Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - Atonement

Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Atonement by Ian McEwan

66 reviews

hermione_gilmore's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

The book was okay, it was well-written but I didn’t like it that much. I thought it was boring most of the time, with too many unnecessary details. Also I hate the trope miscommunication and it was basically just that so yeah… oh and I thought the main character was hella annoying, which wasn’t helping.

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lindseyhall44's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Atonment is a book where I can say I have never read anything quite like it. The prose is breathtaking and the storytelling a master class in the field, a modern classic in its own right. That being said, I rated it a 4.25 because my interest in the story ebbed and flowed, and a few sections felt redundant. However, the ending 100% makes up for any slower sections, and I did shed a few tears!
Overall, I would highly recommend Atonment to fans of historical fiction novels with a slower pace.

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btothebooks's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Its a very descriptive text which can make it difficult to ease through, though the plot line is apparent. Its not a fun read, and certainly not an easy read.

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booksbyadesi's review

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emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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mengzhenreads's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

this book caused me so much emotional distress and for what. really enjoyed it though, very complex characters that had a lot of heart and nuance.

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lostinthelibrary's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is one of the best character study books I have ever read. The characters all do things on the scale from questionable to awful but they are so well developed that you understand their multi-layered motivations.

The atmosphere is also incredibly immersive whether in a sleepy summer country house, a busy hospital or the banks of Dunkirk. Each setting is powerfully evoked in, at times, uncomfortable ways and this combined with the characterisation, really put you in the perspective of the characters.

Finally, the writing was just so perfectly crafted and changed throughout the book to mirror the characters and their perspectives. Descriptive sections were used sparingly but effectively and it was overall a joy to read.

A worthy classic and my first 5 star book of the year!

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