A review by ladygagadisco
Lessons by Ian McEwan

4.0

It felt generous giving the book a 4, but I don’t think it deserved a 3. At its core it was a really interesting story, essentially a biography of a passive, unaccomplished man with an interesting life. There were plenty of riveting scenes from Roland’s childhood with his parents, in Berners Hall, and in Erwarton. I found least compelling the fact that the story began in media res, as I didn’t care for the interactions with the detective and Jane’s journals. The descriptive style of the book was good at casting Roland in a passive light, but also made some passages very dry. I also didn’t find all the historical context too effective; sometimes it was good when it acted on Roland to make choices, but oftentimes the effect that history had on Roland was disjointed and insignificant to the greater narrative. The final part was also quite riveting, as Roland aged and we got to see him confront Miriam, Alissa, and Peter. The message I got was that even as he struggled with SA, abandonment, and serial passivity, he was able to lead a meaningful though undistinguished life, and in an era where people often feel powerless against political events and institutions, I think that message resonates. All in all, I found the narrative interesting, though dry and long at times, and its realist/grounded/passive style makes it quite a unique read.