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“come back, come back to me.”
- Ian McEwan, Atonement
Review of the book in a word -
Ruritanian : with an exciting and romantic story
Introduction
Book’s Name - Atonement
Author’s Name - Ian McEwan
Genre - Novel, Psychological Fiction, Bildungsroman, Social novel, Domestic Fiction
Characters - Briony Tallis, Robbie Turner, Cecilia Tallis, Emily Tallis, Leon Tallis
Awards - National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction, Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Fiction
Language - British English
“Not everything people did could be in a correct, logical order, especially when they were alone.”
The British picaresque novel "Atonement" by Ian McEwan is an artistic gala, better called a literary feast, which is written in engaging prose and is loaded with life-changing minutes and unforgettable moments between the characters. It is a novel concerning the understanding of the requirement for personal atonement.
The story covers how the fascination of a young, confused, clueless, high society girl's half-guiltless mistake that goes up to ruining numerous lives and has devastating outcomes, including her adulthood in the shadow of that very mis-step, and an impression of it is seen in the nature of writing.
As the title justifies, it is the tale of a future's artist’s gigantic effort to make up for herself for ruining a young man's character when she was young. It is books such as Atonement by Ian McEwan that bear witness to the magic of the written word.
The symphonic novel of childhood and guilt, class and forgiveness, love and war gives all the fulfillment of a brilliant story and the incitement we have come to expect from this master of English composition.
The design of the novel excellently suits the story. Throughout the book, different perspectives are conveyed at precisely the right time to make it convincing.
There's an agreeable delicacy, playfulness and perkiness to the composing style in the first part of the novel. But the story gets logically and duly less cheerful.
Book Blurb
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Set in three distinct spheres of time, the initial one being 1935 set in England, Second World War there and in France, and finally present-day England, the book starts with the beginnings of a play– an appropriate metaphor.
For the entire book, is a work of theatricals– a distraction to take you away from this present reality of the writer, and into the universe of her imagination and creative mind.
There's an unmistakable and believable romantic tension among Cecilia and Robbie since the start, even before they understood their loving affections for each other.
In spite of the fact that they grew up together, it took them some effort and time to realize that their relationship was advancing into something more deeper.
Amidst this romantic tension, on a day in the flaming summer of 1935, a 13-year-old Briony from a far off window spots the flirtation between her elder sister, Cecilia and Robbie Turner, a working-class man, near the fountain.
Later, when Robbie asked Briony to deliver a love confession letter to Cecilia, her misinterpretation of their relationship became even greater.
Briony couldn’t hear them, but her inadequate grasp of grown-up intentions and adult motives, in addition to her gifted creative mind and inventive imagination were immediately ignited by the events that she witnessed.
Ultimately leading to a crime that will change all their lives, wrongdoing whose repercussions Atonement follows through the chaos and massacre of World War II and into the end of the 20th century.
The Setting/Narration
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“How guilt refined the methods of self-torture, threading the beads of detail into an eternal loop, a rosary to be fingered for a lifetime.”
The narration is influencing and various emotions are adequately depicted. We as readers can almost experience them ourselves, both the joy and the anguish. One reason is that the novel is very detailed, as even little developments are portrayed, making the story immersive.
The power of composed stories is a theme explored all through the novel from various perspectives and is, indeed, at its very heart. There are even a lot of references to different works of literature without it ever feeling constrained.
The settings are likewise distinctive. It’s as if the Tallis' mansion, London and Dunkirk are right there before our eyes, emitting from the pages.
There are three perspectives, yet as we are told as the novel arrives at its staggering decision, the author is God-like. As such, everything is seen through the eyes of that omnipotence, each grievous detail scoured onto the page since it is the thing that the author wants the reader to see.
Also, the entire of Briony’s misconception becomes a metaphor for the unreliability of the perspective. Briony discloses to us that plots and characters don't matter anymore. What makes a difference is to enter a psyche, and to show it at work – or being worked on.
Personal Opinion
I sobbed as I read this book. It has a crudeness in it, characters that you cannot just let go of. Furthermore, we cannot forget that there is no justice, there is just judgement.
There was a kid, who saw something that she didn't understand, who required her very own sexual awakening to completely understand the degree of the monstrosity of her actions.
I immersed myself in this book while reading it, cherishing everything about it. I cherished the story that was told from multiple points of view. I cherished that the romance was energetic and passionate, yet not over the top.
I cherished that the reader kept guessing as to what really happened and who the criminal was, even though there were subtle pieces of clues.
McEwan's writing is awesome, and the manner by which he indicates what he is doing throughout the book, while simultaneously keeping everything close to his chest is a masterclass in subtlety for the ambitious novelist.
Famous Quotes
“Finally he spoke the three simple words that no amount of bad art or bad faith can every quite cheapen. She repeated them, with exactly the same slight emphasis on the second word, as though she were the one to say them first. He had no religious belief, but it was impossible not to think of an invisible presence or witness in the room, and that these words spoken aloud were like signatures on an unseen contract.”
a person is, among all else, a material thing, easily torn, not easily mended.”
“And though you think the world is at your feet, it can rise up and tread on you.”
The Bottom Line
The Atonement is Ian McEwan at his best. It's a book brimming with magnetic words, which beg to be savored. Proceeding to turn the pages is an effortless act even when no significant moment in the plot is occurring.
So, if you watched the movie adaptation of Atonement but haven't picked up the book yet, I urge you to do so. With a more patient and experienced set of eyes, you just might surprise yourself.
My ratings for the book - 5 on 5
Get your copy from Amazon - Atonement
Written By - Prakriti Chaudhary
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