Atonement
by Ian McEwan
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Book Summary Information
Author: Ian McEwanEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2002-05-02
ISBN: 0099429799
Number of pages: 384
Publisher: Random House
Book Reviews of Atonement
Book Review: Brilliant work of fiction intrigues and then rewrites itself
Summary: 5 Stars
In Atonement, Ian McEwan has written a marvelous book. We peer deep into the workings of characters--their psychologies are rich and complex, their motivations too developed to fit neatly together. The book triumphs in its portrayal of the mind of a thirteen year old girl--an accomplished feat, considering the gender and age of the author! The girl's world is beautiful and immature, and this world--so very real to her--comes into startling collision with the realities of adults. The novel is woven of colliding realities: different perceptions of what *is* come into painful dispute.
My only objection to the novel is its very light treatment of a sexual assault. The event--though central to the story--seems to be more of a plot device than anything else. The horror of that event is dwarfed by the worries of other characters. This use of rape is cheap and unkind. It's not a fatal flaw for the novel, but it leaves the book short of something masterful.
And yet, the twists, at the end of the novel were indeed masterful. For me, the sudden revelations at the end of the book forced me to rethink the novel. Despite my one misgiving about the novel, its stellar characters and remarkable transformations at the conclusion left me awestruck and aglow. Upon putting down the book I did--and do now--feel that I finished something of a masterpiece.
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