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matt_and_cheez 's review for:
Atonement
by Ian McEwan
In Atonement, McEwan investigates the nature of action and consequence, and of regret and guilt. Set in WWII England, McEwan portrays the uncertainty of the era through the deeds of the then teenager Briony Tallis. After reading a love note addressed to her older sister from a childhood friend Robbie, and then witnessing their sensual confrontation in the library, Briony frames Robbie and sends him to jail. The resulting consequences of this one evil act resonate through the rest of the story.
Part two of the story was my least favorite. It greatly details Robbie's service in WWII and his hatred for Briony. I don't like reading about war, so I struggled with this part of the novel.
Part three describes Briony's part in the war, a much more interesting (to me) portrayal. She is a war nurse and McEwan gives a really good insight into the lives of a WWII nurses. I didn't realize how many rules they had to follow and just how strict protocol was. Here, Briony's regret is described and she goes to visit her older sister, who now despises her. She makes as best of amends as she can, and the main story ends here.
Part four is the epilogue, told almost 60 years later. Briony visits her childhood home after being diagnosed with dimensia, and is surprised to see a portrayal of a play she wrote as a child.
Briony as a character is very complex. She aspires to be a writer, and is rejected in the middle of the novel by a literary magazine. She uses writing to escape from the harsh reality of the war and of her evil childhood act. As a reader, I still don't know if I feel sorry for her, or if I am angry at her action and the suffering it caused.
All in all, this book was very well written, but again, war stories aren't for me. I'm glad it wasn't just from the perspective of a soldier. I've read several war books and it's all the same, the horrible, bloody happenings during battle and the intense need to survive.
Part two of the story was my least favorite. It greatly details Robbie's service in WWII and his hatred for Briony. I don't like reading about war, so I struggled with this part of the novel.
Part three describes Briony's part in the war, a much more interesting (to me) portrayal. She is a war nurse and McEwan gives a really good insight into the lives of a WWII nurses. I didn't realize how many rules they had to follow and just how strict protocol was. Here, Briony's regret is described and she goes to visit her older sister, who now despises her. She makes as best of amends as she can, and the main story ends here.
Part four is the epilogue, told almost 60 years later. Briony visits her childhood home after being diagnosed with dimensia, and is surprised to see a portrayal of a play she wrote as a child.
Briony as a character is very complex. She aspires to be a writer, and is rejected in the middle of the novel by a literary magazine. She uses writing to escape from the harsh reality of the war and of her evil childhood act. As a reader, I still don't know if I feel sorry for her, or if I am angry at her action and the suffering it caused.
All in all, this book was very well written, but again, war stories aren't for me. I'm glad it wasn't just from the perspective of a soldier. I've read several war books and it's all the same, the horrible, bloody happenings during battle and the intense need to survive.