Atonement: A Novel

Upon reading `Atonement' one is completely removed from their lives, their places of dwelling and time of departure and transplanted to a place where nothing is familiar yet everything is impressionable. Being the first novel I've read by the acclaimed novelist Ian McEwan I was immediately made aware of his immense talent. The tale presented to the reader is one of remarkable effectiveness, one that is truly relatable and believable and in the end of dire importance for its overall moral is one that transcends the boundaries of this prose and cements itself in our very being, in our every interaction and in our constant memory. Separated into four sections `Atonement' is broken down in such a way as to make the true conclusion all the more shocking and heartbreaking.Part one retells the events on one especially harsh summer day in 1935. I say `especially harsh' mainly because by the days end events take place that harshly affect the lives of everyone involved. 13-yearold Briony Tallis is a smart and imaginative young girl and she becomes the main focus of our attention as we hear of the day's events. As she attempts to orchestrate a theatrical production in honor of her brother Leon's arrival home she is met with a few snags and some ominous distractions that put her initial plans on hold and send her into a newfound direction. As the relationship between her older sister Cecilia and their housekeepers son Robbie begins to take a turn Briony finds herself in the know of a serious misunderstanding that changes the course of everyone's lives. With their three cousins Lola, Jackson and Pierrot visiting as well as Leon's friend Paul Marshall the house is quite full on the evening in question, so when events take a turn for the worse there are so many more eyes to cast their judgment.Briony is a very interesting character. I found it truly fascinating as her character unveiled itself with each turning page. Her immaturity is emphasized by her incessant need to be the mature one despite her inability to do so. She's lost in her writing, an obsession that causes her to read deeply into matters that aren't her concern and imagine the possibilities no matter how devastating they may become. She also allows the actions of others to affect her too deeply, finding herself reacting irrationally and this leaves her in a position to do much harm. It's hard for the reader not to find themselves calling Briony out as the villain here, for it's her needless actions that cause so much pain, but in reality she's nothing more than a young child who was invested in a poor decision.So, with an accusation made and a terrible crime committed we brace ourselves for the second and third parts of the novel where we follow Robbie and Briony respectably as they strive to patch up their lives. Robbie has been through hell, literally, and in the second part of the novel we follow his journey as he strives to get home from the war. The horrors he is witness to, the atrocities he is privy to are all sprawled out for us is detail, as is his dire need to be reunited with his lost love Cecilia. The third part covers Briony's struggles as a nurse during the war, but more importantly her struggles within herself for some ounce of atonement for her sins. She has grown up since that summer day, not only in age but in understanding, and she is finally able to grasp the seriousness of her lies. The pain she has caused will never fully be undone, but she desires to do all she can to write them.The novel opens with such a brilliantly conceived idea, and is so effortlessly and elegantly penned that one is immediately engulfed in its design. I for one could not put it down and read the entire first section in one sitting. Sadly the second a third sections do not read as briskly, but their importance is all the more secured by the closing section as elderly Briony recounts her actions and the ultimate consequences of them all. The final pages are chilling to say the least, and are completely unexpected, so much so that the tears running down my face had all but dried before I realized I was crying.`Atonement' is a brilliantly orchestrated tale of pain, despair, loyalty, betrayal and the ultimate yearning to make amends, to find atonement for our sins and attain forgiveness for our souls. Truly one of the most inspiring and ultimately absorbing novels I've read to date.

This book is very enjoyable to read overall. However, I found myself searching up definitions to words often. The author does an excellent job at building a world and lovable characters. You should pick it up if you have the time.

_Atonement_ is a fine book, highly reminiscent of Elizabeth Bowen's work. But I don't understand why the common assessment of Briony as unreliable narrator seems to stop at her end-revelation that Cecilia and Robbie were killed without ever fulfilling their love.Briony admits, in fact, to being a novelist throughout. She says she collapsed several hospitals she worked at into one. A common writing technique; after all, what is important is how her experience as a wartime nurse affects her.Her rejection letter, which states that Elizabeth Bowen (who was said to not even work for the magazine) felt compelled to read her manuscript and loved it, is far too glowing for reality. Then there is the book's harmonious ending. Several generations of Briony's relatives assemble to see Briony's childhood play "The Trials of Arabella," which was interrupted and upstaged by the drama of Lola's sexual violation. Her cousin Pierrot ran away from rehearsals as a child, scotching the performance. Yet the final chapter of _Atonement_ asserts he was bitterly disappointed at not acting in it. To the extent that decades later he organized this performance, and is tearfully grateful to see it. This is pure wish fulfillment. Briony is giving herself a happy ending that she did not give Robbie and Cecilia--though she's still contemplating the latter.Much more interesting is the description of the central event, Lola's sexual violation. Fifteen-year-old Lola is socially sophisticated--her mother just publicly eloped to Paris with a lover. Lola dresses and acts as much like an adult as she can. She's very pretty, dresses attractively, and her grooming and makeup are impeccable. Her interaction with the wealthy young chocolate magnate Paul Marshall is distinctly flirtatious. Like other girls of her generation, Lola would have been brought up to marry well, and Paul is an excellent catch. In another two or three years, Lola would be brought out into society, where her pursuit of a husband would be entirely acceptable.While Briony is helping everyone to hunt for her runaway twin cousins, she checks the 18th-century "ruined villa" on an little island in the little lake. A spot that is both romantic, and easy for non-residents to locate (Paul Marshall has never visited the house before). Here she discovers Lola with a man on top of her, and immediately assumes this is a rape. Three years later, when Lola marries Paul Marshall, Briony admits the man was Paul. However, Briony, who her sister Cecilia describes as "a young thirteen," is not at the time sophisticated enough to understand the difference between consensual sex and rape. Only a few hours earlier, Briony discovered Cecilia and Robbie having enthusiastic sex in the library, assumed it was rape, and they have not had an opportunity to tell her otherwise. Very possibly Lola's sexual act is also quite willing, and Briony realizes that when she is somewhat older. Even Briony marvels that Lola "fell in love with her rapist."When Briony discovers Lola and Paul, Paul immediately flees, leaving Lola to deal with the problems. And they have several. If it's consensual sex, Lola's aunt, uncle, and parents will be furious at her for losing her virtue. They'll be even more angry at Paul, who is a responsible adult. Paul can't immediately marry Lola to repair the damage--she's so young that "people would talk." Also, Lola's uncle (Briony's father) works for the War Ministry, and Paul is angling for a very lucrative army-provisioning contract. It's likely that Lola's uncle could make sure he didn't get it.And here, Lola gets lucky: Briony, carefully led on, is willing to help Lola call the event a rape and to pin the blame on Robbie. Paul Marshall may merely have had a little sexual amusement in mind. But now that they've been seen, Lola could blackmail Paul into marrying her as soon as she's of age, by threatening to reveal the truth. Everything works out for them. Lola gets her wealthy husband and hangs onto him for the rest of her life. Paul gains his army contract. He also marries a woman whom he was attracted to when she was 15 and who is even prettier at 18.I suspect that close examination of _Atonement_ would reveal additional examples of Briony as an unreliable narrator.

The character development is wonderful, particularly with Briony, a precocious young teen with an overly active imagination, and a need for attention and recognition. Her accusations were set in a believable context so much so, she dared to believe the story herself.

O livro é ótimo! Chegou super rápido e em perfeito estado.

Hallo, s.o.

Took me a little time to get used to his way of writing, but what a terrific read. The WW11 descriptions were very moving. I’m also old enough to remember the long Nightingale wards as a student nurse and the terrors of the ward sister. It was so accurate. In a lot of ways a very sad, moving tale.

Letto in italiano ma comprato in inglese per un regalo. Una ottima edizione a un prezzo conveniente. Se comprate libri in lingua sapete che li fanno pagare sempre troppo. Su Amazon ci si può permettere di fare un dono bello senza aprire un mutuo.Il romanzo è meraviglioso ma è questione di gusti. Io lo consiglio anche in italiano.

I bought a second hand book and it doesn’t even look like it is has been used before. Other than that I even got the book in less than half price and so am extremely happy with the purchase.