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Didn't expect much for the story and was pleasantly surprised, it was a really good book about the importance of communications. Might want to continue reading the Ian McEwan books I have left
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On Chesil Beach
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A novel of remarkable depth and poignancy from one of the most acclaimed writers of our time.
It is July 1962. Florence is a talented musician who dreams of a career on the concert stage and of the perfect life she will create with Edward, an earnest young history student at University College of London, who unexpectedly wooed and won her heart. Newly married that morning, both virgins, Edward and Florence arrive at a hotel on the Dorset coast. At dinner in their rooms they struggle to suppress their worries about the wedding night to come. Edward, eager for rapture, frets over Florence’s response to his advances and nurses a private fear of failure, while Florence’s anxieties run she is overcome by sheer disgust at the idea of physical contact, but dreads disappointing her husband when they finally lie down together in the honeymoon suite.
Ian McEwan has caught with understanding and compassion the innocence of Edward and Florence at a time when marriage was presumed to be the outward sign of maturity and independence. On Chesil Beach is another masterwork from McEwan—a story of lives transformed by a gesture not made or a word not spoken.
It is July 1962. Florence is a talented musician who dreams of a career on the concert stage and of the perfect life she will create with Edward, an earnest young history student at University College of London, who unexpectedly wooed and won her heart. Newly married that morning, both virgins, Edward and Florence arrive at a hotel on the Dorset coast. At dinner in their rooms they struggle to suppress their worries about the wedding night to come. Edward, eager for rapture, frets over Florence’s response to his advances and nurses a private fear of failure, while Florence’s anxieties run she is overcome by sheer disgust at the idea of physical contact, but dreads disappointing her husband when they finally lie down together in the honeymoon suite.
Ian McEwan has caught with understanding and compassion the innocence of Edward and Florence at a time when marriage was presumed to be the outward sign of maturity and independence. On Chesil Beach is another masterwork from McEwan—a story of lives transformed by a gesture not made or a word not spoken.
203 pages, Hardcover
First published April 5,2007
This edition
- Format
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203 pages, Hardcover
- Published
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June 5, 2007 by Nan A. Talese
- ISBN
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9780385522403
- ASIN
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0385522401
- Language
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English
Characters More characters
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Edward Mayhew
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Florence Ponting
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About the author
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Ian McEwan studied at the University of Sussex, where he received a BA degree in English Literature in 1970 and later received his MA degree in English Literature at the University of East Anglia.
McEwan's works have earned him worldwide critical acclaim. He won the Somerset Maugham Award in 1976 for his first collection of short stories First Love, Last Rites; the Whitbread Novel Award (1987) and the Prix Fémina Etranger (1993) for The Child in Time; and Germany's Shakespeare Prize in 1999. He has been shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize for Fiction numerous times, winning the award for Amsterdam in 1998. His novel Atonement received the WH Smith Literary Award (2002), National Book Critics' Circle Fiction Award (2003), Los Angeles Times Prize for Fiction (2003), and the Santiago Prize for the European Novel (2004). He was awarded a CBE in 2000. In 2006, he won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for his novel Saturday and his novel On Chesil Beach was named Galaxy Book of the Year at the 2008 British Book Awards where McEwan was also named Reader's Digest Author of the Year.
McEwan lives in London.
McEwan's works have earned him worldwide critical acclaim. He won the Somerset Maugham Award in 1976 for his first collection of short stories First Love, Last Rites; the Whitbread Novel Award (1987) and the Prix Fémina Etranger (1993) for The Child in Time; and Germany's Shakespeare Prize in 1999. He has been shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize for Fiction numerous times, winning the award for Amsterdam in 1998. His novel Atonement received the WH Smith Literary Award (2002), National Book Critics' Circle Fiction Award (2003), Los Angeles Times Prize for Fiction (2003), and the Santiago Prize for the European Novel (2004). He was awarded a CBE in 2000. In 2006, he won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for his novel Saturday and his novel On Chesil Beach was named Galaxy Book of the Year at the 2008 British Book Awards where McEwan was also named Reader's Digest Author of the Year.
McEwan lives in London.
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Rating(4 / 5.0, 99 votes)
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99 reviews All reviews
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Kao i uvek, i ovaj put Makjuanovi junaci su ljudi od krvi i mesa, puni strahova, predrasuda, kompleksa. Kod njega nema lažnog morala, on ogoljuje ljudsko telo i ističe sve njegove nedostatke, ali ne zato da bi ga izvrgao ruglu, već zato što je ono upravo takvo - nesavršeno i puno mana, baš kao što je i ljudska duša mračna i tajnovita.
"Čezil Bič" se može posmatrati i kao studija o komunikaciji i poverenju među životnim partnerima, otvorenosti i poštovanju tuđih osećanja, spremnosti da se problemi reše i prevaziđu ili da se jednostavno dignu ruke od svega. Koliko zapravo poznajemo osobu sa kojom živimo, delimo sto i postelju?
Makjuanov jezik je slobodan i lišen bilo kakvih stega, a njegova dela se lako čitaju. Neko bi rekao da je pitak, on to u neku ruku i jeste, ali u isto vreme je i izuzetno kompleksan, baš kao i njegovi likovi, koji na prvi pogled deluju obično i svakodnevno, a onda kad se zagrebe po površini, može se videti sva teskoba i muka koja ih pritiska i osakaćuje. I ono najbitnije, Makjuan se ne plaši da kaže ono što velika većina nas misli ili oseća.
Mogu slobodno da kažem da je Makjuan, uz Markesa, svojim jezikom i složenošću tema koje obrađuje obogatio moju čitalačku 2014.godinu.
Ocena: 4.5/5
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:A few comments:
I enjoyed the writing about music, although it was somewhat limited. I listened to a Mozart string quintet after I finished reading the novel.
I thought that Ian McEwan did a good job with his allusions to some of Florence's father's actions and their possible (probable?) connections to Florence's feelings.
I hated the tacked on ending. I would have been happy if the novel had ended at the hotel and I might have imagined their futures. Reading about Edward's life over the years seemed like a cop out to me. And if Mr. McEwan wanted to tell us in some detail about Edward, what about Florence? Other than the fact that the Ennismore Quartet was a success and that she thought of Edward after their first concert at Wigmore Hall - nothing.
I enjoyed the writing about music, although it was somewhat limited. I listened to a Mozart string quintet after I finished reading the novel.
I thought that Ian McEwan did a good job with his allusions to some of Florence's father's actions and their possible (probable?) connections to Florence's feelings.
I hated the tacked on ending. I would have been happy if the novel had ended at the hotel and I might have imagined their futures. Reading about Edward's life over the years seemed like a cop out to me. And if Mr. McEwan wanted to tell us in some detail about Edward, what about Florence? Other than the fact that the Ennismore Quartet was a success and that she thought of Edward after their first concert at Wigmore Hall - nothing.
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This is a deceptively simple novella. It focuses on one night–the tense, awkward wedding night of Florence and Edward in 1962. Yet, this single night irrevocably shapes the rest of their lives.
Edward and Florence are products of their time. They come from very different backgrounds, he from a working-class family and she from an intellectual, artistic one. Despite their clear affection for each other, the social and cultural landscape of the early 1960s weighs heavily upon them.
It is a profound exploration of intimacy, societal expectations, and the impact of personal choices. McEwan adeptly delves into the complexities of human relationships, addressing themes of sexual repression, communication breakdowns, and the consequences of societal norms.
The narrative skilfully navigates the emotional terrain of the characters, offering a thought-provoking discussion on love, identity, and the profound effects of pivotal moments in one's life. McEwan's insightful storytelling prompts readers to reflect on the lasting repercussions of decisions made in the throes of vulnerability.
The book isn't a comfortable read. It's a heartbreaking exploration of how fear and misunderstanding can sabotage love. Yet, McEwan's beautiful prose is precise and poignant. He expertly crafts a sense of mounting tension and tragic inevitability. It might be a short read, but On Chesil Beach lingers, and is a thought-provoking, subtly devastating story.
Edward and Florence are products of their time. They come from very different backgrounds, he from a working-class family and she from an intellectual, artistic one. Despite their clear affection for each other, the social and cultural landscape of the early 1960s weighs heavily upon them.
It is a profound exploration of intimacy, societal expectations, and the impact of personal choices. McEwan adeptly delves into the complexities of human relationships, addressing themes of sexual repression, communication breakdowns, and the consequences of societal norms.
The narrative skilfully navigates the emotional terrain of the characters, offering a thought-provoking discussion on love, identity, and the profound effects of pivotal moments in one's life. McEwan's insightful storytelling prompts readers to reflect on the lasting repercussions of decisions made in the throes of vulnerability.
The book isn't a comfortable read. It's a heartbreaking exploration of how fear and misunderstanding can sabotage love. Yet, McEwan's beautiful prose is precise and poignant. He expertly crafts a sense of mounting tension and tragic inevitability. It might be a short read, but On Chesil Beach lingers, and is a thought-provoking, subtly devastating story.
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Having read my first McEwan, I think I can begin to understand why so many good friends feel conflicted about him, even though almost all my friends have recorded positive reviews for this particular novel - the reason I chose this one over others.
On Chesil Beach is hilariously funny, boldly intimate, and admirably candid when it describes the internal turmoil of its characters and their struggles to interpret their own truths, but taken whole I think the novel is just so so: the story, the basic premise that holds it, is very contrived and a whole lot of fillers in the shape of flashbacks have been thrown in to make it big enough to be a novel.
1962. Newly married couple. Wedding Night. Virgins. Afraid of sexual failure = our storyline. Much can be said about Florence's total lack of interest in sex, her fear of intimacy, her disgust at being touched. Okay, we know she was a 'product of her time' - a time just before the cultural change that revolutionized romance and sex in the West; - we know social conditioning had led her to view sex as dirty and corrupting, and we know there had not existed an acceptable common language to discuss those matters; and we know that she was kind of introvert with a singular aim of making it big in the world of classical music. Some of those possibilities are explored briefly, some only alluded to, but none of those make her problem convincing I hoped in vain to learn something startling at the end, something Zweig-like. But there was nothing.
Was she frigid or asexual, a claim Edward, her one-night husband, hurls at her as an accusation? Was there some other psychological reason from her past that changed her attitude towards copulation? Perhaps. She says at one point, Perhaps what I really need to to d0 is kill my mother and marry my father. - she did not seem to have an emotional attachment with either of her parent, not in the normal sense. Or was she a 'queer' and did not know about her own sexuality? I admit this last one felt like the most plausible reason. But perhaps none of it matters to the story. It is not about sex but the failure of romance, about lack of faith in one's own abilities, about missed opportunities, about the passing of time, about doing nothing. How an entire course of a life can be changed--by doing nothing.
The novel works as a basic portrait of the 1960s England with focus on London, Oxford and its vicinity, its cultural and political scene, and two young people from different classes growing up apart and coming together in an uneven relationship that ends in a horrible crash on the Chesil Beach. And that was that. Also, it gets rather treacly in the end, to make us feel sorry for the couple, enlarging on their romance post-breakup, summing up their whole lives after going separate ways in two or three pages that should not have been inflicted on the reader.
December '16
On Chesil Beach is hilariously funny, boldly intimate, and admirably candid when it describes the internal turmoil of its characters and their struggles to interpret their own truths, but taken whole I think the novel is just so so: the story, the basic premise that holds it, is very contrived and a whole lot of fillers in the shape of flashbacks have been thrown in to make it big enough to be a novel.
1962. Newly married couple. Wedding Night. Virgins. Afraid of sexual failure = our storyline. Much can be said about Florence's total lack of interest in sex, her fear of intimacy, her disgust at being touched. Okay, we know she was a 'product of her time' - a time just before the cultural change that revolutionized romance and sex in the West; - we know social conditioning had led her to view sex as dirty and corrupting, and we know there had not existed an acceptable common language to discuss those matters; and we know that she was kind of introvert with a singular aim of making it big in the world of classical music. Some of those possibilities are explored briefly, some only alluded to, but none of those make her problem convincing I hoped in vain to learn something startling at the end, something Zweig-like. But there was nothing.
Was she frigid or asexual, a claim Edward, her one-night husband, hurls at her as an accusation? Was there some other psychological reason from her past that changed her attitude towards copulation? Perhaps. She says at one point, Perhaps what I really need to to d0 is kill my mother and marry my father. - she did not seem to have an emotional attachment with either of her parent, not in the normal sense. Or was she a 'queer' and did not know about her own sexuality? I admit this last one felt like the most plausible reason. But perhaps none of it matters to the story. It is not about sex but the failure of romance, about lack of faith in one's own abilities, about missed opportunities, about the passing of time, about doing nothing. How an entire course of a life can be changed--by doing nothing.
The novel works as a basic portrait of the 1960s England with focus on London, Oxford and its vicinity, its cultural and political scene, and two young people from different classes growing up apart and coming together in an uneven relationship that ends in a horrible crash on the Chesil Beach. And that was that. Also, it gets rather treacly in the end, to make us feel sorry for the couple, enlarging on their romance post-breakup, summing up their whole lives after going separate ways in two or three pages that should not have been inflicted on the reader.
December '16
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We know the story in advance from the book jacket: a disastrous wedding night. Both are virgins. Young people will find that hard to believe these days, but this is set in the 1960s.
The author tells us “the pill was only a rumor.” They had no opportunity for intimacy while dating. While in school in London he lived in a room in the house of a strict aunt. She lived in a women’s rooming house with a dorm mother keeping watch, no men allowed. Few young people had cars.
We learn about their families and upbringing; how they met and how they dated. Both are intellectuals. He’s studying to be a professor of history; her life is music and playing the violin.
They are more or less in love and they are getting married because it’s what you do. “This was still the era…when to be young was a social encumbrance, a mark of irrelevance, a faintly embarrassing condition for which marriage was the beginning of a cure.”
The woman suspects there is something wrong with her – she knew nothing about sex, just what she read in a how-to guide. She was terrified and repelled by all the talk of fluids and penetration. He’s anxious and fumbling. He mistakes her moans of disgust for signs of pleasure.
It was a good story and it kept my attention, but I found the book a bit dragged out. Maybe it should have been a short story. This is my seventh McEwan (Children Act, Enduring Love, Nutshell, Amsterdam, Saturday and Atonement). Atonement was the only one I rated a five. Atonement is McEwan's most popular book on GR (more than a million ratings) and his highest-rated (3.9) so it's probably a good one to start with if you haven't read him.
McEwan (b. 1948) is still writing and his latest book is Lessons, published in 2022.
Photo of Chesil Beach from Southampton.ac.uk
The author from theguardian.com
[Edited for typos 8/28/23]
The author tells us “the pill was only a rumor.” They had no opportunity for intimacy while dating. While in school in London he lived in a room in the house of a strict aunt. She lived in a women’s rooming house with a dorm mother keeping watch, no men allowed. Few young people had cars.
We learn about their families and upbringing; how they met and how they dated. Both are intellectuals. He’s studying to be a professor of history; her life is music and playing the violin.
They are more or less in love and they are getting married because it’s what you do. “This was still the era…when to be young was a social encumbrance, a mark of irrelevance, a faintly embarrassing condition for which marriage was the beginning of a cure.”
The woman suspects there is something wrong with her – she knew nothing about sex, just what she read in a how-to guide. She was terrified and repelled by all the talk of fluids and penetration. He’s anxious and fumbling. He mistakes her moans of disgust for signs of pleasure.
It was a good story and it kept my attention, but I found the book a bit dragged out. Maybe it should have been a short story. This is my seventh McEwan (Children Act, Enduring Love, Nutshell, Amsterdam, Saturday and Atonement). Atonement was the only one I rated a five. Atonement is McEwan's most popular book on GR (more than a million ratings) and his highest-rated (3.9) so it's probably a good one to start with if you haven't read him.
McEwan (b. 1948) is still writing and his latest book is Lessons, published in 2022.
Photo of Chesil Beach from Southampton.ac.uk
The author from theguardian.com
[Edited for typos 8/28/23]
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''Sahilde' oldukça ilginç ve okunulması gerekilen bir kitap. 60 'lı yıllarda ki evlilik kurumlarında ki çiftlerin ilişkisindeki aksaklıkların şimdiki duruma göre de pek o kadarda değişmediğini fark edebilirsiniz. İnsanların gerçek duygu ve düşüncelerini birbirlerine gerektiği gibi açıklanılmaması durumunda yanlış anlaşılmalara ve gereksiz beklentilere yol açıyor. Aslında bütün ilişkilerde samimi açık sözlü olduğu gibi olmak gibi özellikler ; bilhassa birlikte yürütmek istediğin evlilik gibi bir kurumda oldukça gerekli gibi.Kitapta bunun eksikliğini çok iyi göstermiş.Bana göre yazarın en iyi eserlerinden biri.
''Sahilde' oldukça ilginç ve okunulması gerekilen bir kitap. 60 'lı yıllarda ki evlilik kurumlarında ki çiftlerin ilişkisindeki aksaklıkların şimdiki duruma göre de pek o kadarda değişmediğini fark edebilirsiniz. İnsanların gerçek duygu ve düşüncelerini birbirlerine gerektiği gibi açıklanılmaması durumunda yanlış anlaşılmalara ve gereksiz beklentilere yol açıyor. Aslında bütün ilişkilerde samimi açık sözlü olduğu gibi olmak gibi özellikler ; bilhassa birlikte yürütmek istediğin evlilik gibi bir kurumda oldukça gerekli gibi.Kitapta bunun eksikliğini çok iyi göstermiş.Bana göre yazarın en iyi eserlerinden biri.
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At the first look you have here the story of two young people madly in love with each other..
They get married and then the wedding night turns into a fiasco!!
Both of them alone with their fears, hurts and expectations..
Will their love be stronger then the menacing and threatening shadows of the past??
The "Independent on Sunday" raves and exclaims:
"Wonderful..Exquisite..Devastating.."
Ian McEwans "On Chesil Beach" has indeed make a dent in my deepest being and has leave me pondering many thoughts, some of them inconvenient but true!!
For me this book comes to the right time!!
If you asked me: "..did you loved it??.."
I only would stare at you for some time trying to digest the emotions and thoughts haunting me..
Please let me finish my review with one sentence from Ians novel:
"..This is how the entire course of a life can be changed - by doing nothing.."
Dean;)
They get married and then the wedding night turns into a fiasco!!
Both of them alone with their fears, hurts and expectations..
Will their love be stronger then the menacing and threatening shadows of the past??
The "Independent on Sunday" raves and exclaims:
"Wonderful..Exquisite..Devastating.."
Ian McEwans "On Chesil Beach" has indeed make a dent in my deepest being and has leave me pondering many thoughts, some of them inconvenient but true!!
For me this book comes to the right time!!
If you asked me: "..did you loved it??.."
I only would stare at you for some time trying to digest the emotions and thoughts haunting me..
Please let me finish my review with one sentence from Ians novel:
"..This is how the entire course of a life can be changed - by doing nothing.."
Dean;)
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