Rating: 
Summary: Pretentious and Boring
Review: The first 200 pages of this 350-page novel are a boring stream of consciousness from several uninteresting and unsympathetic characters. Only later, in this novel within a novel, do we learn that this section represents a first novel, written by the main character, which was rejected by the publisher for its lack of plot and character. The author should have listened to his own advice! Instead, he was caught up in the cuteness of demonstrating the evolution of the main character's writing abilities - at the reader's expense. The rest of the book is fairly compelling and worthwhile, but a little too caught up in the idea of its own importance.
Rating: 
Summary: I had expected more
Review: The book is a distinguished achievement by a distinguished author. But I am not happy with it. I find the plot and the characters and the overall atmosphere pushing and shoving and generally shouting: "hey, read this carefully, hey, this is serious; hey this is literature." I find a lack of human sympathy, a lack of warmth. I hope that other readers will enjoy this book more than I have.
Rating:
Summary: Crime without punishment
Review: A number of reviews have summarized the story of the 'crime' of 13 year-old Briony and the resulting dramatic changes that occur in the lives of the key characters: in addition to the young girl, her older sister Cecilia, her cousin as well as the son of the housekeeper, Robbie. The first part of the book covers one hot summer day in rural England in 1935 where the tragedy unfolds. The atmosphere is masterfully evoked and the evolving drama sensitively depicted. To this reader the most successful facet of the chapter and the novel overall is the characterization of Briony. In many ways, this is Her story, seen from different angles and from different time perspectives. She is, as the late arrival to her parents, a typical mix of a spoilt and neglected child. She lives in her own fantasy world where the realities of her surroundings are mixed in with the wild imaginations of a romantic of her age. McEwan captures the capricious teenager very well indeed. He also paints an excellent portrait of the upper-middleclass family and its open and hidden frustrations and tensions. Cecilia is also well drawn as the returning fresh (women's) college graduate. She tends to replace the mother for Briony and a set of cousins, but at the same time she is uncertain of her own identity. This part of the book is the most engaging, it draws the characters well and builds up the tension up to the 'crime'. The rest of the novel does not maintain the momentum created. The story picks up five years later with Robbie at the front in France after having spent the intervening years in prison for THE crime, which he did not commit. Briony, obviously in part as a result of her guilt for blaming Robbie rather than the real aggressor in a false testimony, has decided to train as a nurse in London. We also learn that her actions resulted in her sister refusing to communicate with her and the rest of the family. One wonders why the very detailed description of the retreat from the front to Dunkirk with a wounded Robbie as the main character was necessary. Based on extensive research of historical documents, McEwan offers an excellent account of the dramas of that retreat, however, its significance for this particular story is not evident. The incidental facts one learns about the intervening years, the protagonists and their changed relationships do not justify the importance given to this chapter. The exception is the description of Briony's life as a nurse which is more to the point. An extensive duty period where she is suddenly confronted with the dramatic influx of seriously wounded soldiers leaves a deep impression. The learning curve that changes her from an innocent and irresponsible 18 year old to an adult during those hours is well drawn. Her actions following this experience, although somewhat unconvincing, are intended to demonstrate her resolve to confront her 'atonement'. The novel ends with an epilogue set some 55 years later. It depicts Briony as a successful writer of a certain age. While preparing for a birthday party in her honour, she reflects not only on her life but also on the question of atonement. I agree with those reviewers who commented on the weakness of the ending of the novel. The concept of a story in a story and the author's privilege to change major aspects of the story line to give it more of 'happy ending', does not sound quite convincing. Atonement is not achieved by making the characters survive and live happily ever after. Briony, even at 77, remains the capricious little person that she was at 13. She still invents fantasies and refuses to take responsibility for her actions.
Rating: 
Summary: In Reverse
Review: I came to Ian McEwan's novel because of reviews I had read. I had read several of his earlier works and these reviewers stressed how much Atonement was a departure from the earlier materials. That grabbed my attention. This is a simply wonderful novel that owned me from the opening sequence to its quite incredible conclusion. These are people whose lives I became wrapped up in, page after page, section after section. I read it in 30 minute spurts every morning for several weeks and felt as if I were entering the world of early World War ll England and France in a way that I did not believe was possible. The middle section with the engrossing section on the collapse of France at the beginning of the War is simply stunning. I then went on to read Amsterdam, the winner of the Booker Prize and the novel written before Atonement. In a way I am glad that I approached them in that order. Atonement is, to my mind, the superior book. Amsterdam is literate and very flashy. It moves at a much faster pace than does Atonement. But to give the Booker prize to it is not much different than giving John Steinbeck the Pulitzer for Winter of Our Discontent. Read Atonement first and view Amsterdam as a very filling after-dinner mint.
Rating:
Summary: A great read
Review: I was very satisfied with this book. Likely to appeal to anyone who has a fondness for English stories set in the pre to post World War Two period, with the lush rendering of upper middle-class country house life. More than just a family saga, it explores some universal themes of truth, forgiveness, loyalty, redemption. Th narrative is divided in three parts, closely resembling 3 linked novellas, but each is in fact dependent on the other for the resolution - although even there the author teases with a denouement that takes this into the realm of unresolved fantasy (popular amongst movie-makers nowadays - from Memento to Mulholland Drive, though personally I think the clues are well enough laid by McEwan that it is a little less ambiguous than some). For me, the second section, recounting the story of one main character and another in the retreat from France that culminated in Dunkirk, is the strongest component. The evocation of that aspect of war - the fleeing columns of humanity being aerially strafed by the German forces is different to anything else of have read set in wartime. A satisfying and not difficult read for those who like something lyrical and literary.
Rating:
Summary: An Incredibly Well-Written Book
Review: It's easy to see why this novel won the Booker Prize. It is extremely well-written and it's hard to believe it's only some 350 pages or so. The author delves into so much detail into the lives of Robbie, Cee and Bryony. But, having said that, I read a book to be entertained. I don't read a book to make me feel depressed, and that is how I felt at the end of the book. This book is a tragedy - pure and simple. It is a very well-done, and well-thought out tragedy, but a tragedy just the same. I found I had to open one of my old standby's to get me in a better frame of mind after I finished the book. That's why I didn't give the book 5 stars. For writing, plot, characterization, it probably deserves 5 stars, but it left me too sad to give it 5.
Rating:
Summary: Crime and Redemption
Review: At the center of this incredible novel are the two daughters of Emily and Jack Tallis. As the book opens in 1935, Briony is 13 years of age, and her sister Cecilia is 23. Robbie Turner, who works in the estate gardens, becomes the lover of Cecilia. The first part of the novel shows us the participants in minute detail, examining past and future aspiration to form complete character studies. The summer day starts rather bucolic, but quickly starts to disintegrate as personalities clash and grate on each other. At night, one of the young female guests is raped, and Briony points her finger at Robbie. Thus Robbie is convicted and sentenced to two years in jail. The second part of the book takes place in May of 1940. Cecilia has become a registered nurse, and Briony just started as a learning nurse. Robbie is part of the British Expeditionary Force, trying to get to Dunkirk and back to England. The description of this retreat is an incredible piece of literature. The reader feels like he is there, suffering through the combat and choking on its details. One is tempted to believe that the author writes from personal experience. Shortly thereafter the author describes the life of a training nurse during war time. Again, he gives us details that are fascinating and gives us endless respect for these caring women. ...Warning! This novel is written incredibly well as to imagination,
language and style. It may well spoil for you many books you read thereafter, making them look superficial, shallow and sloppy.
Rating: 
Summary: bucking the trend
Review: I was very disappointed in the book and gave up before the end of the first long section. A few moments are well-rendered, but the story is riddled with cliches and overused devices. A sex scene is particularly overwritten, and the writing style is indistinguishable from a cheap romance. my 2 cents
Rating:
Summary: read all the hype-looking forward to too much
Review: I read all the reviews about the book and I think I was expecting too much. Don't get me wrong, this is a great book that it well worth the read. I think it would have been even better if I had not gone into reading as many reviews as I did read. All that said, it is still way worth the time.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing !
Review: When I was 10 pages from the end I thought to myself "the only thing I dislike about this book is that it ends" ... but that was only until I read the ending ! Which I reread 3 times ;o) ! AMAZING ! My first McEwan but far from my last !
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