NUMBER: 54TITLE: Atonement
AUTHOR: Ian McEwan
STARTED: September 18, 2007
FINISHED: September 26, 2007
PAGES: 351
GENRE:Fiction
FIRST SENTENCE: The play - for which Briony had designed the posters, programs and tickets, constructed the sales booth out of folding screen tipped on its side, and lined the collection box in crepe paper - was written by her in a two day tempest of composition, causing her to miss a breakfast and a lunch.
SUMMARY: [From barnesandnoble.com] 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.
REASON FOR READING: It was selected for the first book in my reading group that my friends and I formed a month ago.
THOUGHTS: I think I am going to have to find a better way/time to review the books I read for the new book club. After the lengthy discussion we had last week, I have almost nothing left to say about this book. I guess, in the future, I link my reviews of the book to the notes from that night's discussion.
So, since I have no desire to opine about Atonement, I give you the cop-out of the list!
1. I hated the first section of this book. And, when I say hated, I mean HATED. There was almost nothing redeeming to that part of the text for me. The writing was heavy and dragged for pages. I just wanted to smack the characters. I know the section was supposed to be set-up for the rest of the book, but it really made me want to put the novel down. The language was over-done bordering on eye-roll inducing, the characters felt flat, and the plot just left me snoozing.
2. BUT! I loved the rest of the book. After the first section, Atonement turned into a book for me to love. (Love story set during a war? Cha.) The attention to detail that McEwan gave the scenes was masterful. In many ways, I felt like McEwan was writing for film. I could picture the cinematography in my head. The characters finally came to life - they had depth and emotion. I finally found myself drawn to their stories and empathizing with their situations.
3. This book was very meta. It was a story within a book withing a story. While most of this does not reveal itself in its entirety until the very end - there were major hints of the cyclical nature of the book throughout the story. In some ways, however, I felt like McEwan was trying to hard. I know that McEwan is considered a genius by many, but something about the way he writes makes me think he's full of himself. I don't need to be told you're smarter than me. Show me your skill in the writing. The best genius is the subtle genius and there was nothing subtle about this story.
MISCELLANEOUS: I can't wait for the movie. Hello James McAvoy.
RATING: 7/10 [Very Good]
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