I normally don't write negative reviews. But this novel far too long bothered me so I need to get out it of my system. I hope it helps.

Definitely the worst McEwan’s novel I’ve read by now. It’s creepy and stupid. I mean protagonists are stupid and some creepy things happen to them. Probably because they are stupid. Colin and Mary go for a holiday to take some rest, escape ennui and maybe rekindle withered desire. Since I’m generous today I imagine for them Venice, though I don't remember if the name of the city was even mentioned. Anyway, on the spot they’re wandering, drinking a lot, making love. Typical holiday stuff.

During their tours through the city, they're constantly losing their way what probably had to herald impending disaster, they meet a mysterious man, Robert, who offers them his services as a guide . Charismatic and persuasive stranger ( is he really that one or maybe our dorks, to crown it all, are blind ones? ) invites them to his residence where they will meet his physically disabled wife, Caroline. And instead of take to their heels, one could see there was something wrong coming a mile off, our lovers accept invitation. It's hard to perceive every stranger as a pervert or psychopath with an axe but a bit common sense didn’t do harm to anyone yet. But, well if stupidity had wings these two would fly as (turtle)doves.

The comfort of strangers is one of the earliest McEwan’s works but we already can discern here typical to his writing obsessions that would become his hallmark. Dash of macabre, menace, quirk, meanness and surreal aura; though, to his credit, in his later works these ingredients are much better balanced. This one was promoted as mixture of thriller and study of dark sides of human psyche. Well, unfortunately to me it was unreliable, repulsive and unimaginable display of stupidity and cruelty. I found it calculating, with the aim of shocking a reader ( well done, Mr McEwan ) and depressing as fuck. But written as usual with impeccable, somewhat impersonal and cold prose. Thus two stars.

What tended to happen, to Colin and Mary at least, was that subjects were not explored so much as defensively reiterated, or forced into elaborate irrelevancies, and suffused with irritability.

This slim weapon is a foggy retreat into the nuptual neuroses during the holiday abroad. All baggage isn't declared at Customs. The soul is a mule through Passport Control. Regret and doubt are the rogue's liquidity, the same for the spouse. Lifting Blanche's best line will ultimately avail with kinky proposals and a nightlight stilleto. Beware.

Well thank the Lord for bulk buying, that's all I can say. A few weeks ago I bought three Ian McEwan volumes. Two books of his short stories and this very short novel or maybe it is a novella. Anyway whatever it is, it was wonderful. Having just finished 'First Love,Last Rites'(FLLR) and been nauseated by the whole sickness of the themes I was very wary of reading anything else by him but as i had bought the three books and as i have always lived by that creed of when you fall off a bike get right back on it again or you might lose your nerve I reclambered on the McEwan cycle. Am really pleased I did.

This is a really unsettling and chilling story of obsession and blindness. It is not book which expunges the grossness of 'FLLR' for it still very much is dealing with the dark and hideous side of sexuality flipped over into weirdness but it leads you along in a horribly powerless state. The two main characters, Colin and Mary, living in an oddly unclear relationship are holidaying together in the unnamed but clearly recognizable Venice. Their time is spent ambling, getting lost, getting frustrated and then rejuvenating themselves in initially indolent and unthinking love making but then, after encountering the oddly sinister Robert and his wife Caroline, their love-making becomes something of power and wonder to them both.

The story is of their seeming hypnotic fascination, rather like rabbits in headlights, with the aforesaid Robert. Like a clever piece of camerawork McEwan keeps drawing your attention to hands and arms which grip or lead or hold for unnecessarily lengthening times. He doesn't draw out the significance but it punctuates the narrative like a mantra and I found myself beginning to cringe and squirm.

The story starts understated and the boredom of the lovers at the beginning infects the reader but in just the same way their gradual discoveries and realizations also affect. Mary's nightmare and the affect of her understanding its cause are brilliantly thrown at the reader. From that moment, for me, the story gathered a horrible inevitability and I began expect horror and looked for it everywhere. It hung over the story and weighed it down. I did not know what to expect but something was coming. McEwan brilliantly unsettled and unnerved me and all done with beautiful language but very little explicit scene painting.

I seem to be in the minority based on the ratings, but something about this story grabbed me right from the start.  There is irony in the title as the story brings anything but comfort, which may actually be why I liked it.  The characters are rather strange and unlikable, their relationships are strained, and the story reaffirms everything you were taught as a child about not talking to strangers.  An English couple’s holiday takes on an eerie twist when they find themselves lured in by a stranger after becoming lost.  What follows is twisted and disturbing, but had me completely mesmerized, and having read some of Ian McEwan’s other books I knew he had a tendency to take the story into some bizarre territory.  The ending was very creepy but I think it was the sinister tone and slowly built tension that will stay with me.  Four stars for the thrill of the suspense and not being able to put it down.  Thanks to my local used bookstore for recommending this book!

A couple goes on holiday to an unnamed Italian city. Mary and Colin are living a rather mundane life and have been together for seven years. They get lost in the city, meet a stranger, and accompany him to his home. This sets into motion a disconcerting story of sex and violence. I put this book on my list to read since I have enjoyed many other books by Ian McEwan. This one, however, was way too dark and disturbing for me. It borders on horror, which I was not expecting. His later books are more my style.

A través de este libro conocemos a una pareja de turistas conformada por Collin y Mary, ellos llevan unos días en una ciudad de la cual no se menciona su nombre, pero debido a la referencia a sus canales y a una burocracia muy complicada, entendemos que es Venecia.

En el punto inicial ellos ya están un poco hartos de la ciudad pero les quedan poco más de 10 días por delante antes de la fecha en que su vuelo parte.

El detonante de la historia surge cuando la pareja se retrasa para ir a cenar, encontrando los lugares turísticos habituales cerrados, debido al hambre se aventuran por las calles, puentes, callejones y lugares desconocidos, hasta en un punto que se sienten perdidos, cansados, hambrientos, desvalidos y un poco asustados, para su fortuna se tropiezan con Robert, un hombre que de manera muy cortés y en un perfecto inglés se ofrece para llevarlos a un bar donde puedan comer.

Conforme la historia transcurre, la pareja conoce a la esposa de Robert, que se llama Caroline y que podemos decir es el personaje más complejo de todos.

La narración es hipnótica y conforme avanza se vuelve más y más interesante, la manera en que los personajes están delineados asombra, ya que poco a poco se van descubriendo sus motivaciones y sus antecedentes, esto permite a veces comprender porque toman tal o cual decisión, que de alguna manera los lleva a un destino que no es el esperado.

Otra cosa que me gustó, es el hecho de la ambivalencia de ser un turista normal o arriesgado, entre tomar la decisión de hacer las cosas aburridas o esperadas que debe hacer un turista o arriesgarse un poco más, conviviendo con locales e inclusive recorriendo lugares que no son las que regularmente son visitadas por la gente.

Todos estos elementos hacen que la historia sea redonda y que te dejen con muchas preguntas acerca de las motivaciones de cada personaje, de alguna manera te hace pensar que no somos del todo libres y que realmente si somos víctimas de las circunstancias o de los sucesos que nos toca vivir.

También compruebo que este escritor siempre tiene algo que ofrecer en sus novelas, logra de cierta manera construir situaciones al borde o polémicas con personajes comunes que inclusive pueden parecerse algún familiar, algún amigo o a uno mismo, lo cual no deja de ser un poco escalofriante.

Ian McEwan’dan day-light horror tadında ilginç bir öykü.

Dando un'occhiata alle recensioni che ci sono su Goodreads ho notato come le opinioni dei lettori nei confronti di questo libro di McEwan fossero molto varie: sembrerebbe il tipico libro che o si ama o si odia. Capisco le motivazioni di entrambi gli schieramenti, pur non avendo in realtà una posizione così definita. é un libro che ho letteralmente divorato (ero curiosa di vedere se sarebbe andato a finire come pensavo) ma che, una volta finito mi ha lasciato abbastanza insoddisfatta.
La scrittura di McEwan è sempre molto curata e la descrizione della crisi di un rapporto di coppia è minuziosa. Sono lati positivi ma rischiano anche di annoiare il lettore, fortunatamente il libro è breve e ciò non accade. Non accade anche grazie alla tensione che permea il romanzo e che è uno degli elementi più riusciti.
La descrizione di una Venezia opprimente e un po' gotica a noi italiani può apparire originale, anche se rientra in quel filone di ambientazioni italiane gotiche e viziose tipiche della letteratura anglosassone. Per me è assolutamente incomprensibile il modo in cui i due protagonisti gestiscono il loro tempo durante la vacanza ma io amo l'arte e sono una di quelle che quando è in vacanza cerca di vedere più che può, però ho visto parecchi turisti inglesi e americani fare così quindi purtroppo è realistico.
Quello che non è realistico sono alcune scelte fatte dai protagonisti e non intendo tanto il fatto che i due scelgano di  ritornare a casa di uomo che, già lo sanno, li ha pedinati, fotografati di nascosto e che tiene sua moglie prigioniera  che si potrebbe spiegare con il fatto che  l'incontro con Robert abbia riportato ad un temporaneo ritorno di fiamma e che inconsciamente vogliano che ciò accada di nuovo  ma fin dall'inizio abbiano accettato di farsi  ospitare in casa di un uomo ambiguo che ha raccontato loro storie orribili la sera precedente nonché primo incontro (es. i maltrattamenti del padre e il rapporto difficile con le sorelle) ma che soprattutto abbiano accettato di rimanere a cena dopo aver saputo che la moglie, i cui "problemini mentali" sono un tantinello evidenti, li ha osservati di nascosto dormire nudi .
Il vero punto debole del libro è forse proprio il finale a sorpresa (mica tanto!) perché conclude tutto fin troppo frettolosamente.

McEwan si rivela bravissimo a descrivere, raccontare, indagare l'animo umano. Come già avvenuto in "Chesil beach", in cui ha analizzato le insicurezze di una coppia neosposata, anche qui affronta il non detto, la mancanza di dialogo, la difficoltà di comunicare di una coppia.
Una coppia come Colin e Mary, i protagonisti di questo breve libricino, che incedono a piccoli passi nella vita e nel loro rapporto che è scandito da una quotidianità fatta di rituali e procedure, di giorni uguali agli altri, di sguardi schivi.
A spezzare la monotonia, la quotidianità ci pensa una nuova figura, oserei dire sinistra, che aleggia su di loro, che in qualche modo rompe gli argini. Una figura, un essere misterioso che sembra manovrare le fila delle loro vite come un burattinaio facendoli sprofondare in un abisso e dando al romanzo quel tocco noir che lascia annichiliti e che sconvolge, come un perfetto thriller orchestrato sapientemente da McEwan.

We're all going on a (pause) summer holiday. No more working for a week or two....

Or permanently because we make poor choices about accepting cordial invites from complete strangers. What is it about a glass of two of Prosecco on a warm summers afternoon that makes people so trusting of random strangers when they're on holiday? Perhaps we find some of our holiday locations so idealistic and romantic that it's like a fairy tale and so we'll merrily gad about, without a care in the world, believing that no harm can befall us. Yeah right pay attention people.

Murder on the orient express? Amity Island in Jaws? Cabin Fever? The Beach? Any of these things ringing a bell? Whether you're enjoying some quiet time by the ocean, on a cruise or simply enjoying the back woods in butt-fuck nowhere with your drunken jock friends, beware YOU ARE NEVER FAR FROM A PSYCHO!

Ian McEwan likes to play on these kinds of fears and lets face it, with psychos aplenty roaming the highways and byways of our fair planet he is planting these little worry seeds in pretty fertile ground. The Comfort of Strangers is a warning to all overtly trusting day-trippers, euro-hounds and lovers of the city break.

At first I didn't have much interest in the two primary characters but by Chapter 4 I was, despite myself, really enjoying this book. Initially Mary and Colin seem smug and dull. They come across as vain and their relationship appeared to be based on neediness rather than love, like two whiny puppies pawing at each other for affection and attention. However the way they interface with their holiday environment (in a nameless place but descriptions suggest Venice) is how many people have experienced a foreign city. McEwan does an excellent job of capturing the tiredness, even despair you can sometimes feel when lost in a foreign place. That exact moment when a holiday ceases to be fun and becomes more like an endurance test. Enter the new friends; welcoming and there to lend a guiding hand. Or are they? As usual McEwan provides a twist in the tale. It's his literary raison d'etre after all. Better than On Chesil Beach but not as good as the Cement Garden.

This book is not for everyone. But I kind of loved it. An insipid flat English couple are given life in a foreign land by flirting with a dark unknown force.

The feeling is languid and hazy and at a loss, reminiscent of youthful summer holidays that go on for too long.

A solid dark holiday read.

I enjoyed The Comfort of Strangers. It is a novel that draws you into it, pointing out aspects of interest along the way in an attempt - but not fully succeeding - to divert your attention from an uneasy feeling that creeps in from the beginning. Something’s not right - but what?
The tension builds page-by-page until finally, the full realisation of what is about to occur is revealed - nothing can prevent it.