For the first 130 pages I was not sure whether this was a spy novel or a romance or even both. Then the story developed into a thriller full of dread and suspense! Ian McEwan once more convinced me of his genius!

I made it 70% thru this novel and then the subject matter took a horrific nosedive south. This book is not for the weak stomach. The subject matter turns grizzly. I would really like to know what becomes of Leonard and Marie; however, there's no way I can read such disturbing lit.

Buena pluma y una historia interesante

Had to sit in silence and think about this book for a while after I finished. It is SO well written and wow can IM pack a lot into a single sentence. Felt like every single word had a purpose. Had me feeling all kinds of emotion - actual anxiety and fear at one point and then pure disgust, so much so that I had to actually skim over a few passages so as not to be put off eating for the rest of the day. Not sure about the random tangential, almost sexual assault though, which, now I’ve finished seemed entirely unnecessarily and a bit odd.

(4,5) I thoroughly enjoyed this strange romance/spy novel/period piece/twisted and grisly tale, second only to Atonement of McEwan’s novels, in my opinion (from the six novels I’ve read by him so far).

I found the novel in Berlin a few days ago and bought it without hesitation: It’s by one of my favourite authors, and the cover featured The Brandenburger Gate, which I saw every day when we stepped out of our hotel or returned to it. As the main character in the novel visits Berlin in two different eras, my own experience of Berlin also spans decades, as this was my first trip since I first visited the city over 25 years ago.

The novel is partly centred round a real episode in 1955, involving a collaboration between MI6 and CIA in which they tapped Russian communications lines. The main character, Leonard, is part of the English team. He is a reticent, socially awkward character, whom I never grew to like but who is masterfully depicted. The Cold War is the backdrop for the real story, which is Leonard’s relationship with Maria, a German woman. As the story unfolded, with perfect pacing and succinct prose, it gave me an increasing sense of dread. I turned the pages quickly and was in for a couple of surprises. As in other of McEwan’s novels, there are one or two incidents where choices lead the characters in directions which ultimately change their lives, only they don’t know it until later. The less said about the rest of the plot, the better. Don’t even read the overly explicit description here on goodreads. Just read the novel.

It was, of course, ideal to begin reading this in Berlin. McEwan conjured up post-war Berlin of 1955, and even when I finished it back home, I felt I was there in Berlin. Interestingly, the afterword indicates that McEwan finished the novel in September 1989 – less than two months before the Wall came down. I visited Berlin on a study trip in late October that same year and recall seeing stains from candle wax in front of the Cathedral in (then) East Berlin. We asked about it and were told that they were from people demonstrating, urging the Russians to tear down the Wall. Only nine days later, it came down.

This is a relatively simple, yet powerful novel which has an extended scene in it that really isn’t for the faint of heart. I had to put it down a few times during that scene. But only then. Highly recommended.

Well, this one shocked me. I went into this older, much earlier published, McEwan without any knowledge. Not even reading the trailer. The only upfront fact I knew was that it held a 1954, 10 years after WWII ending, placement within Berlin.

It's a typical McEwan. Fantastic writing of detail and emotional roller coasters. That last quantity especially within the types of quiet mumble mouthed just past coming of age (usually very ENGLISH) men. Here he did Maria in much the same type of clime of precipice hanger. People on the ends of various types of pivotal "on the edge" inner landscapes. It is what he is extremely good at doing.

But at the 2/3rd spot of the book, the entre sets of duplicitous paths (not at all only for the couple) turns into placement of nightmares. More apt to the type of scenario builds that fit into Horror genre.

I didn't see it coming. Although I absolutely much earlier foresaw the future of Maria's and Leonard's outcome as a couple. Correctly.

It seems I liked this more than most readers. It was an excellent tale quite beyond just the erotic and burgeoning physical or mental. McEwan also truly encapsulated the precise quandary of English, American, Russian "allies" perceptions during this period. Best I have ever read about the American "shock" when the Russians turned like the autocrat thugs they can be quite naturally during the Eastern Europe afterwar occupations. It was still like that in 1983 when I went through Berlin into the DDR and eastwards. Americans are STILL surprised or shocked at the quick change in character generally, plus the eventual consequences. Partners or comrades? Not.

Well done novel! Loved the time period for ethnic base generalized or specific reality. Blunt, no apology dialogue included. This trait is nearly invisible now unless it is racially cored. There were Blakes everywhere then- not only on that continent either. Still are. More of them now.

This is in my top 3 McEwan. Some of his more recent I have not cared for at all. They are quite more experimental. McEwan has the guts to do so.

I love a book that surprises me and this one definitely did that. Half way through, it becomes about something other than it had seemed up until that point. McEwan untimately cares about the individual more than the society. I did not think it as good as Atonement, but at the end I found they had more in common than it had appeared.

A fictional love story between 'an innocent man'(a young, British, telephone engineer) and a German girl in post war Berlin; and laced into the factual history of the tunnel built from West Berlin into East Berlin by British and American Intelligence so as they can tap the phone lines and spy on the Soviets.
It did, I will admit, attract me.
I found, to my misfortune, there's not too much devoted to the espionage aspect.
The writing - I'm not qualified to make judgement on and it rarely occurs to me to even think of how artful the penmanship might be. In this, I'm sure it must be of a good enough standard.
The tale unravels, slowly. Characters are built, scenes are set, during which time the tale continues to unravel, slowly.
Part way in, manslaughter occurs and as a consequence we are given lengthy and descriptive verse on disposing of the body: far too lengthy and far too descriptive, for my liking. Totally unnecessary, I'd say.
Horses for courses.
Things get a little sticky for girl and boy and it's decided he needs a change of scenery.
If you know what happens after that, fine. I'm not gonna say.
For me:
not a page turner,
a bit of a plod,
no real suspense,
it ends as it began - slowly.

Somewhere between 4 and 5 stars for me.

A bit ghoulish in the scenes surrounding Otto's demise but the ending and letter from Maria were intriguing and reflective.

McEwan is a patient writer who doesn't usually overdramatize his story. I liked this one for its simplicity.

McEwan does the Cold War thriller. An excellent read by one of the best living English language authors. And for the record, I had sufficient testosterone to get through, in one go, the gut-wrenching scene located amidships. It was graphic, but don't let the namby-pamby reviewers telling you they had to set down the book, overcome by revulsion and fear as they were, steer you in the wrong direction. To them I say, there's always Maeve Binchy.

McEwan at his most grotesque and depressing

The novel left me with a feeling of disgust towards all of literature and writing, yet I loved everything about it.

The ending destroyed me not because of its ruthlessness or cruelty, but because it was so logical. The ending made the most sense possible given everything that happened leading up. It feels so realistic that it brought me out of my literary escapism.

Caro S.gr McEwan,
devo ammettere che dopo un inizio difficoltoso, ho adorato il suo libro in cui ha dimostrato anche questa volta il suo grande talento.
Ho amato tutto di questo libro. Ho amato l'ambientazione Berlinese, una Berlino distrutta a 10 anni dalla Seconda Guerra Mondiale,una Berlino che cerca di ricostruirsi dopo le macerie e ritrovare la sua anima di città moderna e cosmopolita. Ho amato il personaggio di Leonard, così ingenuo e innocente (non è un caso che il titolo originale sia "The innocent"), che da una piccola cittadina inglese giunge a Berlino, affacciandosi per la prima volta alla vita, ai sentimenti, al sesso, all'amore con Maria.
Una spy story condita da una storia di amore che coinvolge ed emoziona.
Grazie S.gr McEWan,
per la sua capacità di raccontare, di regalare emozioni, in attesa di una nuova avventura da vivere.