A review by tanzipanzi
Atonement by Ian McEwan

reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

This book was incredibly boring and just not a vibe. I have yet to enjoy reading a literary fiction novel (so far, the only except is Memorial by Bryan Washington) because I find they are so overly descriptive and vague. This book was no exception and I'm glad I listened to it because the British accent of the narrator was the only redeeming quality to the story.
 
I feel like so much time was spent building up to the 'crime' and showing multiple perspectives that added no extra insight just for the actual crime itself to be glossed over quite quickly.
And it hardly felt like Briony even atoned for her crime anyway. It felt like everyone just kept living a life that might have only been slightly different had she not wrongly accused Robbie but it didn't feel directly correlated (except for him going to prison and being separated from Cecilia). And then bringing the war into it felt irrelevant? The whole experience of the war just felt disjointed and like something that would've happened anyway.
Plus I don't like the overly descriptive depictions of war when the author wasn't the one who actually experienced it and it felt like it was just being used as a literary device and felt inauthentic. 
 
What I think did not sit well with me the most was the whole premise of the crime;
I don't like that they used this story to demonstrate a case where someone misidentified a rapist and the focus was then on how that wronged person was made to suffer, rather than using it as an opportunity to give voice to the victim. It seemed like a flawed process to believe only the young girl and now it could almost be used as an excuse for not believing others because someone was so certain of something that they didn't know.
Plus it being written by a male made it all a more damaging narrative. Would not recommend.
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