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mo_bees's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Beautifully written but a slow read. The movie is largely faithful to this novel, with trade offs in either direction that make neither version better than the other. It does a strong job of depicting the realities of war for both civilians and servicepeople, and the narrator Briony is less hateable in the book, surprisingly. Would recommend!
dunnadam's review against another edition
3.0
This book is so uneven, it's almost like three different books in one.
Book one is the first 50%. It's well-written but tedious. I felt like it should have been relegated to a 15 page prologue, this is not the good part of the book, yet it takes up the most room, page-wise. Another story of another wealthy British family set after the first World War. I've read so many, it was during my reading of [b:The Stranger's Child|7552716|The Stranger's Child |Alan Hollinghurst|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1304729778s/7552716.jpg|9850206] that I first realized I had had enough. I don't care what the wealthy did, if I want to read anything about that period it would be the story of common people or the poor or something else other than life in a stately home! Enough!
It was for a book club, so I kept reading.
This part is slightly redeemed by the smooth, well-flowing writing style, so 2 out of 5.
Part two is the gold, it only lasts about 30%. The main focus in this section is the Second World War and it's so vivid, so wonderful, it's like you're there. I've never heard this war described so well. I read every word of this part, it was fantastic, five out of five. If he can write this well, why did the author mess about with the kids games of part one?
Part three is an unnecessary tack on that runs about 20%. It's a jump forward to modern day that really stretches credulity and ends with the message that only an author could understand the plot of the book. It seemed elitist, like the author was throwing a party for himself and his work. Way to go, good job, he told himself. I could practically see the old age make-up in the movie version as I read it, ugh. 1 out of 5
Add it up and you somehow get three.
Book one is the first 50%. It's well-written but tedious. I felt like it should have been relegated to a 15 page prologue, this is not the good part of the book, yet it takes up the most room, page-wise. Another story of another wealthy British family set after the first World War. I've read so many, it was during my reading of [b:The Stranger's Child|7552716|The Stranger's Child |Alan Hollinghurst|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1304729778s/7552716.jpg|9850206] that I first realized I had had enough. I don't care what the wealthy did, if I want to read anything about that period it would be the story of common people or the poor or something else other than life in a stately home! Enough!
It was for a book club, so I kept reading.
This part is slightly redeemed by the smooth, well-flowing writing style, so 2 out of 5.
Part two is the gold, it only lasts about 30%. The main focus in this section is the Second World War and it's so vivid, so wonderful, it's like you're there. I've never heard this war described so well. I read every word of this part, it was fantastic, five out of five. If he can write this well, why did the author mess about with the kids games of part one?
Part three is an unnecessary tack on that runs about 20%. It's a jump forward to modern day that really stretches credulity and ends with the message that only an author could understand the plot of the book. It seemed elitist, like the author was throwing a party for himself and his work. Way to go, good job, he told himself. I could practically see the old age make-up in the movie version as I read it, ugh. 1 out of 5
Add it up and you somehow get three.
lumbra's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Very poetic and sad, very reflective.
elizactr's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
izz_mh's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
captlychee's review against another edition
2.0
Anyone who has done a writing course of any length, or who has joined a local reading or writing group, will be exhaustively, painfully familiar with the idea of memoir. Everyone has at least one novel in them, and many people choose memoir for some reason - or many reasons.
Anyway, ths is a work of ficiton in which the protagonist first writes a memoir of her time as a nurse in London in World War II, then has some ruminations about the whole craft of writing, especially writing memoir, that might amuse those of you who can deal with memoir in the first place. From this screed, the enlightened student is supposed to take some lessons on the nature of memoir, and the nature of fiction itself since memoir uses the techniques of fiction to describe true events, or perhaps evets that ought to be true, or at least—to borrow from Stephen Colbert—be 'truthy'.
An otherwise pedestrian work that isn't even redeemed by descriptions of changing England over time, as many other books can be, since they use passage of time to create a melancholy about vanished taste and quality.
Anyway, ths is a work of ficiton in which the protagonist first writes a memoir of her time as a nurse in London in World War II, then has some ruminations about the whole craft of writing, especially writing memoir, that might amuse those of you who can deal with memoir in the first place. From this screed, the enlightened student is supposed to take some lessons on the nature of memoir, and the nature of fiction itself since memoir uses the techniques of fiction to describe true events, or perhaps evets that ought to be true, or at least—to borrow from Stephen Colbert—be 'truthy'.
An otherwise pedestrian work that isn't even redeemed by descriptions of changing England over time, as many other books can be, since they use passage of time to create a melancholy about vanished taste and quality.
paulafaian's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.5
i was about to trash-talk the end but im contented with it. briony gets the attention she wants, and recognises there is no atonement.
i think it was good how in the second part of her narration (part 3) she still puts herself as the focus of cecilia’s and robbie’s story. she can’t conceal her pettiness even in her attempt to redeem herself. even thought it made me mad, i think that’s truthful to her character.
4.5 because part 2 dragged on for too long
i think it was good how in the second part of her narration (part 3) she still puts herself as the focus of cecilia’s and robbie’s story. she can’t conceal her pettiness even in her attempt to redeem herself. even thought it made me mad, i think that’s truthful to her character.
4.5 because part 2 dragged on for too long
_lisaa_'s review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5