A stunning,  lyrical saga about love, war, guilt, forgiveness, and of course, the uncertainty inherent in our vantage points and hence our perceptions. Briony, a fanciful thirteen-year-old is so consumed with her version of the narrative that she cannot grasp the lasting damage it would cause and the lives it would destroy. A crime is committed by her in the haze of adolescent immaturity, which proves fateful for those who unwittingly get dragged into it. Is redemption possible for this unlikely perpetrator? And what about the adults who unthinkingly condone her actions? Do they have a share in the guilt like they have a share in the deed? And can making amends later – after maturity prods one to examine past decisions – change anything, apart from quelling the unrelenting pangs of remorse? Can one stitch back the broken shell that a person becomes?

A person is, among all else, a material thing, easily torn and not easily mended.


The first part of the novel traces that ill-fated day in 1935 when Briony's confusion between fantasy and reality changes everything. The tone of the narrative modifies according to the shifts in the points of view – an indulgent, gently humorous flavour for the young, much-loved child Briony which subsequently transforms to bewilderment and self-consoling as her story takes an ominous turn; a dazed, wistful mood for the lovers and finally solemnity and reflection for the events that follow in the second and third parts. Oh, I revelled in the glorious writing and the polished prose which laid bare the inner worlds of the characters. Each sentence is beautifully crafted, almost too perfect, and portrays, in the author's words, "the crystalline present moment through the onward roll of the conscious mind". There are trivial drawbacks to this focus on capturing the present, on reproducing all that one thinks, feels, and sees – sometimes descriptions of moss, algae, and migraines usurp the attention reserved for finer emotions but I'm not complaining. I'm in awe of the strikingly beautiful compositions of McEwan and some of the other contemporary English writers that I've had a chance to read: The Line of Beauty by Allan Hollinghurst, On Beauty by Zadie Smith, and The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes. 


My heart is bursting with things to say about this book of rare, timeless beauty but however desperately I try to convey them, I fall short of words. As a feeble excuse for my ineptitude, I wanted to drench your screen with lovely phrases from this very quotable masterpiece but you must have already come across them. I wanted to tell you about the hopelessness of war and even the perspective it bestows on us, of making all concerns seem tiny and forgettable, of reminding us of the importance of love. Instead, I will tell you that a nurse who was tending to the injured in the Second World War described the highs of her work as  "moments of impersonal tenderness and elated, generalised love".. Isn't that something to remember? And on a lighter note, an astute observation by the author might make you smile "Communal singalongs had a faintly coercive quality".


Lastly, in one hell of a twisted Epilogue, McEwan suggests that as a writer, it is essential to impart hope. What good would more bleakness do? There's enough of it around us. I agree.

I am really frustrated with myself that I can't bring myself to like this novel. The passage from Northanger Abbey that precedes it was promising; anything referencing Jane Austen should be worth reading. However, despite the fact that his style is interesting, that every sentence attempts to make an impact, I feel as if it is trying too hard. A comparison to Austen's writing style is ridiculous, because even though McEwen attempts the same focus on a brilliant turn of the phrase, his style in no way comes close to Austen's clarity.

I also found the plot to be faulty. Yes, his detailed description of one afternoon if for the most part gripping, but what happens before and after is lacking. I want to believe that Cecilia and Robbie are in love, but there's not enough there to substantiate that. The description of their secretive letter-writing seems to serve as an indication of their close relationship, but I find it hard to believe that the almost racy yet purposeless Cecilia (as she is characterized in the first half), who was planning on staying at her parents' home all summer because she didn't know what else to do, now has purpose, drive, and patience to wait for Robbie like a good housewife. I can't reconcile her earlier flightiness with her later responsibility.

Another issue is the novel's lack of focus. Is the point the consequences of a child's mistake? Or is the point the unfortunate results of fate and war?

Overall, there are too many issues that are unresolved or lacking development (i.e. Cecilia's personality, Robbie's turmoil with class, Leon in general) to make me like this novel. Even the observations on writing that make up so much of the introduction do not carry through the rest of the novel. I will reread it, however, and see if my opinion changes.

4,5⭐

Mi segundo acercamiento a este autor. Anteriormente había leído de él "La ley del menor", que me gustó, pero también me dejó con la sensación de que faltaba algo. "Expiación" me ha convencido mucho más. No será el último suyo que lea.

Mis impresiones:

Estamos ante una novela que se mueve en torno a tres ejes, una historia de amor, la devastación de la guerra y una novela dentro de la novela, que uno de los personajes escribe a modo de expiación.
Muy bien escrito, es un libro que va a más a medida que avanza. Todos los pequeños detalles tienen su razón de ser y todo va a encajar en algún momento de la narración. El ritmo es pausado. Es un libro para deleitarse tanto en lo que cuenta como en la manera que lo cuenta.

Se divide en cuatro partes. En la primera, situada en la Inglaterra de 1935, McEwan nos presenta a los personajes. Por un lado, tenemos a la familia Tallis, los padres, las dos hijas, Cecily y Briony, Leon, el hijo y tres primos por parte materna, recién llegados, y que durante un tiempo residirán en la casa de sus tíos. Por otro a Robbie Turner, hijo de la criada de la familia y protegido de esta y Paul, un amigo rico de Leon. Además, nos cuenta una historia de amor condenada ya desde sus mismos comienzos. El desenlace de esta parte pone los pelos de punta.
En la segunda, el autor nos hace una de las narraciones más duras y descarnadas de la guerra que he podido leer. La fecha 1940, el escenario el desastre de Dunkerque y las condiciones en las que muchos soldados volvieron a casa para morir como consecuencia de sus heridas en terribles condiciones.
En la tercera, toma el protagonismo Briony, la hija menor de los Tallis, que ya con dieciocho años, toma conciencia de lo que realmente sucedió aquel día de 1935. La cuarta en 1999 a modo de epílogo, me dejó con la boca abierta. Encajan las piezas en un final que, al menos a mí, me dejó desolada. No cuento más. Es uno de esos libros a los que conviene acercarse sabiendo lo menos posible.

La construcción y la evolución de los personajes es brillante. Los más destacados, los tres protagonistas, Cecily, Robbie y Briony. La ambientación y recreación de la época, así como del clasismo imperante antes y después de la guerra igualmente buenas.

En conclusión. Una novela dura y bien escrita, que merece la pena leer. Recomendable, aunque no para todos ni para cualquier momento.

Atonement is a story of moral issues and the story is sad…

Here she was, offering a possibility of absolution. But it was not for him. He had done nothing wrong. It was for herself, for her own crime which her conscience could no longer bear. Was he supposed to feel grateful? And yes, of course, she was a child in 1935. He had told himself, he and Cecilia had told each other, over and again. Yes, she was just a child. But not every child sends a man to prison with a lie. Not every child is so purposeful and malign, so consistent over time, never wavering, never doubted. A child, but that had not stopped him daydreaming in his cell of her humiliation, of a dozen ways he might find revenge.

Does time revenge mistakes of childhood? Or does God?
Anyway if such errors lead to the ruination of lives revenge can’t be sweet…

"Atonement" focuses on tragic events surrounding the Tallis family during the years prior to, during and after the Second World War. Briony Tallis, a thirteen-year-old girl who has a dream of becoming a famous author, witnesses and misunderstands the sexual tension between her older sister Cecilia and the gardener Robbie Turner, with her mistake leading to years of remorse, hate, solitude – and atonement. One might think this is a concept too unpromising for a full-length story, lacking any further potential for an interesting reading experience which will stick in one’s memory. But whoever may bear such thoughts: the novel is even more than that. Don’t expect a hopeful, romantic or even funny story when entering the world Ian McEwan has built in his masterpiece. It is tragic, heart-breaking and full of dark moments. There is not too much hope in this story. „Atonement“ depicts what might very well have been reality. McEwan deals with flawed characters. Neither of them are perfect, all of them commit mistakes with grave consequences. Most of them are not even likeable. But you can’t say any person included in McEwans large cast of characters is depicted in an unrealistic way, and in my opinion, that’s what makes „Atonement“ a true masterpiece.

Two years ago, I had to read „The Innocent“, one of McEwan’s less-known novels, for school. It was not particularly well-written, felt really weird to me and a lot of others, did not deal subtly with its messages, and was generally no novel to be commemorated as a great work. I am still angry with my English teacher for introducing me to McEwan with such a book, considering his writing talents shine so much more through the narrative of „Atonement“. Say what you want about the plot or the character development, but the prose is beautiful. The book has been published only fourteen years ago, but it is one of those novels which will probably be considered to be true classics in fifty or one hundred years.

„Atonement“ is divided into three different sections. The first one deals with a hot afternoon in the summer of 1935 and the aftermath of a fatal entanglement, introducing the main characters, a stunning atmosphere and allowing the reader to become familiar with McEwan’s writing style. It was a little bit difficult to get into the story due to its slow beginning and the lengthy introduction, which is the main reason for why I deducted one half-star from my rating and finally rounded it down to 4 stars. But as soon as the first plot twist appeared, the story’s pace gathered speed, making up for a great conclusion to the first part. The second section then introduced us to a soldier’s experience during the Second World War, and while interesting and very well-written, this section – once again – may be considered to be a little long-winded. (I think those 100 pages might easily have been reduced to 60 or 70.) And then McEwan returned to his main protagonist during the course of the last section, narrating a tale about a nurse’s difficult life during War, and had he not already captured me with his prose, he would certainly have succeeded to do so with this final part. The epilogue was one of the best conclusions to a story I’ve ever read, staying true to the plot and the characters and completing the story in a way which is very close to being perfect.

If you enjoy reading novels with magnificent writing, profound plot elements which remain true to the characters, and perfect character development, then this is the book you should check out next.

Ian McEwan - image from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette - photo credit: Joost van den Broek

I was bored with this until half way through, but then it got interesting. It touches on imagination versus reality, fiction versus fact, in addition to the story content. A portrait of an upper middle class English family is interrupted by a supposed rape in which a young imaginative (vengeful) girl misidentifies the rapist. I found that it stayed with me and that I appreciated it more with time. The film, released in 2007, was an amazing translation.


Links to the author’s personal and FB pages

"I've never had a moment's doubt. I love you. I believe in you completely. You are my dearest one. My reason for life."
Atonement by: Ian McEwan


Note goodreads requested me to add date finished April 27, 2024 I was able to fid this date in my cloud library history ebook returned!

In World War II England, 13-year-old Briony Tallis misinterprets her older sister’s love affair with their family’s gardener to be something much worse than what it is. Her innocence and partial understanding of the world begins a chain of events that tears the family apart and alters the course of the rest of the girl’s life.

Sounds a little dry, right? Wrong! I guess I forgot to mention that the book was written by Ian McEwan, the king of uncomfortable moments, weird sex stuff, the rotating third-person close perspective, and - I’ll say it! - writing about the human psyche. While I’ve found some of his earlier books to be a little too uncomfortable (or, rather, too uncomfortable without good reason) or a little too sexually deviant (again, in the way that it seemed for shock value than with a reason), this was a freaking great book.

I think the one thing that makes this book so wonderful is McEwan’s eerily accurate understanding of how a 13-year-old girl’s mind works - her understanding of the world and her emotional reaction to it. Briony is trapped between childhood and adulthood. She’s old enough to recognize the dark and startling behind-the-scenes facets of her proper British family’s life, but not old enough to properly analyze or judge them. She’s old enough to impose her will and her ideas on others, but not wise enough to know when to act or when to question herself. It’s a frustrating and fascination (and uncomfortable) time, and he has it down pat.

McEwan also experiments with structure in ways that are truly innovative and new without being gimmicky. Briony is an aspiring writer who grows and develops her style throughout the 60 years that the novel covers, and McEwan’s novel mirrors her literary growth. Part One of the story is extremely traditional (broken into chapters, with a clear rotation of perspectives and a uniform chronology). Parts Two and Three are much more modern - the story, which switches gears to follow the gardener into WWII France and Briony to her experiences as a nurse in London, loses structure and fluidity and uses more modern storytelling techniques. Finally, the last section is utterly contemporary - the story becomes even more abstract, with unreliable narrators and more conceptual writing favored over simple narrative.

And yet these games with structure and story and perspective in no way take your focus from the story and the characters. Instead, they add to the experience of watching the main character grow and develop.

If the book suffers from anything, it might be a little slow in some places and move too fast in others. Since McEwan tends to be very thorough when it comes to interior thought, the story often slows down a bit more than it should so that he can explain how every single person felt about a certain moment in time (although the story spans 60 years, the first 200 pages span a single afternoon and evening). The slow story a necessary evil, though, if we want to keep the detailed character studies in place. And we do. And the action-filled second half of the book, which covers the British retreat from the Germans in 1940 and the over-capacity army hospitals of London, makes up for the sometimes austere and rigorous first half. It just takes a while to get the story rolling.

This. Book. Drove. Me. Nuts.

Did I sabotage the book by opting to watch the movie first?
Maybe.

Or would it have turned out this way regardless?
I'll never know.


I like the idea of this book. Ian McEwan's definition of atonement is as dazzling as it is strange. I also love the prose. So rich and refined. For these reasons alone, I'm giving Atonement 3 stars.

The rest of this review, I'm afraid, is a jumbled explanation for why this book made me so mad.

I thought the purpose of this book was to tell a story. A story about how a misunderstanding borne out of innocence could tragically alter so many lives. But did it really do that??

It tried to, at least in the beginning. But even then, I did not for a minute believe that it was really happening, that all these people actually existed. It felt like the script of a play - everything was carefully rehearsed and choreographed. Every character from Briony to Cecelia, from Robbie to Leon, was like a caricature, like Arabella in The Trials of Arabella.

Then somewhere past the halfway mark, the story just stopped and Atonement turned into a documentary on the horrors of WW2. Civilians were getting blown to bits, soldiers were being left to die, villages were turning to rubble... I'm not saying it was pointless but it was way overdone. If these characters felt vague before, they ceased to exist for me then - lost in the mess of war tales.

So you see, very little actually happened in the course of 350 pages. So much of it was devoted to overtly descriptive passages that were, for lack of a better word, boring.

And then there's the twist at the end, of course.

(NOTE: Do not peek at the spoiler if you intend to read the book someday.)

Since the entire novel is supposedly written by Briony and not McEwan, maybe the book was deliberately designed to reflect Briony's ineptitude?? If that was what McEwan had in mind, then I think this book is brilliant.

I've spent hours thinking on these lines but each passing minute has only added to my frustration.

So I'm settling for 3.


P.s. I personally prefer the movie. It doesn't screw with your head so much :/

Is it wrong to review a book based on your much more lucid rememberings of the film rather than the actual text itself?

Nah.

Things from the film which were good:
Keira Knightley has a nice green dress. I would like a nice green dress like that. Or to quote Jessi - someone has to get me one of those dresses stat!

James McAvoy looks better in this than he does as Mr Tumnus the faun in Narnia. In Narnia his big wet weepy faun eyes made me want to shoot myself until I got distracted by Tilda Swinton's Amazing Ice Queen costume which was FIERCE. Here he wears a nice neat uniform and probably has averagely hairy legs.

That Briony Tallis kid is the exact right level of annoying.

And now back to the book:
A childish act vengeance after the realisation that a childhood crush will never be fulfilled leads to a series of events which span decades and shape the course of one families existence. Split into four parts, Briony Tallis recounts the story with startling honesty and a clarity which only comes about with adulthood and a loss of innocence. This story is her Atonement.

Tragic, poetic and one of McEwan's books which spans a looser time period.
On Chesil Beach = a few hours
Saturday = 1 day
The Comfort of Strangers = a mini break.

I like books which pivot around a core event which is essentially the pin being pulled out of the handgrenade. One which is so heart stoppingly unchangeable that you know it will haunt the characters for ever. A similar method of "oh-my-god-if-you'd-only-not-done-that-then-we-wouldn't-have-arrived-at-this-tragically-remorseful-place-now" style writing is also employed to good effect in The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor. If you liked this then go and get yourself a copy of The Story of Lucy Gault.

[3.2⭐]

I will first tell you what I liked about the book. Ian McEwan writes beautiful prose. Every word and line is written so you can place yourself right where he wants you to be. The description of the house, the surrounding yards and field. Everything is vivid and has meaning. He goes in to great length describing things. That's it.

We start out with the Tallis family's upper class English home. It's the hottest day of summer in 1934 and Briony sees something and lets her imagination run wild. This is how the book continues, seriously. How many lives can you change ?

As I was reading this book, other friends told me,"it takes awhile to get in to" so I kept reading. It was a struggle. I gave this book more of a chance than I have others. I am not afraid to put a book down after giving it a good chance. This family had no leadership, except for that of a very spoiled child. They were dysfunctional to say the least. It drove me crazy !! I can't say much more because I don't want to put spoilers in here.

Briony never got atonement for what she did, but maybe she was asking the wrong person.

I know others loved this book and gave it 5 stars. I love that for them. I don't want you to read my review and not read the book if you are wanting to. It just didn't work for me, and I know I am not alone.

Now I'm going to go do something more pleasant than read this book, like a root canal maybe.... just kidding