BOOK REVIEW: Atonement by Ian McEwan

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 1934, 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.




I missed the boat on this one too. Something about these must read classics. Atonement..... or as I like to call it ABorement.

Briony is a story teller. And then she witnessed some flirtatious behavior happen between her sister Cecilia and friend Robbie. Briony is 13 years old and she doesn't understand what she saw. Of course, she doesn't confront Cecilia or asks about anything she saw. This leads to various occurrences and suspicious, leading her to says that Robbie is guilty of a horrific crime.

LIAR!

I started liking the book after the first bit. The first half of the book I wanted to fall asleep and/or gauge my eyes out. Then it finally picked up in the later half.  This was because there finally seemed to be a plot, a purpose.  Robbie is back from war, him and Cecilia are married, Briony is successful and all are happy. Minue the fact that Cecilia and Briony don't talk to each other. I mean, do you blame them?

I get why its acclaimed, the writing is done very well, but it didn't hold any interest to me.

So,do I recommend it? No. Save your classic reads for something else...

Or go watch the movie. I may do that just to see what the hype is really about...

This review is lame. I'm sorry.