Reviews

Time, or rather a lack thereof, forced me to see the movie adaptation before reading the book. Finally summer break allowed me to rectify the situation. As is usually the case, I found the book superior, perhaps because I enjoy "downer" books much more than "downer" movies. Books just have a much greater capacity for depth. Briony, the young girl writer who sets the plot in motion, has such complexity on the page. The reader understands her sense of grandeur, her belief in the total rightness of her actions. Sometimes it's hard to imagine a girl of thirteen having the thoughts she has, but perhaps it's really the elderly Briony reflecting back on events. Secondary characters can also get great attention in the book. Briony's mother Emily is one haunting example.

McEwan's grasp on detail and description boggles my mind. I can't imagine the amount of research required for him to render the evacuation at Dunkirk, a country manor, and a wartime hospital with such precision. Obviously a writer who understands his craft, as shown in the character of Briony.

leachiarabtr's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.75

allmyexistentialcrises's review against another edition

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medium-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

1.0

dnietoperafan's review against another edition

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3.0

‘Atonement’ is a book that starts pretty slowly, but picks up in the eighth chapter. The bad thing is that personally, I thought near the end it starts to slow down again, and that’s why I give it three stars. Don’t get me wrong, the story is absolutely beautiful, but the reading experience took away the good parts of the book.

I really liked the entire concept of the story. I feel like it really touched me emotionally.

raconteurs's review against another edition

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4.0

I took me a while to geht into the story. I thought it started a bit slow. But after about half the book I was hooked and enjoyed the story. As I came to the end I liked is even more and was very happy to have sticked with it.

lizgzara's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

eleanormia96's review against another edition

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emotional reflective slow-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

I really struggled to get into this at first. The prose is quite heavy at times and I couldn't quite see the thrust of McEwan's story (even though I have seen the film and knew what happens). But, once the "event" takes place I was hooked by its depth. This book is a harrowing reflection on the nature of personal responsibility, guilt and forgiveness - as well as the nature of storytelling.

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