In Between the Sheets – Ian McEwan

These stories are often depraved and sometimes evil. I loved The Comfort of Strangers; it is twisted and bleak. After reading that slim novel I was paralyzed. You never stop thinking about that story. What was missing from this story compilation was the deeply drawn characters and inner dialog that is so beautifully drawn in the beautiful Atonement, as well as Chesil Beach and Amsterdam.

Ian McEwan has a specific style that is thrilling. His characters are deftly developed. Tormented by guilt and often there are misunderstandings, misdirection, and lack of communication with unexpressed feelings. There are questions posited that force the reader to look inside. How would they behave in the same situation? There are questions of morality. Characters suffer the consequences of a single act.

I have to frame my response to these stories, as I read this book in the middle of coronavirus pandemic after the murder of George Floyd. After I read the first story, Pornography, I thought, no... I can't read this. Dead as They Come was too dark. I liked the title story best.

A bizarre yet readable group of short stories. Easy to read, yet not sure how memorable they are. I recommend it, but note that this was written by McEwan while still a young (thirties ;)) author. I would recommend comparing this book to some of his more recent works for his view on human nature.

Just why, Ian?

1,75

I like some of his novels, despite some cheap POV tricks, but this collection is just navel gazing misogynistic self indulgent and ultimately boring stories.

I really enjoyed the last couple short stories however the rest were insufferable

Not his best.

I guess I have a very different view from most people here. I enjoyed this book because I felt that it was very well crafted. As absurd as the premises of the stories were, McEwan manages to make them "believable" and yet intriguing through his description. Also, even though it is highly sensual, the stories and scenes were very well written. Such that it is tasteful and artistic, rather than how most romantic novels are "trashy" with those scenes. Case in point: fifty shades of grey; it's like pure poison to the brain.

Ijan Makjuan ima zavidno privlačan stil pisanja, čak iako su njegove teme morbidne. Ova zbirka priča jeste skup priča čiji su likovi seksualno devijantni, i iako ne čine užasna dela, itekako je prisutno razmišljanje o njima, zato što su pre svega nezadovoljni. Odnosi među ljudima su dovedeni do ekstrema odvratnosti, kako bi se došlo da određene poente, a ta poenta jeste da su ljudi takvi kakvi jesu i čak iako su deo određene zajednice ili para, nikakva romantična osećanja neće promeniti njihovu esenciju kao pojedinca, koja svakako može biti puna vrlina, ali se u ovim pričama uočava samo njihova falična strana. Pored toga što je u pričama prisutna ta glavna poenta, Ijan sjajno iznosi na sasvim nasumičnim mestima i male zaključke koje primećuje o određenoj vrsti ljudi. Za kraj ću izanalizirati prvu priču malo detaljnije.

Geometrija tela

Radnja priče se razdvaja na dva toka koja se ne dešavaju u isto vreme - imamo sadašnji trenutak u kojem čovek čita dnevnike svog pradede i šta se njemu dešava, takođe je tu i njegova naracija dešavanja iz dnevnika pradede. Započnimo od analize dnevnika.
Sve u vezi života njegovog pradede je potkovano čudnom misterijom. On je sebe predstavlja kao matematičara iako nigde nije napredovao u toj oblasti, što se da protumačiti kao osobina filozofa i ljudi teoretičar koji se hvale time kako bi mogli nešto učiniti, samo da nije milion izgovora. Prosto ismevanje ideje potencijal. Jer se on ne računa, ako nije iznese na videlo u obliku akcija.
Druga stvar koja se primećuje kroz dnevnik jeste u stvari koliko je seksualno devijantna priča. Sam početak to nagoveštava sa kupovinom penisa kapetana. Takođe su zabeleženi “intelektualni” razgovori o pozama vođenja ljubavi, sve sa latinskim rečima, citatima stručnih ljudi i složenim fazama, sam stil implicirajući da se akademski razgovor ne bazira na njegovom samom izgledu i da nije jednostavno to to ako nema dubine ili odaje površnu sliku iste.
Treća stvar u vezi pradedinog života koja je zanimljiva i koju ostavljam za kraj zato što ima direktnu posledicu u sadašnjosti jeste teorija “ravni bez površine”. Njen prikaz i opis u priči je nadrealistički i kod čitaoca ostavlja jezu u samim kostima. Zašto?
Pa svaki mogući zakon se u vezi jedne stvari slaže. Nešto se ne može oroditi ni iz čega. Ništa je jednostavno ništa, dok se nešto svakako može transformirati, ali će uvek ostati njegov trag. Voda kad ispari pretvara se u paru. Čovek kad umre postaje prah. Taj zakon se može projektovati i na apstraktne pojmove, poput osećanja u ovakvom konkretnom primeru priče. Da li ona zaista mogu nestati? Ili ih možda u stvari nikada nije ni bilo, već je nama zavladala iluzija o njima?
Recimo da “ravan bez površine” implicira brak glavnih likova. Cela njihova priča je neretka u realnosti, bračni drugovi se na početku veoma vole, ali posle nekog vremena sve što od te ljubavi ostane jeste navika, ili čak i prezir (koji je u ovom slučaju veoma izražen)
Prividno, ovde postaju egocentični ljudi. Brinući samo o svojim željama i potrebama, ne ostavljaju ni ćošak u svom umu za potrebe onog drugoga. Ovde imamo par grotesknih scena prikazujuči njihov obostrani prezir koji kulminira u sceni gde žena razbija muževljevog pradede teglu sa penisom starim nekoliko vekova. Zaista nisam mislila da ću ikad napisati ovakvu rečenicu. Praveći malu digresija od poente, moram pomenuti sa kojom sentimentalnošću muž govori o toj stvari praveći veliku filozofiju ni od čega, što opet predstavlja vid zavaravanja ljudi u vezi definisanja nečega i ničega.
Tokom cele priče se pitamo da li postoji nečega ili ničega između njih, čak ni sam kraj to ne otkriva.
Žena nestaje, i samo se njen glas čuje u pozadini. To se može protumačiti kao jedan od načina na koje pojedinci utiču jedni na druge - ili se unište ili stope. U ovom slučaju se žena izgubila u tom braku. Najočevidniji način tumačenja jeste iz feminističkog ugla jer je sve vreme muž kinji, maltretira i ona jelte na kraju gubi sebe u tom braku. Ali ja namerno hoću da idem malo dalje. Sa obzirom na prisustvo ravni bez površi, fizičkih zakona i njihove priče, pitam se zbog njenih odjeka “Da li je između njih postojala ljubav koja se pretvorila u prah ili je oduvek postojala samo iluzija? “

Some of my personal favourites from the collection are Reflections of a Kept Ape, and Dead as They Come. Reflections of a Kept Ape was, as the title suggests - about a pet ape, however, the interesting detail is that the story is told from the ape's perspective. He is reminiscing about his eight day sexual relationship with his owner. Although it is quite a strange concept, it works really well and isn't too explicit about it either.
On the other hand Dead as They Come is a very graphic novel but it is so strangely fascinating that it makes you want to continue reading...because you can't believe what you're reading! However, I believe that underneath the shocking nature of the story, perhaps Dead as They Come is more of a social comment of the trashyness of the rich - using their money to buy "plastic", perfect women, whom are clearly unable to hold down real relationships?? (My literary mind is still trying to come up with a full theory/analysis of the tale...the that is the jist of what I pulled from it).
I enjoyed other stories in the book too, but the two mentioned above were ones that seemed to have lodged themselves in my brain.
I would recommend this book but not to the prude of heart. It is rather shocking and explicit.

'Pornography', the title story, and ‘Psychopolis' (especially the dialogue near the end) are the best. More technically assured than the first collection, and with more bite.

I never understand people who find McEwan's early work disgusting, 'shocking' etc.

I chain-read McEwan's first three books whilst lying in Stafford Hospital and found them infinitely preferable to the ward.

i think this is just a book about kinks tbh and i am shaming