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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
Fascinating, engrossing story. Didn’t much like how the protagonist’s character developed. Long, but worth it.
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
6/10. There's something good in here, I just never really found it, and I never really felt compelled to do so after the first few chapters of Lessons. I picked up this novel with high hopes that it would get me out of a bit of a reading slump and it ended up doing the opposite. I took over a month to get through this five-hundred-page novel. It wasn't because it was particularly heavy or slow reading, but more so that I never felt motivated to pick it up and power through the next 30-40 page chapter. Ian McEwan's premise of tracing a man's life through decades of trials and tribulations set against the backdrop of the 20th century's major historical events was very appealing, but it ultimately meant very little of particular depth. Instead, I found every single character in this novel, including Roland, his wife Alissa, and the piano teacher all to be incredibly annoying and immature people. Not respectable. Not quite hateable. Just boring and irritating. And the major events such as the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Cuban Missile Crisis, 9/11, and the COVID-19 pandemic were so forced into the narrative that it was more distracting than grounding.
All that said, there are some things to like here. The entire piano teacher storyline is interesting, and there are some genuinely touching moments Roland shares later on with his son and his granddaughter, but there is just so much bloat that the good parts end up feeling fleeting. Maybe I just was not in the right headspace for this book, but it definitely didn't do much to put me there.
All that said, there are some things to like here. The entire piano teacher storyline is interesting, and there are some genuinely touching moments Roland shares later on with his son and his granddaughter, but there is just so much bloat that the good parts end up feeling fleeting. Maybe I just was not in the right headspace for this book, but it definitely didn't do much to put me there.
At times I thought this was a 4 star book and at other times a 3 star book. So 3.5 stars then. A great idea for a novel with some really moving scenes, but it has some really long and slightly dull passages, particularly near the beginning. A trimming of about 50 pages would have helped immensely. But still I'm glad I read it and I'm looking forward to reading another of McEwan's novels.
I really loved the last 100 pages and glad I got there. The middle was long.
The story of Roland Bains, from his boyhood affair with a young woman piano teacher to his days as an elder during the Covid lockdowns, avoids the usual polemic of victim and predator by recounting impulsive decisions and mixed emotions. Against the March of life’s challenges, the novel champions companionship over artistry and understanding.
3.5/5 really!
“Things will never be as good as we hoped or as bad as we feared.”
“Our beginnings shape us and must be faced.”
It was all so underwhelming. So ambitious though and I commend the author for that. Lots to weave through but as the story progressed and the author introduced many more characters and world events, I became more enamored with the author’s ability to explain historical significance and weave the characters’ development around the complicated incidents shaping their lives. It was genius to have so many characters’ struggles reflecting those of their greater world. When you are ready for something that is riveting but a lot to chew at times, pick this one up. GREAT as an audiobook by the way.
“Things will never be as good as we hoped or as bad as we feared.”
“Our beginnings shape us and must be faced.”
It was all so underwhelming. So ambitious though and I commend the author for that. Lots to weave through but as the story progressed and the author introduced many more characters and world events, I became more enamored with the author’s ability to explain historical significance and weave the characters’ development around the complicated incidents shaping their lives. It was genius to have so many characters’ struggles reflecting those of their greater world. When you are ready for something that is riveting but a lot to chew at times, pick this one up. GREAT as an audiobook by the way.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes