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3.34 AVERAGE
3.34 AVERAGE
My first McEwan. The depiction of 1970s England was interesting; my mother used to live in London for a while in 1970s, so it was interesting because of that. I'm also interested in intelligence organizations, so the depiction of the MI5 was good, too. The book was more about books than secret agents, though. Not bad, not bad at all.
adventurous
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
I must admit that I found myself bored a number of times while reading this, mostly when it came to lengthy sections discussing politics or MI5 meetings. The enjoyable parts for me were the ones that focused on Serena, although I still didn't quite find myself invested in her as a character. I kept reading for the ending, and it was worth it... The last chapter evoked more feelings in me than the rest of the novel combined, and the last page especially is something that will stick in my head for a while and will make an otherwise unimpressive novel memorable for me.
Last night I closed my copy of Sweet Tooth, just before the final chapter. I was tired and didn't expect much to change with Tom's letter; I thought the ending would be a cliche. I was already thinking of a 3 star rating, maybe a 3.5.
I truly enjoyed reading this book; I loved the descriptions of Brighton, the train rides through England, the picnics in Cambridge. The writing was so good, that at times, I felt the chilly weather myself. I admired Serena's sharpness, her snobbery, the commentary on her reading habbits; but the story in itself didn't move me. I expected an exciting Cold War thriller, an insight in a spy's mind, but Operation Sweet Tooth was rather low level.
And then I read the last chapter, and saw how wrong I was. The story was an insight into a writer's mind. I hadn't seen that coming, and it made me redefine the entire book, see it under a different light. And it is brilliant.
I truly enjoyed reading this book; I loved the descriptions of Brighton, the train rides through England, the picnics in Cambridge. The writing was so good, that at times, I felt the chilly weather myself. I admired Serena's sharpness, her snobbery, the commentary on her reading habbits; but the story in itself didn't move me. I expected an exciting Cold War thriller, an insight in a spy's mind, but Operation Sweet Tooth was rather low level.
And then I read the last chapter, and saw how wrong I was. The story was an insight into a writer's mind. I hadn't seen that coming, and it made me redefine the entire book, see it under a different light. And it is brilliant.
Просто прекрасная последняя глава, которая переворачивает все с ног на голову! Даже искушенный читатель (в 9 из 10 детективов я понимаю, к чему все идет уже на половине книги) будет доволен таким поворотом. Однозначно в список - лучших книг года!
Didn't really get into this in the same way as other Ian McEwan books- couldn't quite get into the character of Serena.....altho the main character she still seemed somehow superficial
Gave it until page 50, then decided to find a book I liked. I kept waiting for the protagonist to grow a spine or a brain. I like my female characters with a bit more backbone and independence. Woe is me gets old fast.