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3.34 AVERAGE
3.34 AVERAGE
Enjoyable but not earth-shaking novel about a young woman in 1970s Britain who joins MI5, the secret intelligence agency. Serena is young and beautiful and doesn't really have any interest in spy work. She likes reading, and is against Communism. Anyway, this is not that memorable to me, except that
Spoiler
it has a final twist, a reveal, that serves as sort of a meta-commentary on male authors writing books that have a young woman's voice.
There was something about the story which I just loved. Probably a combination of MI5 and an attractive heroine. While I thought this book would be a spy story, it turned out to be more of a love story, but a really compelling one which I thoroughly enjoyed. I look forward to reading more books by McEwan as this was my first.
I was expecting a totally different book than this one. The description makes it sound more like a spy novel - and if that's what you want, this is not the book for you. Despite that, I really enjoyed the story. The structure of the novel is actually quite complex (how complex you will not understand until the last chapter), and that was my favorite part about it. In addition to that, there's a nice love story and some interesting ethical dilemmas addressed, but the novel structure was the best part for me in hindsight.
After 67 pages, I can't go any further with this tedious and flat work of fiction.
2,5 stars, the 0,5 star is for the end cause it was an ok end but like the main was truly a white woman written by a white man
4.5 - I was interested, but not overly engaged, in the beginning of the novel; by the middle, I couldn't put it down, and the ending was one of the most cleverly crafted I've read in a while.
mysterious
reflective
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 tend not to post reviews of books I don't care for but this book is an exception. I wanted to like it and it is beautifully written, though at times it felt over written and crafted to impress. Serena Frome is not all that likable. She is a snob, and although she is a voracious reader who loves literature, she studies math to please her mother and joins a secret British agency in 1972 to please her lover. She gets involved with the subject of her first mission and there is no real tension because the first paragraph of the book tells you it is all going to end badly. I found it dull.
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes