A review by crabbyabbe
Atonement by Ian McEwan

reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

What a beautifully written, descriptive novel. McEwan certainly has a command of the English language. I already knew the ending from the movie, but I wanted to read the novel to see how it measure up to the movie. Usually it's the other way around, I know. Briony was a tough character to like, even at the end. I found myself siding with Robbie and Cecelia, even though Cee could be a sassy lassie as well. Part 2 had one of the best depictions of the effects of war I have ever read, except for THE ILIAD. That's saying something! The reason it's not a 5-star rating is that I would have preferred a bit more action than all description. You really had to care about the characters to keep wanting to follow their paths.
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