On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of On Chesil Beach
Book Review: not wedded bliss
Summary: 3 Stars
Don't recommend this book to your mother. It's 1962 England, and two virgins, Florence and Edward, have just begun their honeymoon in a resort inn. Somehow their marriage has, in their minds, plunged them into adulthood and freedom, following their chaste, almost Victorian-style romance. However, from a sexual standpoint, Florence is completely unprepared and disgusted by the thought of penetration. Edward, on the other hand, has refrained from self-pleasuring for a week, which, for him, is a lengthy abstinence. He is beside himself with lust, but some of his crude pre-marriage advances caused weeks of sulking on Florence's part, so that he is understandably cautious. This book is so short that it's hard to say much without giving away the climax, pun intended. Suffice it to say that there's a major communication breakdown between these two, perhaps reflective of their socio-economic gap. Florence is an ambitious violinist from a chilly but wealthy family, while Edward has had a rural upbringing and is somewhat directionless and volatile. I'm not sure what the author is trying to say here, except that perhaps Florence is more buttoned-up and Edward more emotionally transparent because of their backgrounds, but I don't really think those stereotypes lend much to the story. More to the point is that they both seem to suffer from the common delusion that their partner is a mindreader. Certainly they have not yet learned that marriage means constantly having to say you're sorry while you gulp down your pride.Book Review: not what I thought
Summary: 2 Stars
After watching atonement, I wanted to read more material by Ian McEwan.. so this was my choice. Wonderful pose and writing style, but I couldnt say I enjoyed the story. I kept wanting to like it and hoped it would get more interesting. In a nut shell it was about a newly married virgin couple that goes into their mind process of dealing with sex and flashback to how they met and their interaction with the rest of the world; which seemed a little off for the period of the book. I will try another of Ian's book, but this short novel lacked subtance.Book Review: on chesil beach
Summary: 4 Stars
Unlike McEwan's "Saturday", this story does not take place all in a single day,but still, most of the story centers on the events of a twenty-four hour period. The author's inimitable use of foreshadowing made this reader want to climb into the story and "do a little counseling". The inability of the two central characters to communicate their inmost emotions leads to unbelievably sad and irreparable consequences for them.
Fortunately, the story can be read in one or two sittings, so the final resolution isn't long in coming.
Book Review: very dated
Summary: 1 Stars
As always McEwan writes very well but as often his material is uninteresting and even dated. The only saving grace of the book (which is more like a novella), and the only reason I even finished it, is that you can read it in under two hours. McEwan seems to have fallen prey to the unfortunate fate of many famous authors (and rock stars); he is too isolated from the realities of daily life that he is lacking in good ideas on which to use his outstanding talents.