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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Unfortunately, I just could not get into this book. I really tried. I made it to 45% before I decided I had had enough. That’s not to say the book is bad, it just really didn’t work for me.
The premise of this book was interesting. The idea of a lost poem was intriguing, but what really caught my interest was the idea of the future described in the synopsis. A researcher from a hundred years in the future after climate change and nuclear war have devastated the world looks back at what is (more or less) our present day. That concept was really intriguing and the main reason I picked up this book. The glimpses of this future world were fascinating, and something I did enjoy. I also really liked McEwan’s prose - it is beautiful if a bit dense, but also very readable. Unfortunately, those highlights were diminished by the fact that I found this book extremely boring. Almost nothing in the 100+ pages I read stuck with me or made me interested in what was going to happen next, so unfortunately, I decided to put it down.
From some other reviews I’ve seen, I may be an outlier on this, so if you like beautiful prose and are okay with minimal plot and dialogue, this might still be something you might enjoy.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an e-arc in exchange for my unbiased review.
The premise of this book was interesting. The idea of a lost poem was intriguing, but what really caught my interest was the idea of the future described in the synopsis. A researcher from a hundred years in the future after climate change and nuclear war have devastated the world looks back at what is (more or less) our present day. That concept was really intriguing and the main reason I picked up this book. The glimpses of this future world were fascinating, and something I did enjoy. I also really liked McEwan’s prose - it is beautiful if a bit dense, but also very readable. Unfortunately, those highlights were diminished by the fact that I found this book extremely boring. Almost nothing in the 100+ pages I read stuck with me or made me interested in what was going to happen next, so unfortunately, I decided to put it down.
From some other reviews I’ve seen, I may be an outlier on this, so if you like beautiful prose and are okay with minimal plot and dialogue, this might still be something you might enjoy.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an e-arc in exchange for my unbiased review.
I’m clearly going to be the outlier here, and I’m perfectly fine with that.
I just finished What We Can Know and I have mixed feelings. I flew through it, not because I was captivated, but because I wanted it to be over. It stirred up a lot of emotions, some good, but mostly bad. The book is split into two parts, and my feelings shifted dramatically between them.
Part One:
This started out promising. McEwan’s prose is undeniably beautiful, even if it leans heavily toward the dense side. I was initially intrigued by Thomas and his obsession with a long lost poem. The exploration of his academic and emotional fixation had potential. That said, some of the climate and political commentary felt too on the nose. So much so that it pulled me out of the narrative.
Then came the infamous dinner scene. Finally — dialogue! I genuinely enjoyed getting a glimpse into each character. But once that scene ended, the novel took a steep dive. The text became dry, bleak, and read more like a drawn out research paper than a novel. It could’ve been edited down significantly without losing any of its point. I almost DNF’d it three times.
As for Thomas… just wow. Am I supposed to feel sorry for this man? Because I didn’t. He’s more in love with the idea of a woman who died 80 years ago than with the woman right in front of him. And he tells her this — then has the nerve to be surprised when she gets upset? Seriously? Meanwhile, Rose makes one misstep and suddenly she’s painted as the villain.
Part Two:
What the heck was that? Viv, you need help. A lot of it. I understand what McEwan was trying to do thematically, but the execution was extreme, if not absurd. The constant hammering of how awful she is became exhausting. Also let’s be honest, the men weren’t treated with nearly the same level of critical scrutiny, despite their own misdeeds.
Bottom Line:
While McEwan’s writing is undoubtedly skilled and thought provoking at times, this story didn’t land for me. The characters felt distant and unlikable, and the emotional payoff never quite arrived. There were glimmers of insight, especially early on, but overall, the book left me feeling more frustrated than fulfilled. If you're a fan of McEwan's previous work, you might still find this worth exploring.
I just finished What We Can Know and I have mixed feelings. I flew through it, not because I was captivated, but because I wanted it to be over. It stirred up a lot of emotions, some good, but mostly bad. The book is split into two parts, and my feelings shifted dramatically between them.
Part One:
This started out promising. McEwan’s prose is undeniably beautiful, even if it leans heavily toward the dense side. I was initially intrigued by Thomas and his obsession with a long lost poem. The exploration of his academic and emotional fixation had potential. That said, some of the climate and political commentary felt too on the nose. So much so that it pulled me out of the narrative.
Then came the infamous dinner scene. Finally — dialogue! I genuinely enjoyed getting a glimpse into each character. But once that scene ended, the novel took a steep dive. The text became dry, bleak, and read more like a drawn out research paper than a novel. It could’ve been edited down significantly without losing any of its point. I almost DNF’d it three times.
As for Thomas… just wow. Am I supposed to feel sorry for this man? Because I didn’t. He’s more in love with the idea of a woman who died 80 years ago than with the woman right in front of him. And he tells her this — then has the nerve to be surprised when she gets upset? Seriously? Meanwhile, Rose makes one misstep and suddenly she’s painted as the villain.
Part Two:
What the heck was that? Viv, you need help. A lot of it. I understand what McEwan was trying to do thematically, but the execution was extreme, if not absurd. The constant hammering of how awful she is became exhausting. Also let’s be honest, the men weren’t treated with nearly the same level of critical scrutiny, despite their own misdeeds.
Bottom Line:
While McEwan’s writing is undoubtedly skilled and thought provoking at times, this story didn’t land for me. The characters felt distant and unlikable, and the emotional payoff never quite arrived. There were glimmers of insight, especially early on, but overall, the book left me feeling more frustrated than fulfilled. If you're a fan of McEwan's previous work, you might still find this worth exploring.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Just finished What We Can Know by Ian McEwan and I was hooked. It starts off slow, but once it grabs you, it does not let go. This one really makes you reflect—on time, perception, and how our lives can look completely different depending on the angle. Thoughtful, layered, and beautifully written. A quiet but powerful read
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Like…………. Kinda crazy and super smart, but at the same time really boring and convoluted. But also really genius in the classic McEwan way.
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
What We Can Know
Everyone’s horrible and now I have anxiety.
This book was…something! That’s for sure…
The first 50% read like an academic paper, which given the context makes sense but it was tedious and boring and void of much emotion. The only times I felt engaged were the parts where Thomas ruminated on how he felt about the past while studying it, his attachment to it, his longing for it.
Second half was brutal. Vivian displays all the signs of a classic narcissist. Her compulsive serial adultery did nothing but anger and frustrate me. Her feelings surrounding her first husbands illness were understandable, and since we learn of them BEFORE we learn about who she truly is, it humanizes her a bit but her inability to care about her sister WHO HAS CANCER was actually the last straw that made me hate her.
This book was weird to read because it just read like someone who hates women and modern society put all their feelings down on paper and tried to turn it into a narrative.
The murder in the book is weird and just not really explored. It’s not a mystery. Nor is its perpetrator ever truly villainized? Only its enabler is, which like okay good riddance (cause she truly is a horrible person and contributed to the death of her infant daughter) but also what? Francis is almost painted as…misunderstood? Kind? Maybe not quite, but he’s definitely not really depicted as a LITERAL MURDERER. Huh????
This book skyrocketed my anxiety re: climate change, wars, Israel etc etc which normally I wouldn’t mind if I felt it was telling a compelling and necessary story but this just felt like I was being lectured AT (not even lectured to cause I definitely didn’t sign up for that)
Also, Thomas (the main lecturer) wasn’t exactly a great guy but he was painted as a much better person than his lover/wife Rose…and for what? It lended nothing to the plot. Literally nothing. It was almost overlooked but it DID happen just to highlight what…? Another woman being unfaithful? Being horrible?
This book was just frustrating and took me far too long to read without offering me anything to contemplate or think on outside of…everything I already contemplate and think on every time I watch/read the news.
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Grateful to NetGalley for the ARC!
In 2014 the celebrated poet Francis Blundy writes a poem for his wife for her birthday called "A Corona for Vivien." In 2119, Thomas and Rose are professors who study the twenty-first century, a period right before geopolitics and climate change led to the collapse of the world as it was known. Thomas in particular is deeply immersed in the possibility of finding "A Corona for Vivien", which has never been published and over time, the dinner where it was read and the lost poem itself have become revered among historians and scholars. When Thomas finds a clue that may point to a physical location of a copy of the poem, he and Rose set off in hopes of finding the masterpiece.
This novel is incredible, with stunning prose and a richly imagined near future. The themes of this novel (how our romanticized versions of the past and historical figures are only shadows of the truth) are timely and McEwan remains one of our greatest living writers.
In 2014 the celebrated poet Francis Blundy writes a poem for his wife for her birthday called "A Corona for Vivien." In 2119, Thomas and Rose are professors who study the twenty-first century, a period right before geopolitics and climate change led to the collapse of the world as it was known. Thomas in particular is deeply immersed in the possibility of finding "A Corona for Vivien", which has never been published and over time, the dinner where it was read and the lost poem itself have become revered among historians and scholars. When Thomas finds a clue that may point to a physical location of a copy of the poem, he and Rose set off in hopes of finding the masterpiece.
This novel is incredible, with stunning prose and a richly imagined near future. The themes of this novel (how our romanticized versions of the past and historical figures are only shadows of the truth) are timely and McEwan remains one of our greatest living writers.
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes