'Atonement' by Ian McEwan is a gripping novel that follows the lives of characters haunted by a crime set in 1935, spanning through WWII and old age. The story delves into the consequences of a youthful mistake made by a young girl, Briony, and how it shapes the lives of those around her. The novel intricately weaves together themes of love, memory, guilt, and atonement, portraying the impact of misunderstandings and false accusations on relationships and destinies.
McEwan's writing style in 'Atonement' is described as beautifully compelling, with rich prose that immerses the reader in different worlds and vividly depicts the minds of characters, especially a 13-year-old girl on the brink of adulthood. The narrative unfolds in three parts, each exploring different stages of the characters' lives, from youthful love to wartime challenges and the quest for redemption, making the story both captivating and emotionally resonant.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Atonement includes themes of sexual assault, false accusations, war violence, and trauma, which may be triggering for some readers.
Has Romance?
Atonement features a significant romantic storyline between Cecilia and Robbie, which drives the emotional depth of the narrative.
From The Publisher:
National Bestseller
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.
Ratings (89)
Incredible (13) | |
Loved It (33) | |
Liked It (21) | |
It Was OK (13) | |
Did Not Like (7) | |
Hated It (2) |
Reader Stats (189):
Read It (92) | |
Want To Read (73) | |
Did Not Finish (2) | |
Not Interested (22) |
2 comment(s)
I tried so hard to like this book, I really did, but it was just insufferably boring. I did not like a single character, and after reading half of it, i just gave up. Beautiful writing, but reading it was so empty, given that it told such a long and drawn out story. Briony is so irritating that this book is the perfect form of birth control.
This magnificent book will certainly become a classic. McEwan does a wonderful job questioning the innocence of children, and the apathy of society. Atonement's message is all too real and stirring, leaving the reader questioning their morals and their sense of reality. It's a spectacular, twisting, riveting story that's told through the eyes of several characters in a non-linear, broken first-person narrative.
What can you read after
Atonement?
About the Author:
Ian McEwan is the bestselling author of seventeen books, including the novels Nutshell; The Children Act; Sweet Tooth; Solar, winner of the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize; Saturday; Atonement, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award and the W. H. Smith Literary Award; The Comfort of Strangers and Black…
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