tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post6368167354661377448..comments2008-10-20T13:20:11.565-04:00Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14938166831865436287noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-51701778413540297162008-10-20T13:20:00.000-04:002008-10-20T13:20:00.000-04:00I've never read McEwan. I couldn't get into <I>Atonement</I>, but I'm thinking of giving it another try after reading such good things about it. I really enjoyed your review of this book, and I think I'll have to check it out. I'm intrigued about the cruelty to his characters. Sounds interesting.<BR/><BR/>--Anna<BR/>http://diaryofaneccentric.blogspot.comAnnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046635675540466183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-46702836036037205342008-10-18T15:21:00.000-04:002008-10-18T15:21:00.000-04:00I, too, have mixed feelings about McEwan's books. I tend to love every sentence but the big picture leaves me wishing for more. <I>On Chesil Beach</I> was no exception, especially as it suddenly skipped ahead to the end and I realized how little I cared what happened to these characters if they weren't going to do what <B>I</B> wanted them to do.Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16745786643511417426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-38440715841833603072008-10-17T14:27:00.000-04:002008-10-17T14:27:00.000-04:00I think I liked this one quite a lot more than you did, but it was also my first McEwan book (and the only one to date). However, I think we both agree that he's a talented writer. I was bowled over by his ability to create such a tangibe sense of...claustrophobia? I guess that's the only way I can categorize it.Andihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05220718933942181809noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-75757469554577552832008-10-16T12:18:00.000-04:002008-10-16T12:18:00.000-04:00I find that I love all McEwan—even the McEwan that I don&#39;t <EM>like</EM>. He is just so exacting. I was surprised more people didn't like <EM>On Chesil Beach</EM> myself, because it was just so brutally real, but I think that harshness is something a lot of people find unattractive in their leisure reading.lifeinbookshttp://lifeinbooks.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-15509505257062694662008-10-15T21:40:00.000-04:002008-10-15T21:40:00.000-04:00I'm hoping to love this one, it seems pretty interesting to me. After Atonement I think I went down the list to see what looks most interesting for my next McEwan and it was this! Hope to read it relatively soon!Aleahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05793307292393570181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-84170946964082580582008-10-15T18:35:00.000-04:002008-10-15T18:35:00.000-04:00Interesting review. I loved <I>Atonement</I> (the book, haven't seen the film), so I then picked up <I>Enduring Love</I> and didn't like it much at all. Didn't see the movie for that one either. Since those are the only two IM books I've read, I'm not sure whether to read more or not.<BR/><BR/>Oh and by the way, several of his short stories and a couple more of his novels have been made into films. Plus he's written some screenplays...avisannschildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12486477882148877317noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-48441698532762058462008-10-15T17:11:00.000-04:002008-10-15T17:11:00.000-04:00I just wrote a review on Dewey and I'm going to give a copy away during the readathon. It was a very good book.sharonluvscats80atyahoodotcomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13108439112946490897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-2145520370522656612008-10-15T16:51:00.000-04:002008-10-15T16:51:00.000-04:00I felt the same way about this one. I didn't enjoy it but I respected it.S. Krishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10268527069548216054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-82448992494970781762008-10-15T12:42:00.000-04:002008-10-15T12:42:00.000-04:00Enduring Love was also made into a film with Samantha Morton but it would definitely fall into your category of dark.<BR/><BR/>My opinion is that Ian McEwan is the greatest living writer in the English language. I have read all of his books but I hated On Chesil Beach. I was so glad it didn't win the Booker.<BR/><BR/>I agree with you that Atonement is his best book but Saturday is a close second.candyschultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09535661393791135479noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-24809044772361531302008-10-15T12:02:00.000-04:002008-10-15T12:02:00.000-04:00I like what Lisa said - OCB is hard to love.<BR/><BR/>It is. But there's always something in McEwan's writing that sticks to my brain.Karen Harringtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13425141684712829990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-108947431672721502008-10-15T10:26:00.000-04:002008-10-15T10:26:00.000-04:00Marie: the title just sounds cinematic to me!Serenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04745809545249574387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-9941398977170348792008-10-15T10:13:00.000-04:002008-10-15T10:13:00.000-04:00I love McEwan and I think I'm going to have to check out On Chesil Beach. He does so much with so litte--confined to small periods of time with isolated characters, etc. He kind of comes across as pulling a modern James Joyce (ala, Ulysses) with his works.<BR/><BR/>Great review, thanks!Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11745445935235997199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-871974175478654482008-10-15T08:04:00.000-04:002008-10-15T08:04:00.000-04:00On Chesil Beach is hard to love, but parts of it left me breathless. You can't help but ache for these characters, even as you see them rushing headlong into disaster.<BR/><BR/>As I recall, the twist isn't completely spelled out, but your suspicions are definitely confirmed - but it's been a while since I read it.<BR/><BR/>I remember thinking at the time that there are probably a lot of relationships that live or die based on some small piece of information that we share or keep to ourselves. I thought that came through very clearly in the story.Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07315622067612799162noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-48963980492441207512008-10-15T07:03:00.000-04:002008-10-15T07:03:00.000-04:00Marie, I love McEwan and really enjoyed Chesil Beach. I agree about his writing. He says so much with so few words. Very, very talented.<BR/><BR/>Okay, now I'm going to have to email you or send you a private message on LT because I don't remember the thing at the end you're talking about. I do remember suspecting somthing throughout the book, or at least during the last half that I thought was never really confirmed. It's been a while since I've read this book though.<BR/><BR/>Shana<BR/><A HREF="http://blog.literarily.com" REL="nofollow">Literarily</A>Shanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07303029261460733363noreply@blogger.com