McEwan and Me

[rhetoretician]

Yesterday I finished reading Ian McEwan's magnificent 2001 novel Atonement.

I'm still shell-shocked; every few minutes when I'm not otherwise occupied, my mind drifts back to this novel and I lose all sense of myself. It moved and troubled me, and I cannot find my way out of the conundrum it presents.

I have a lot to say about it, but I'm

Comments

[moonette1]

Can I read under the cut if I saw the movie? The movie stayed with me for days. Have you seen it? And how does it compare to the book? I read the first chapter on line a few weeks ago, and it doesn't seem to be the easiest prose to get through.

[rhetoretician]

Hi Annette! I haven't seen the movie, but it's in my queue on Netflix.

The difficult prose, I think, is mainly in the first few chapters, when he's mimicking Jane Austen. It gets easier as one goes. (Also the unabridged book-on-tape version makes even the difficult prose easier. )

[rosathome]

The film does a good job of conveying a story that is literary in its style and themes. I was pleased that they found a way of keeping the ending so profoundly unsatisfying in the film and didn't try to make things neater. The book is much, much richer as you'd expect, though. It's really worth persevering with.

[tdu000]

Read the book. I enjoyed the film but it doesn't really do the book justice and that's a reflection on the book rather than the film.

[rosathome]

I do think that Ian McEwan is possibly one of the greatest English language novelists of the moment. I loved Atonement and I was blown away last summer by On Chesil Beach, but my favourite of the books of his I've read is Saturday. I have been meaning to read Enduring Love as well.

I think you're right to notice similarities between your work and his. I hadn't made the particular link between Counting to Five Thousand and Atonement, but I think there is something about the exploration of events, choices and consequences in your work which matches themes that are common in McEwan's writing.

[rhetoretician]

Hi, Ros!

If that's so, then I want to read more of his writing. Whenever fiction moves me, I think it's because of such things as choices and consequences.

Saturday was on the list I got from Roxanna Robinson in June. I'll probably read that one next.

[girlspell]

I have the book sitting on my desk. I haven't got to it yet. It came the other day from Amazon.

Of course I loved five Thousand. I recall my favorite part was the first scene where everyone was so hopeful. Afterwards, when all the heart break came and the powerful ending, I had to go back and read the first scene again. I don't know the sitatuation in Atonment, but I will keep in mind the situation with Ginny. I have heard it is very powerful....and with a title like that, you know it's very serious.

I didn't know they are making a film about it.

[rhetoretician]

Hi, Rachel!

Yeah, they made a 2007 film with Keira Knightly and James McAvoy. It was nominated for Best Picture in the U.S., and won Best Picture in Britain.

[madderbrad]

*Makes a note to read 'Atonement'*

[rhetoretician]

Hi Brad! Do, definitely. It's worth it.