ATONEMENT
Ian McEwan

Synopsis: On a summer day in 1935, thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis witnesses the flirtation between her older sister, Cecilia, and Robbie Turner, the son of a servant. But Briony's incomplete grasp of adult motives and her precocious imagination bring about a crime that will change all their lives, a crime whose repercusions Atonement follows through the chaos and carnage of World War II and into the close of the twentieth century.

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January 27, 2008

"My darling one, you are young and lovely, But inexperienced, and though you think The world is at your feet, It can rise up and tread on you." - Part One, Ch. 1

Review: After reading the first few pages of this book, I really thought that I would hate it. I found Ian McEwan's writing style to be annoying. The excessive verbiage did not impress me, instead it made me scoff at his pretentiousness. I am so over the opportunist who feels the need to show off his literary expertise at every turn.

In the first part, the writing was so distracting that it made it difficult to read. I didn't like Part II either, and it was not because of the overly descriptive writing, but the fact that it was so boring that the storyline dragged on. Thankfully Part III was better than the previous parts (but I think it was partially because I was getting closer to the end). Then came the ending... be prepared for the emotional manipulation. The little twist at the end puts everything into a new light. It made me reconsider everything I had read and I realized the clever way the book was written.

I knocked off a few stars for its predictability and the fact that it was tedious. I have not seen the movie yet, but I honestly believe that this may translate better on film than on paper. I usually hate when certain sections of a book are cut out of the movie version, but for Atonement...I think it will do it some good, it would be a more enjoyable experience this way.

NAVIGATION

CHALLENGES

BIBLIOPHILE