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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
3.5, it really wasn't bad at all, just not my kind of book.
challenging
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
i had a hard time getting through the first part of the book because of how loathsome briony is, even with the understanding that she was a child. briony did not get the ending she deserved and that pissed me off. as much as writing this book was briony’s personal process of atonement, assuaging her own guilt by giving robbie and cecilia the ending they deserved did Not cut it. especially because robbie and cecilia are already dead, lola’s been married to her rapist, and especially because the truth of the matter will not be revealed until briony is long dead. what good does that do, for anyone?!
the whole “twist” ending took me a second to understand because i didn’t want to believe it. there’s something to be said about the metafictional device and the moral responsibility that authors have when telling stories. briony seems to acknowledge that, but at the end of the day, i feel like excusing her crime due to her childlike naïveté strips her sister, robbie, and lola of their personhoods, and literally does nothing to atone for wrongdoing. briony had to live her entire life with the guilt of her crime, sure, but that doesn’t change the fact that she lived a very long and successful life while her sister’s and robbie’s lives and their love were cut short, and lola continued to be groomed by her rapist to the point of their marriage.p. and the fact that she didn’t problematize this (probably bc we know briony did not like lola) shows that she doesn’t really care for how despicable rape and false rape accusations are.
the prose was descriptive and poetic, but almost to a fault as there were moments that dragged on. overall, i am extremely angered by this book lmao
the whole “twist” ending took me a second to understand because i didn’t want to believe it. there’s something to be said about the metafictional device and the moral responsibility that authors have when telling stories. briony seems to acknowledge that, but at the end of the day, i feel like excusing her crime due to her childlike naïveté strips her sister, robbie, and lola of their personhoods, and literally does nothing to atone for wrongdoing. briony had to live her entire life with the guilt of her crime, sure, but that doesn’t change the fact that she lived a very long and successful life while her sister’s and robbie’s lives and their love were cut short, and lola continued to be groomed by her rapist to the point of their marriage.p. and the fact that she didn’t problematize this (probably bc we know briony did not like lola) shows that she doesn’t really care for how despicable rape and false rape accusations are.
the prose was descriptive and poetic, but almost to a fault as there were moments that dragged on. overall, i am extremely angered by this book lmao
emotional
reflective
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
I started [b:Atonement|6867|Atonement|Ian McEwan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320449708l/6867._SY75_.jpg|2307233] on a whim; finally feeling ready to brave this infamous novel I bought 5 years ago.
I did not know what to expect as I started reading it. The details, descriptions and dialogues are beautifully crafted. I felt transported into a tale about childhood. I was told that this novel would be sad, so I automatically correlated the depictions of child wonder to its inevitable loss as one grows up. Or, if it isn't loss, then transformation. A process of disillusionment of sorts.
As I moved deeper into the story, I had never perceived imagination as such a destructive force. McEwan perfectly illustrates the childish, fantastical drive behind Briony's need to build stories around her, intertwining fact and imagination. Yet, reality and fiction rarely mix and her young age did not give her the insights she needed in this regard. This meant that I met Briony's crime with both loathing and understanding. My heart was broken and conflicted between blame and empathy for her mistake. And it felt weird to not blindly hate her... But I understood the need for escapism, the avid desire to make a story out of one's life, to thrive on one's imagination. It was incredible to see to what extent McEwan pushed this desire, remodelling it as force akin to the grotesque.
In the end, I finished the book sobbing but I will not go into details as to why. I think that, like many well crafted books, [b:Atonement|6867|Atonement|Ian McEwan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320449708l/6867._SY75_.jpg|2307233] is a journey reflected in its title. Atoning takes time, it is arduous and sometimes cannot be achieved. Because, essentially, are you atoning for yourself, or in the benefit of others? And what if the second party is not ready to forgive?
I did not know what to expect as I started reading it. The details, descriptions and dialogues are beautifully crafted. I felt transported into a tale about childhood. I was told that this novel would be sad, so I automatically correlated the depictions of child wonder to its inevitable loss as one grows up. Or, if it isn't loss, then transformation. A process of disillusionment of sorts.
As I moved deeper into the story, I had never perceived imagination as such a destructive force. McEwan perfectly illustrates the childish, fantastical drive behind Briony's need to build stories around her, intertwining fact and imagination. Yet, reality and fiction rarely mix and her young age did not give her the insights she needed in this regard. This meant that I met Briony's crime with both loathing and understanding. My heart was broken and conflicted between blame and empathy for her mistake. And it felt weird to not blindly hate her... But I understood the need for escapism, the avid desire to make a story out of one's life, to thrive on one's imagination. It was incredible to see to what extent McEwan pushed this desire, remodelling it as force akin to the grotesque.
In the end, I finished the book sobbing but I will not go into details as to why. I think that, like many well crafted books, [b:Atonement|6867|Atonement|Ian McEwan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320449708l/6867._SY75_.jpg|2307233] is a journey reflected in its title. Atoning takes time, it is arduous and sometimes cannot be achieved. Because, essentially, are you atoning for yourself, or in the benefit of others? And what if the second party is not ready to forgive?
emotional
reflective
slow-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
film is better
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think I would have really liked this book in middle school