closely on the life of the youngest girl, Briony, who has to grow up quickly, first due to an event she witnesses and fails to comprehend when she's young, and then due to her participation in the war.
Grat story!
Booker Prize Finalist. "symphonic novel of love and war, childhood and class, guilt and foregiveness" Set in England in the years before and during WWII.
One summer day in 1935, thirteen year old Briony Tallis witnesses the flirtation between her older sister, Cecilia, and Robbie Turner, son of a servant. But Briony's incomplete grasp of adult motives and her precocious imagination bring about a crime whose repercussions Atonment follows through the chaos and carnage of WWII and into the close of the twentith century.
compassionate work - seductive and redemptive.
Excellent writing! Great storyteller!
Classic Ian McEwan.