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jennifer_c_s 's review for:
Atonement
by Ian McEwan
‘As far as she was concerned, everything fitted; the terrible present fulfilled the recent past.’
On a hot summer day in 1935, thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis makes a mistake. Her mistake has far reaching consequences for several characters, including Briony herself. But it is not Briony I feel sorry for as the story unfolds. Yes, I can accept that Briony’s initial accusation was based on misunderstanding, fuelled by a flair for dramatic storytelling, but her subsequent inaction ruined lives.
A brief outline:
The story itself unfolds over three parts, and a coda.
In Part One, Briony’s family is preparing for a party. Briony observes her older sister Cecelia and Robbie Turner, the son of a servant, by the pool. A later interaction between Cecelia and Robbie together with a note, fuel Briony’s misperception. This part of the story unfolds slowly, interspersed with family drama as Briony’s twin cousins Jackson and Pierrot Quincey go missing. Their sister Lola is among those searching for them, as is Robbie. Lola is attacked. Robbie is accused and arrested.
In Part Two, having served time in prison for a crime he did not commit, Robbie enlists in the British Army. He serves in France. Robbie and Cecelia, who has trained as a nurse, have remained in contact. Briony, haunted by guilt, decides to train as a nurse. The Tallis family has fractured since the events of 1935: everyone involved has suffered. Briony’s attempt to (finally) tell the truth can change nothing of consequence.
In Part Three, Briony reflects on the consequence of her actions. There’s more to it of course.
‘She was calm as she considered what she had to do. […] She knew what was required of her. Not simply a letter, but a new draft, an atonement, and she was ready to begin.’
And then there is the coda, set in 1999 when Briony is aged seventy-seven. Can there really be a happy ending to this sad story of false accusation and misunderstanding? Can people forgive the destruction of their hopes and the derailing of their lives? Can Briony ever move beyond the actions of her thirteen-year-old self?
I finish reading, reluctant to leave the story behind. A complex story brilliantly told.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
On a hot summer day in 1935, thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis makes a mistake. Her mistake has far reaching consequences for several characters, including Briony herself. But it is not Briony I feel sorry for as the story unfolds. Yes, I can accept that Briony’s initial accusation was based on misunderstanding, fuelled by a flair for dramatic storytelling, but her subsequent inaction ruined lives.
A brief outline:
The story itself unfolds over three parts, and a coda.
In Part One, Briony’s family is preparing for a party. Briony observes her older sister Cecelia and Robbie Turner, the son of a servant, by the pool. A later interaction between Cecelia and Robbie together with a note, fuel Briony’s misperception. This part of the story unfolds slowly, interspersed with family drama as Briony’s twin cousins Jackson and Pierrot Quincey go missing. Their sister Lola is among those searching for them, as is Robbie. Lola is attacked. Robbie is accused and arrested.
In Part Two, having served time in prison for a crime he did not commit, Robbie enlists in the British Army. He serves in France. Robbie and Cecelia, who has trained as a nurse, have remained in contact. Briony, haunted by guilt, decides to train as a nurse. The Tallis family has fractured since the events of 1935: everyone involved has suffered. Briony’s attempt to (finally) tell the truth can change nothing of consequence.
In Part Three, Briony reflects on the consequence of her actions. There’s more to it of course.
‘She was calm as she considered what she had to do. […] She knew what was required of her. Not simply a letter, but a new draft, an atonement, and she was ready to begin.’
And then there is the coda, set in 1999 when Briony is aged seventy-seven. Can there really be a happy ending to this sad story of false accusation and misunderstanding? Can people forgive the destruction of their hopes and the derailing of their lives? Can Briony ever move beyond the actions of her thirteen-year-old self?
I finish reading, reluctant to leave the story behind. A complex story brilliantly told.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith