Reviews - Atonement | The StoryGraph

6.83k reviews for:

Atonement

Ian McEwan

3.92 AVERAGE

gunterfell's review against another edition

4.0

emotional reflective sad tense

appleaud's review against another edition

4.0

i didn’t know ian mcewan could turn into a teenage girl so easily

definitely a bit crazy, but i think overall it was a great read. would definitely read it again

rewtheday's review against another edition

4.75

dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

saoirseosborne's review against another edition

This was superb. I really liked the writing overall. Especially the bits of panic when Robbie is being strafed in France - I can see why they analyse it at A-level. McEwan somehow quickens the pace without it being entirely clear how he does so. And Robbie's dream-like recollections

just before he dies

are sublime.

At the start, I enjoyed the micro-moments of perceptiveness about human nature. The book's bigger themes unfold more slowly. I loved the two moments in which we consider what was real and what wasn't,

when Briony recieves the letter from the publishers and her own chapter at the very end.

I still don't really know what ending was 'true', but of course I suppose that isn't the point.

bootsbooks's review against another edition

4.5

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

pzdrnk's review against another edition

4.25

One of the most well-written books I’ve ever read. While the plot unfolds gradually and stretches all the way to the final pages, this novel isn’t really about the plot. I didn’t rush through it, instead, I found myself slowing down, taking in every sentence, underlining so many of them because they touched me. The language McEwan uses to describe actions and emotions, whether huge or seemingly insignificant, is so full of substance. There’s a real weight to how he writes, like every word is doing something meaningful.

That said, the reading experience wasn’t without its challenges. There were long stretches that felt like they dragged on forever, and I’ll admit those parts tested my patience. But I kept going, because the ideas and plot twists scattered throughout were genuinely compelling and often unexpected.

I really liked the book overall, but I had built up a certain idea of how it was going to end, something I thought would’ve been amazing, and it didn’t go that way, which left me a little disappointed. But honestly, I do that a lot with books. Still, Atonement is a novel that lingers, both for its beauty and for its ache.

albatrossonhalfpointe's review against another edition

2.0

challenging dark reflective tense 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

I liked the writing, but the structure itself just never hung together well for me, so it left me feeling kind of unsatisfied.

More at https://kingshearte.blogspot.com/2025/06/atonement-ian-mcewan.html