Atonement was written by Ian McEwan and they just recently turned it into a movie. When novels are turned into movies, it usually spurs me into the reading of the novel. Especially since most of the movies made from novels are rated R, reading the book is the only way I can see the movie.
The most important thing about the novel was the characters. They were so believable they sucked you in! You either loved the characters or hated them, based on the whims of the writer. He was able to make you hate characters more than any writer I have ever experienced. Briony Tallis was the focus of the novel, although it followed Robbie Turner and Briony’s older sister Cecilia Tallis. The way it was told bothered me–it flitted from part one which was divided by a few characters (all of it was third person) and then it came to part two where it specifically focused on Turner. Part three was devoted to Briony. That was the only part I didn’t like.
It was very suspenseful, to the point where I was holding my breath. The plot is very unpredictable, shocking, and most of all, almost real. It’s not far fetched at all. The fact that it’s set in prewar London makes it all the more interesting to me. The war scenes are very graphic, which was something that made me cringe. I had to set the book down for moments at a time. Then, I’d resume reading. It’s hard to handle when you know that it happens–that war ruins lives.
McEwan is very lyrical, and the descriptions are in depth–often page length paragraphs at a time, but instead of boring, they are interesting in a peculiar way. He’s painting an image so precisely that it makes you envision it in your head without filling in the blanks yourself. It was amazing how well he was able to do it. I have to say, as a writer, that looking at his writing, it is something to take example from.
Atonement is one of the best books I have read this year, and I have to recommend it with five stars out of five; which doesn’t even begin to describe how wonderful of a novel it was.
The author’s website: http://www.ianmcewan.com
