Back cover reads: On a summer day in 1935, young Briony Tallis witnesses a moment's flirtation between her older sister, Cacilia, and Robbie Turner, the son of a servant. But Briony's misunderstanding of adult motives and her precocious imagination bring about a crime that will change all their lives, a crime whose repercussions Atonement follows through the chaos and carnage of World War II and into the close of the 20th century.
This was an OK book. It didn't follow WWII as much as the back flap would lead you to believe. Half of it was spent in one day of story-time.
McEwan is a great writer. His characterization and plot was superb, and I really enjoy reading it up until the end. I won't spoil it here, but the ending was a complete disappointment and left me doubting McEwan's skill at properly executing anything else he might write. I'm mystified by how this became a movie. I think it would be horribly botched and messy in film format. It is a good story, and I enjoyed his writing, but the ending is the most important part of the story once you've been hooked, isn't it? The climax should be good. Instead, I felt cheated as a reader. If you read it, you may know what I am saying.
I have a longer complaint on my reader's blog if anyone is curious: What am I reading?
Has anyone else read this? I would love to swap opinions.
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Atonement was my first exposure to Ian McEwan's work, so I read it without anything with which to compare it, and I'm not sure how that influenced my opinion. I think I might be going against the grain here, but I actually really liked the ending. Though that might be because I've just come out of a Year 12 English Lit course where they almost drowned us in the whole post-modern "all texts are constructs and no one version of reality is absolute truth" jazz.
[spoiler]Though I suppose I can see how it could come across as gimmicky, I have to admit that I found the notion of Robbie and Cecilia living on together through Briony's story as intriguing and quite touching.
I don't know how articulate this will come across, but I'll do my best. When I was reading the scenes that didn't actually happen, I still believed that they were happening, and Briony's later confession that they were a product of her imagination didn't take away the fact that, on my first reading, I did believe them to be real. Robbie and Cecilia were still very real and alive in my mind, and though, having finished the book, I now know they were dead, it's still a little difficult to let go of that slightly romantic notion. And I like that.
I'm not sure if McEwan intended for a reader to go further, but my Lit-nerd mind did, and it made me ponder -- technically, all the characters in the story are constructions of the author; none truly are real. So even though "in reality", two of them died, if another characters writes about them being alive, to what extent does that negate "reality"?[/spoiler]
Eesh. I told you I probably wouldn't be very articulate! Sometimes I think I get a little too philosophical for my own good
In regards to my opinion of the movie ... the jury's still out, I'm afraid. I was impressed by its faithfulness to the book, and it's a total feast for the eyes. But I enjoyed my second viewing far less than my first, and I don't really have much desire to watch it again in a hurry.
I started to read it, because my mum said it was really good, but I just couldn't get into it.
The beginning where Briony is putting on a play with the other kids is just...well, boring. It might have been an okay book, but I won't find out; the beginning didn't make me want to read any further, so I won't.
This looks like a great book, I must add it to my 'to buy' list...
I just finished Atonement a week ago and I enjoyed it but was also disappointed by the end.
The bit with the soldier very nearly made me cry; which wasn't great because I was sat in a cafe on my lunch break at the time.
I loved McEwan's characters and settings, but the end was a bit of an anti-climax.
[spoiler]It was like 'Oh by the way Cecilia and Robbie die'[/spoiler]
I really want to see the film now that I've read the book.
Alainna
xxx
I want to read more of his books too, Suz.
I really liked Atonement (both the movie and the book). For me the tragedy of the story lessened the emotional satisfaction, but ratcheted up my intellectual satisfaction. Or maybe I'm just a sucker for story about a writer that explores the bond between sisters and includes war and romance.
Seconded on the part about the French soldier, Suzanne. I thought it was well done in the movie as well, considering how much they had to shorten the exchange. Very, very sad, but beautifully written and acted.
If you know the film ending, you'll know the book ending. Having said that, the film lacks the subtlety and richness of the book.
It's still really worth reading even if you have already seen the film.
I haven't read the book, but I saw the movie. I thought the movie was superb, and I cried at the end. So, I'm not sure if the ending ist he same for the book and movie, but I liked the movie ending.
Yep, Cecilia!
Yeah, I could see how revealing the truth to the characters would make good shock value, but as a reader, I just felt like I had been lied to. I don't think you should deceive your readers...
I have read other works by McEwan and it seems like they are better executed than Atonement. I haven't read it or seen the movie yet, though I plan to do both.
I agree whole-heartedly that McEwan is an amazing writer and it kind of disappoints me that Atonement doesn't have all its shit together like it should.
If the ending is anything like what you were guessing that really too bad.
It still hasn't put me off reading it though.
Isn't her name Cecilia? Or am I just totally off?
Cal.
Well. I saw the movie, but I havem't read the book. I know my dad really liked it, though.
And so the ending. From what you said, it seems to me like you thought it was gimmicky and stupid. I didn't feel that way, but then again, I didn't read it; I could see how it could be worse reading the actual book (if you know what I mean; I'm being purposely vague to avoid spoilers). In the movie, though, they were able to use it for shock value, and it did cause me to have a bit of a cold realization. But not that cold, because I was never that attached to the characters.
And while that might have had something to do with the fact that I was late to the film and missed a bit of it, my major qualm with the movie was that it (IMO) tried too hard to be artsy and creative and neat. I read review in my local paper that said that it was the kind of movie that won awards, but wasn't anyone's favorite. With that I agreed whole-heartedly.
That's my take.