I only wish I could call this book an easy read. To me, Atonement was a struggle, only because I knew such an emotional book could only end in heartbreak. I found Atonement hauntingly beautiful, and though I finished it three or four days ago, I find myself constantly thinking about the questions the book raises. My first Ian Mcewan, but definitely not my last. I am also planning on reading No Time For Romance, by Lucilla Andrews, whom Mcewan borrowed from to bring Atonement together.

I wanted to like this book (purchased it to read before I saw the movie). Parts of it were good, but overall, it just didn't provide any satisfaction. The themes were interesting ones, but the characters just never resonated with me. I felt like I struggled too much to "wade" through it. Just a nitpicky thing, but I got distracted several times by odd punctuation in the use of commas. At times it seemed well-written with lovely prose, but overall I have to say I didn't care for the book.

Wonderful book, if you can get through it. It is quite slow, especially at the beginning. But do push through--you'll be rewarded!

As much as this book is called a "love story," romance is merely a vehicle to get at the novel's bigger themes: family, mistakes, the written word, (self) forgiveness. A must read!

This book was beautifully written, I just couldn't get into the story. I'm not sure why, it just never pulled me in.

This book was beauitfully written. It was haunting yet sad in some parts. I agree with other ratings that this story carries with you days, weeks and in my case months later. I love this book and look forward in reading more by this great author.

I could not get past page 48 in this book and many of my book club felt the same way. His writing style is very descriptive, but to the point of stalling the action of the book. Sorry, but I have to say I hated this book and will NEVER read another book by this author.

with all books that have been turned into movies...i must say DO NOT watch the movie first. always read the book...it was beautiful. much more in depth, obviously, than the movie, and more touching.

what an exquisite book. Lush and detailed, this story follows the lives of a family in turmoil after a young girl mistakes the flirtations between her sister and the gardner as a crime. As she names the accused her actions haunt her for the rest of her life.
There are moments in this book where the descriptions of what was happening literally made me cry. McEwan's ability to describe another's thoughts and feelings leave you with a complete understanding of everyone's motives. The ending is haunting, leaving you to wonder what might have been.

I really wish I'd read the book before seeing the movie... The book is devastatingly beautiful, and it really sticks with you long after you've finished.

Good book that follows a family through twists and turns, deception and chaos. An easy read.

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I read this book right when the movie came out and it was being talked about by everyone. Perhaps due to the high expectations this created, I found the novel very disappointing. The characters were mostly unlikeable and I found myself ambivalent to whether they ended up happy or not. It was well-written, but I didn't find the story or the characters engaging. I kept with it, expecting it to get better, but was not satisfied.

I saw the movie first and then read the book. They are equally beautiful works of art. The book, of course, brings so much more of the story to life. The depth of the characters, the twists and turns of the story line are all so wonderful that I was very sad when the book ended.

Serious book. Makes you think.

One of my favorite books. This is a beautiful yet tragic love story.

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.

This book gets off to a _very_ slow start. Things don't really begin to pick up till about 1/3 of the way through, but after that, I found it very compelling and interesting. I haven't seen the film yet, but I wonder how they could have captured all the drama, which mostly takes place in the hearts and minds of the characters. I bet that, like many book adaptations, the movie probably tells only surface narrative, leaving aside all subtlety. Unlike some of the other readers here, I found certain scenes to be movingly romantic. I also enjoyed reading more about what life was like for Londoners during the war. I would recommend it if you feel you have the self-discipline to pull yourself through the first part of the book--I almost didn't make it, but I'm glad I slogged through it to get to the good stuff.

I bought this book at the airport to read on a business trip. It was a pretty quick read. It is not the kind of book I typically choose, but it is a good story. Would be good for a book club selection.

Interesting book, can't wait to see the movie to understand the ravings. IT started out slow, but mid-way things picked up and it was a very good book.

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