3.5 really. Liked Reflections of a Kept Ape and loved Dead as They Come.

Quirky and experimental near-erotica by a young writer who would soon become a masterful novelist. I enjoyed finding the flashes of brilliance in this slim volume of short stories.

Although not as compelling as his longer fiction, this is a superb collection of short stories written in McEwan's compact yet evocative style. The standout was Dead as They Come, an unnerving portrayal of the anatomy of desire.

irgendwas an diesen kurzgeschichten ist so verstörend, faszinierend und ich kann bis heute nicht sagen warum ich es so geliebt habe sie zu lesen

This one really should have been left in the laundry basket.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Ian McEwan. “Atonement” is one of my favorite books. But this… that it’s even by the same writer as that or other excellent books like “Amsterdam” is baffling.

I picked this up while visiting Dublin. There’s a fantastic used bookstore there, maybe the best I’ve ever been to, called “Chapters”. While spending my vacation browsing its shelves my eyes fell on this collection of short stories.

I was surprised that I’d never heard of this collection before – though no longer – and based on the title and the cover, which features a nude woman lying, appropriately enough, between the sheets, I added it to the already meter high stack I was lugging around.

This was supposed to be a sexy read and that alone made me bypass many of the other no doubt excellent books I brought back from that excellent bookstore to read this one first.

Let’s hope I have better luck with the rest.

Nothing about this is sexy at all. It’s a collection of mostly kinky stories that utterly fail to intrigue. I'm thinking of the father in the title story and his incestuous feelings for his young daughter and his regularly gross sexual feelings for her similarly young friend. But it wasn’t the content of the story that turned me off, but the execution.

Nothing here is especially well-written. It’s all very early McEwan and these feel like pages that should have stayed in the wastebasket.

Am I alone in feeling that way?

Disenchanted as I was at numerous occasions, I turned this book around to read, with some amazement, the gushing blurbs from the likes of the Los Angeles Times and other newspapers you’d recognize.

“Is all that praise about this book?” I wondered to myself. I find it more likely that such adulation came from reviews of McEwan’s greater body of work because here he was clearly having an off day.

Reading, then skimming, “In Between the Sheets” confirms that some things really are better left unexposed.

Very very unsettling. McEwan manages to look at sex in a thoroughly unnerving and disturbing way while maintaining the veneer of normalcy in the stories. Just too weird for me.

Here we have some dark, seedy, erotic, dystopian, twisted and very 70s (if that's even a thing) stories.
Normally I'd dig tales with those attributes but these didn't blow me away. While the writing was always superb, the stories themselves were very hit or miss.

In Between the Sheets, Ian McEwan's second collection of short stories, demonstrates his exceptional talent as a writer, offering readers an exploration of the complexities of human relationships, desires, and fears. Earning a four-star rating, this thought-provoking collection showcases McEwan's ability to craft intricate narratives that delve into the darker aspects of the human psyche.

Comprised of seven short stories, In Between the Sheets delves into a wide range of themes, including love, obsession, and the often blurred boundaries between reality and fantasy. McEwan's stories are unsettling and thought-provoking, characterized by his keen observations of human nature and his ability to create tension and unease.

McEwan's writing in this collection is sharp and evocative, demonstrating his skill in creating vivid imagery and exploring the depths of human emotions. His prose is infused with a sense of disquiet, adding to the power of the stories and the emotions they evoke. The exploration of themes such as obsession, desire, and the human condition is both captivating and thought-provoking, offering a unique perspective on the complexities of our inner lives.

The characters in In Between the Sheets are complex and deeply human, reflecting McEwan's ability to create memorable, multidimensional characters that come alive on the page. Each story offers a glimpse into the lives of its characters, revealing insights into their thoughts, emotions, and actions.

While I enjoyed this collection, I gave it four stars because some stories resonated more with me than others. Although each story is well-crafted and compelling, a few stood out as particularly powerful and memorable, while others felt slightly less impactful. However, this minor inconsistency does not detract from the overall excellence of the collection.

In conclusion, In Between the Sheets is a captivating and thought-provoking collection of short stories that showcases Ian McEwan's talent as a masterful writer. With its exploration of complex themes, psychological depth, and keen observations of the human experience, this collection is a testament to McEwan's literary prowess. I highly recommend it to anyone seeking an engrossing and thought-provoking reading experience. Four stars well earned.

This is some weird shit, well written weird shit, but weird shit nonetheless.

This is Ian McEwan's second publication and, as with his first endeavor ("First Love, Last Rites"), is a collection of short stories.

Again, McEwan shows that the short story can be lifted to high art in the hands of a gifted writer and, regardless your opinion of him, most will affirm McEwan is a gifted writer.

These stories are diverse, odd, occasionally obtuse and, at all times, engaging.

I become more intrigued with McEwan with each work I read and look forward to delving into his more celebrated works (Saturday, Amsteram and Atonement).

Above all else, McEwan is interesting. He seems a throwback to the times when writers labored over every word and sentence and I appreciate the labor.

I recommend this collection.

Es fresco y divertido. Creo que me gustan más sus primeros libros que los actuales.

Found it difficult to read. The author seemed to be trying too hard to make it clever and obscure